[by Nat Langmann]

Boardercross and slopestyle together in one contest? That's like putting the Air & Style and the Olympics on a quick flight to Vegas to the tie the knot: It may only make sense after a night of binge drinking, which, rumour has it, is how this harebrained, first-time-ever-in-the-world contest was spawned. The result: four dudes, one heat, racing down a boardercross course of rollers and berms, finishing with a mandatory - judged - spin off either a 30ft kicker or the Grand Opening Slopestyle Oakley ‘O' box rail. Come in last in finals, have no fear: draw back, set up, pull out the sickest trick out of your ass and if the judges like what you throw down, you will take this contest. With four shreds spinning in the air at one time, this shit was going to get crazier than an illegal Mexican cockfight.

The morning kicked off with time trials and a mixed bag of riders: some pro, some park, some racers, some old school, some new, and one Olympian (Justin Lamoureux, of course), all booking it down the course, vying for a spot amongst the top 16 to make the finals. Mandatory rotations were in effect for their timed runs to count, and people weren't hesitating to throw down. This year's Showcase Showdown winner, Darcy Sharpe, kicked it off with a sick b/s 7 in his first run and rounded out his day with an extra 500 bones in his pocket for winning best trick off the Oakley jib feature with a cab 270 to a 450 out. Jon Versteeg was throwing down huge cab 9s, and both Kael Hill and Logan Haubrich stomped sick switch b/s 9s, and $500 was handed to Jordan Phillips for throwing down the first nine (cab) of the day.

Watching the final sixteen riders race and spin in the last four heats was amazing; one of the coolest contests to come out of snowboarding. Versteeg was pulling out solid backside 9s, Lamoureux was coming in hot with a cab 7s, Yan Devo hammered through to the finals with a stylish cab five over the Oakley jib, and there would be no denying it by saying that Travis Williams was way ahead of his pack. "This was so much fun to ride," says Lamoureux, "you're pretty much shoulder checking at the last second to make sure you've got your spin and hoping that the other guy lands his trick."

Going into the last heat, Versteeg, Lamoureux, Devo, and WIlliams shot out through the gates with Versteeg inching out the other three in the first corner, whereas Lamoureux and Williams both went into the first berm so tight, their boards clicked, and they pretty much pushed off each other. "That's racing boardercross for you," says Lamoureux as he describes his final run. Coming into the final features, Versteeg, ahead of the pack, pulled out his backside 9, with Lamoureux right behind with a cab seven, and Williams board slid the Oakley O. The crowd went nuts; not only did Versteeg stomp a backside nine, he won the race.

"Today was amazing," said Versteeg at the bottom of the course. "In the very beginning we were doing time runs, and I have never done boardercross in my life. I didn't know how fast I was going, so I just went and did my runs as fast as I could, did a back 9 at the bottom, made it through to the finals." He continues, "The finals were hectic; four fast dudes all spinning off a jump. I pumped the hell out of everything and stuck to my back 9, and made it through." Asking him what he plans on doing now that he is a little richer, he replies, "After I get off work at Cows, I'm going to go out and buy all my friends a lot of drinks."

It turns out the winner didn't take all. Before dropping for the finals, the four decided that no matter what they would split the $5000 between them. That's rad; long live the first ever Boarderstyle.

All photo: Natalie Langmann

Don't forget our Grand Opening Slopestyle and Mogul Mash coverage, the first official video from Monster, and keep checking back for more updates all week.

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