Cover – Madison Ellesworth

Matts Kulisek and Megan Ginter take the inaugural US version of the Ride Shakedown. The Ride Shakedown originated in Canada in the year 2000 as the Empire Shakedown, it has grown over the years, been taken over by ride and 2010 marked the debut at Summit at Snowqualmie just east of Seattle. The format was relatively simple; one jump ans one rail section. Scores were made up ½ by the jump and ½ by the rail section. Judges like Peter Line, David Aubry, Etienne Gilbert and others and Pete Anderson and Mikey Leblanc acting as MC's further added legitimacy to the event. Free beers, laid back vibe and night riding for everyone meant it was a fun event indeed.

Night riding is always a little trippy, often fun and always better than watching TV after work. Summit at Snoqualmie has some of the most legit night riding anywhere, including the Central Park and Alpental, 7 nights a week

Being Washington it dumped snow the days prior to the event, which is good for shredding Alpental across the highway but can be challenging if you you are trying to get enough speed to clear a 55 foot jump on the relatively low angle, family friendly slopes of Summit West, which is what happened during the daytime semi finals. Warm daytime temps meant during the semi finals riders were pushing it through some mashed potatoes and barely could clear the knuckle of the jump. Snowboarding deals you imperfect conditions and that is why you love it otherwise, try speed skating and those speed skaters still complain. Anyhow, the prelims were challenging and thanks go out to the riders for pushing on with the show despite the slow ass heavy snow, fog and sometimes heavy snow falling.

A closer look at the night riding situation reveals Joe Mango blasting a double backflip

After a couple of hour break before the finals it was really like the red sea parting in that the condition improved dramatically. The temps dropped which made the snow much faster, the skies cleared and the Summit crew cleaned everything up. The performance level went up so high that 9's, 10's and even a 12 by Yale Couisno went down in the finals. It was like a different event and most everyone had fun. Thanks to Summit and the sponsors; Ride, Bud light, Vitamin Milk

Matts Kulisek in the midst of his winning run which consisted of a front 9 tailgrab to a half cab 180

Style should always be taken into consideration, like Andreas Gidlund throwing down this switch back 7 – with style

Speaking of style, Puget Sounds own Austin Hironaka muscles a front 5 through the challenging qualifier conditions, with style of course

E-man Anderson cruised down from Whistler to take 3^rd in his very first Ride Shakedown to do a switch back 7 mute grab on the jump into a switch frontside 5-0 on the rail to bag 3^rd place

Jonah Owen, back 5 nose in the qualifiers

Local shred Megan Ginter, back three to bonk on the spool (shown here) to first place for the ladies

Tanner Davison – back 180

Jusso Lavisto, switch back 7

Not just content to take his $5,000 for winning the previous evening's rail jam, Austin Hironaka put in a good showing for the Shakedown Saturday night

Hana Beaman won the previous Shakedown in Canada and backed that up with a second place finish at the Summit at Snoqualmie event

Jeff Brown, front 3 nose bonk

Chile's Manuel Diaz did a back 7 and nose bonk 3 to take 2^nd place and he was stoked

Megan Whiteside rounded out the women's podium

Tim Humphries

Megan Ginter

Matts Kulisek

Matts GUlisek and Megan Ginter are winners

Women

1 Megan Ginter $5,000

2 Hana Beaman $3,000

3 Megan Whiteside $2,000

Men

1 Matts Kulisek $12,000

2 Manuel Diaz $3,000

3 E-Man $2,000