K2 Takes Retailers to the Top of the World
by Shanti Sosienski

Friends of K2 on Mt. Rainiers' Steamboat Prow. We would have liked a better photo, but our photog was suffering from oxygen deprivation.

On June 27, seventy-nine snowboarders made the nearly 4,000 foot ascent to Steamboat Prow, the middle point for those summiting to the 14,400 top of Rainier. The climber, laden with water, food, and snowboards spent six hours stumbling six miles for a ten minute taste of fresh turns.

K2's Vice President of Snowboards Brent "The Olympian" Turner summited at 8:30 a.m. after leaving somewhere around five a.m. with the bulk of the group. He then snowboarded down to greet everyone and offer a report on conditions. Unstrapping at the back of the pack, he proceeded to pass everyone again as he headed back to the top smiling the whole way.

The annual trip, now in it's fifth year isn't only about valor and showmanship. Devised by K2 cheerleader Luke Edgar and Turner, the trip is modeled after a guided tour Jansport (also owned by Anthony Industries) leads to the top of Rainier for retailers every year.

"The beauty of this trip is that it isn't totally structured, yet it is definitely safe," says five year Rainier veteran Wright Hollingsworth of Board Of Missoula. "Everyone struggles, but has a great time."

"This is the most people we've ever had up here," Luke said at Steamboat Prow with a celebratory bottle of Jaegermeister in hand. "It's also been our fastest year ever. Must be all of the people from Colorado."

Wherever people were from, all seemed to agree that the three-and-a-half-day event, which began in Seattle at the Snowboard Connection and included a brief tour of K2's Vashon Island factory, was well worth the torture.

"It's bonding events like this that make this such a rad company and help people believe in the program K2 is selling," Hollingsworth said at the campfire after the climb.

Yeah, maybe it's the bonding, but do you think the never-ending Jaegermeister waterfall could have anything to do with it, or was that just the sugar coating to help dull sore limbs the morning after the hike?