"Have you ever heard frogs and crickets, when you were hiking a halfpipe?" Bjorn Lienes said to me.

When we arrived at 11:00 Saturday the first pipe session was already in full swing. Wait a second, what the hell is going on here? We’re in Wisconsin, its the fifth of June, its 91º Ferrenhieght, and about 85% relative humidity. We’re going snowboarding? Since once again the airline lost my luggage, so I had to hustle getting a set-up going–the pipe was looking good, and I wanted to get some runs in before they shut it down to re-cut.

Borrowing the set-up was easy with all the demo tents set up at the bottom off the hill. After I ran up the 300 feet to the pipe I realized how hot is was, I was drenched in sweat before I made it there. My excitement was enough to power me to the top of the pipe, and the general stoke of everyone riding was enough to keep me going till the pro contest.

A fresh pipe was cut for the pro contest–despite all the salting efforts, the heat and humidity was making the snow slow, so four hits were the average. Bjorn and Erik Lienes, Chad Otterstrom, Joe Curtes, David Aubry all entered the event along with a bunch of ripping locals. Joe Curtes ended up winning, and another super fun session followed.

All during the day local bands had played and there was a street course that some local skaters were killing. There was a BBQ going and the lodge was also open to feed you or quench that special thirst.

They repeated everything on Sunday, but unfortunately Shem and I had to split Saturday night. Don and Sue McKay, and all their staff deserve a big high five for making this all go down.

When we had boarded a red-eye flight out of Los Angles we sort of had an idea of what we were in for, Shem had been to this event a few years prior, and that shoot of Guch backside lipsiding the bed is forever etched in my brain. The event surpassed any expectations we may have had, it was the must fun I’ve ever had shredding in the summer. You can bet your bottom dollar we will continue to go every summer.