Cover - Friday nights event was a rail jam with three primary features; from left to right, the spool (with Jeff Brown spinning and tapping), the down rail and the closeout. The spool had a jump that kicked the riders up there which is good since they had to go high and the landing was pretty close to the lip so they had a steep and short trajectory. The down rail was pretty basic except for the flat kink at the bottom which either helped riders kick out off the rail with style and a trick or kicked riders off onto their asses. The close out was a flat rail with a 90 degree bend with a bank landing, with a lot of options.
Local hero Austin Hironaka wins Friday night railjam on the mens side and Isabelle Lalive wins it for the women. Austin's Miller flip tailgrab and Izzy's switch board is what got them the victory in the best trick, 3 run final. To get to the finals though both Izzy and Austin got through a heated 90 minute jam session that consisted of 40 men and women attacking the venue.
The Ride Shakedown is one of the premier Canadian snowboard events and 2010 marks the inaugural US stop at Summit at Snoqualmie outside Seattle Washington. The event consists of 2 main events. A Friday night railjam, featured here, followed by the main event, The Shakedown on Saturday which will be the same course only the riders will hit a jump going into the rail section. A quick and dirty mini slopestyle if you will. Back to the rail jam. The weather had been funky in the NW, lack of snow this season but then a sudden dump made the conditions somewhat challenging but the riders handled it all in stride and threw down some serious maneuvers throughout the 90 minute semi final jam. Friday night, under the lights, weather held off, it was a good time. Hey, you still got time, go check out the Ride Shakedown tonight, take some laps at Summit Central and have some fun. What else you going to do tonight, drink beer with your friends, play Shaun White Snowboarder? Go see and do the real thing, it's free. Well if you wanna ride you need a lift ticket but the event is free
Bud Light was one of the sponsors with participants, vip's etc getting 2 free drink tickets. Take note contest organizers; 2 free beers (minimum) for those of drinking age is how all contests should be run if possible. Missy and Lizzy from Summit Central were a few of the servers
Carlton Tucker in the qualifiers which were basically a battle of attrition. Sometimes when you get ams on a pro course going for the glory you get, well let's just say the ski patrol was busy. Carlton got through the night un-scathed
Chris Bosco – Full Cab with a little tail tappy action half way through
(r-l) Women's winner Isabelle Lalive, Ride OG legend Russell Winfield and friend
Austin Hironaka with his winning trick, a Miller flip (frontside 360 invert) with a tailgrab. Austin, Sam Hulbert and Forest Bailey were the three lucky males that got into the final event which was basically 3 tries, best rick takes it all.
Max, front 3. Start lists were not available so if I messed up your name, let me know and I will fix it george(at)snowrev(dot)com
Women's railjam winner Isabelle Lalive. She is the nicest girl and definitely deserving of a contest victory even though she was humble and felt she did not deserve the win at the Shakedown. Switch board
Tom – 360 bonk
E-man
Nash and E-man double up
Yale Couisno 270 to back lip. Yale pretty much crushed it. During the 90 minute semi final jam session, from which 3 men and 2 women were picked for the finals, Yale definitely did the most tricks and with style. The announcers said at one point the top finishers were based on overall performance in which case Yale should have been in the finals. At another point they said it was the best trick so who knows?
Forest Bailey made the final jam but since only the winner got paid the big cash purse it was basically a Ricky Bobby situation, you are first or you are last. Naw, everyone that showed up at the Ride Shakedown were winners
Half cab to 5-0
Sam Hulbert was finalist no 3, this ridiculous maneuver was a half cab on to 360 off
Zak Hale front board on the Closeout
On the women's side of things, 2 advanced to the final round of which Megan Whiteside was one of with the event winner Isabelle Lalive making up the second half of the women's finalists
Izzy getting her big pay off from Mikey Leblanc - $3,000. She said she is paying for school with the money
Men's railjam winner Austin Hironaka getting the love from Fuel's Jackie Pickering. Of course the real love comes win he takes check for $5,000 to the bank. Austin recently won the Holy Oly event here at Summit too
Ride Shakedown Rail Jam Results
1 Austin Hironaka $5,000
2 Isabelle Lalive $3,000