World Quarter Pipe Championship 2008 held at Timber Ridge, Vermont

Monday March 24, 2008 saw the return of the famous infamous World Quarter Pipe Championship, held at the internationally renowned year-round party hot spot, otherwise known as Timber Ridge in Windham, VT “on the backside of Magic Mountain.” We went to the Rome “By Any Means” film premier party here last summer and had such a great time that we didn’t think twice the minute we heard a winter comp was being held here.

This was the 8th “Annual” Competition and they tell me it’s ok to call it “annual” even though the event was on hiatus for the last 3 or 4 years. This season Tim Waker, owner of Timber Ridge, and his helpers decided to pull out the backhoe again, and transport 50 truckloads of snow onto the exact spot where the summer skateboard halfpipe was set up, to re-create their winter “World Quarterpipe Championship” once again.

This is a contest in the old school style. Anyone can enter. In fact there is no “entering.” Just show up, get up the hill with your deck, and ride down. That’s the only requirement for entry. Steve Hayes of Hayes Brothers snowboards, who rode for the Burton Team from back in the 80’s and 90’s said “The World Quarters reminded me of the early contests in that every one was relaxed, no pressure, they had to hike, and there were no rules. Just ride and have fun. Oh yea, watch out for the Gauntlet.”

Stevie Hayes and Laurie Asperas Valayer, both Burton Team Riders from 1984 into the '90s were there.

The QP billed as “A NIGHTMARE OF TRANSITION AND VERT” on the flyers and signs, was actually a friendly sized 14 foot high hip and spine facing the sun, with a blue barrel to bonk and a wooden “Funerail” to play around on. The riders hit the features continuously from the practice sesh that ended around 12 noon, until the contest ended after 4:30. They rode it as jousting knights into battle, more so than even the snowboard warriors at another recent medieval-themed snowboard event held down the road this weekend.

The contestants at the World QP were made to ride a gauntlet where the local townsfolk threw snowballs and sometimes beer cans, using the snowboard warriors as flying targets. Occasionally a snowboarding warrior threw back a snowball at the gauntlet-keepers from the air during the jump, making for jolly entertainment. The purpose of a gauntlet is to make sure that no evil spirits will dare follow the warriors, and I think they must be pretty free and clear after what they went through!

After threading the gauntlet the warriors were forced to jump over fire in their rides downhill. Not electronically created controlled fire like the kind next to the Wizard of Oz’s face, but real gnarly wood “flare-up when it-feels like it fire.” There were a few singed butts to be sure.

This rider is smokin'! No really!!

Riders were still goin’ at the jump and making victory laps during the award ceremony, where Shayne Pospisil took first place. His cool mom Janet and his bros were there to cheer him on. Shayne is just back from a second place at Terje’s Arctic Challenge. Winning the Arctic Challenge was a highlight of his career to date, and he gets to go surfing with Terje in Indonesia for a prize. We think his moms should get to go on that trip too since she’s a surfer.

Shayne Pospisil, winner, and his surfin' Mom Janet

Shout out to our new friends Tarik Blowers age 14, of Jamaica, VT, and his mom Suzanne Sylvester. This kid spun on the QP like no one else and we hear he was just tapped to ride for Hayes Brothers. Tarik was a winner of the Red Bull One Hit Wonder comps at Mountain Creek and Stratton this season and is a Ross Powers personal friend, and Foundation sponsoree.

Tarik Blowers and his Mom Suzanne Sylvester

Forest Bailey had that determined look on his face and pulled off the first of the roof drop bonks, jumping off the right side of the spine onto the roof of the little house below. He did some nice stalls on the wood rail.

Nugget announced, and someone sometimes played music of a wide and oddly assorted variety from his Ipod. Scotty Lago was going big as the most famous of the riders here and we hope his heel heals fast. Scotty and Shayne P. are off to Alaska to film this week.

Teddy Rauh actually did perform his legendary signature double back flip a couple of times toward the end of the day. A few times his landing that we couldn’t see produced big puffs of flyng snow and thuds, but he came walking back every time, thank goodness.

Chris Waker rode wearing the signature yellow and black colors of Timber Ridge. Btw, Who are all those security guards wearing the yellow jackets and roaring the sleds uphill with up to 3 snowboarders snow wakeboarding behind? We don’t know but they seem to be having the time of their life at this party and the other Timber Ridge ones too! Dad Tim got into the act when he rode the mini-bike prize down the quarter pipe to present it, much to the delight of the almost jaded and by now pretty drunk audience.

Tim Waker tests out the prize mini-bike

This was a small awesome party with free vittles on the grill and some free brewskis and Red Bulls. Thanks to Rome SDS, Red Bull, Pat Bridges, Mark Sullivan, the Wakers, the shuttle bus driver, the security guards, Magic Mountain, Mother Nature for the pretty day, all the riders, spectators, dogs, and whoever else and everyone else who helped make this party special. We’ll be back for the next party here, no doubt!

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