Spring break continues at the Big Bear Open for day #2, slopestyle. In typical So-Cal fashion we had temperatures in the mid 50’s, bluebird sky and varying speed on the course. Ask any competitor and they’ll tell you, wax is your friend. Conditions were a rollercoaster. Morning was quick and firm while the afternoon saw conditions similar to mashed potatoes which caused speed to be tricky.
Mmmm, she looks good.(Photo: Henrik Lampert)
Anyone that has been skiing in So-Cal knows that Big Bear kicks ass. The weather and vibe is incredibly inviting. Everyone is outside, music is pumping, sunscreen is applied liberally and the stoke level is very high… And that’s on a regular day. Combine all that goodness with a competition and some of the best riders in the game and you’ve got a recipe for good times. Did I mention they have a gigantic slopeside bar that is a few dozen feet from the lift?
Kristi Leskinen and Andy Woods getting their grin on.
Anyway, enough about the scene. Chances are, you weren’t there and I don’t want to rub it into your face any more. After all, I’m here to report on the competition… Right? Damn, its so easy to get a beer here.
First up, the talent level was very high. Downright impressive, actually. The Opens Freeski jam format was ideal for this type of event. Riders got the better portion of the morning to ride, piece together solid runs and impress the judges.
Tim Russell’s extremely corked 5’s
One rider who was impressing the hell out of everyone was Joss Christensen. As a matter of fact, he was riding so damn dirty that he took the coveted Navy Best Amateur award during the lunch break. His gigantic backflips, massively grabbed cork 900’s and solid runs impressed the judges enough to merit him the award and also 2nd place for the day. Look for big things from this kid in the future.
Joss Christensen gets happy-go-jacky on the hip. Break out the checkbook.
On the women’s side of the coin it was a big day for everyone’s favorite 6 foot lady, Meg Olenick. She was crushing the course with grabbed up big-ol 360’s on the big booter, rail/box skills and clean runs.
Meg, taking home some cash and prizes.(Photo: Henrik Lampert)
Now to your men’s winner… Everyone’s favorite R&B pop sensation, Bobby Brown. At 16 years old, this kid is having a breakout year. For a rider of his age he has an insanely deep bag of tricks… Double flips, amplitude, grabs, left side spins, right side spins. It was no surprise that he took top spot on the podium. Hopefully his prize money isn’t going to fuel Whitney Houston’s habit.
His run was a definite crowd pleaser. On the third and final table of the course, Bobby greased a flawless kangaroo right in front of the judges face. As if that wasn’t enough, he threw some icing on the cake by launching a double backflip on the final hip, right in front of the gathering crowd at the base lodge. After stomping the snot out of his run a thunderous round of applause came from the competitors, spectators and event staff. We all knew we were witnessing something special.
Bobby goes screamin while Henrik raises the roof.
Other notable performances from the day include…
Banks Gilberti’s super-stylie cork 720 double tail grabs over the final table. Real sick, oozes style.
Luke Nutting, the kid has some dance moves. Double flips and I think I saw him drop a barani with a mute grab. Man does he tweak those grabs.
Lil’ Jon Strenio’s innovative ski-pant management system.
Adam Battersby, left & rightside 900’s. Damn dude. No wonder you got 3rd.
Speed became an issue late in the afternoon, so we saw some gnarly gnoll lip tricks
Alex Dillard kicking things off on the bottom hip by launching enormous cork 1080 mutes. The crowd enjoyed it.
See what I mean about Luke Nutting tweaking those grabs?
Well, that’s all she wrote from the Big Bar Open. I wish I could have stayed longer. The weather kicked ass, the vibe was awesome, booze was readily available and I copped one hell of a sunburn. Not to mention, the drive back to the airport was sweet! Winding roads, all 4 windows of the rental car were down while temps shot up into the mid 80’s.
Now, about that fast divorce?
Men’s Results
1. Bobby Brown
2. Joss Christensen
3. Adam Battersby
4. John Strenio
5. Alex Dillard
6. Tim Russell
7. Luke Nutting
8. Ian Williams
9. Tyler Peterson
10. A. J. Burton
Women’s Top 5
1. Meg Olenick
2. Kristi Johns
3. Claudia Bouvier
4. Jen Hirsh
5. Dania Assaly
Much love going out to the sponsors of the Big Bear Open, Paul Mitchell, Fischer, Poc, Spyder, Navy and the folks over at Bear Mountain for letting us set up shop for the weekend and put on this show.
