|
7/26/99 Story and Photos By Andy Wright
The rest of the camps all have their fair share of skate-style objects as well, with rails every bit as common as halfpipes and super kickers these days. But even with the possibility of bringing your body into forceful contact with a metal object, the rails were not the greatest source of injury. That honor once again belongs to the super kickers. The jumps get bigger every year, but unfortunately the landing's don't grow in equal proportion. Despite the obvious disadvantage of jumping on man-made objects in the summer, there is no shortage of huckers ready to put it on the line. The Windell jump was the biggest during my visit and the site of clinic every afternoon from most of the on-hill pros including, Romain De Marchi, Blaise Rosenthal, Jimmy Halopoff, Jesse Burkner, Gabe Taylor, J2, Joni Malmi, and Kim Bonhsack. But even the skilled aren't immune from injury as I watched Marc Frank land a few feet from the bottom of the landing of a 60 foot air and nearly shatter his ankle. Although he rode down under his own power, he won't be snowboarding until the real snow returns.
Over in the tube, things were just as exciting than the high-flying jumps. Kier Dillon had come and gone in the weeks before my arrival and he was all anyone could talk about. Fortunately I was able to witness the skills of the Eastern Canada's 418 crew, including David Porcheron and David Aurbury. Other pipe rulers on hand included Jon Kramer, Mikey LeBlanc, Shannon Dunn, BJ Leines, Chad Otterstrom, Tonino Copene, Kendall Whelpton, Travis Parker, Chris Engelsman, Brad Scheufffele, Randy Walter, Jessica Dalpiaz and Ali Goulet. With the added convenience the pipe dragon offers, almost every camp had two pipe going at once that were as close to perfect as I suppose you can get in the middle of July.
Off the snow it is the same old assortment of activities. For those involved with the camps, the fun never ends with enough skateboarding obstacles and ramps to rival Southern California. There are also all kinds of other stuff from those glossy camp brochures, like mountain biking, wakeboarding, and river rafting. At least I assume they exist, but I wouldn't actually know since the off-hill activities for the rest of us are either an over-priced meal the infamous Huckleberry Inn or an exciting night on the town at The Ratskeller. These things will never change. There were however a few evenings in which some inhabitants of Government Camp found other means of
entertainment. One such night involved the blowing up of a phone booth with a home-made M-80. The other involved the stickering the town with Forum stickers. Although the Forum riders present deny responsibility for the latter, some feel that it was more than a coincidence that Burton house was the hardest hit. Before there was a chance for any retaliation, Jermey Jones, BJ Leines, Joni Malmi and Nate Bozung gave up their guest-coaching jobs with High Cascade and split town.
And so it was, and still is actually for about another month. For those who are absolutely dying to get back on the snow, there is still time. If you can't make it, don't worry, the new magazines and videos are weeks away and judging by the number of photographers and filmers in action this summer, it will feel as if you were there. If you just can't wait, try this simple remedy: Take one tall glass of ice and one carton of salt. Pour salt over ice and hold glass close to nasal passage. Place 'snowboard-rock' band on nearest musical playing device. Turn volume up load. Take mouse and scroll back to the top of page. Read this all over again. Repeat until feeling subsides.
<< Check Back For More Photos >>
Previous Page
|