Ten thousand dollars were up for grabs at the highly anticipated Trick Ditch Banked Slalom snowboard competition held at Eldora Friday, April 1. One hundred fifty-one competitors forked out $45 apiece to try their luck on the challenging course. They would have two runs to establish their best combined time. Classes included: Men’s and Women’s Elite, Men’s and Women’s Open (18-39), Men’s and Women’s Open (40+), and Men’s and Women’s Style Competition.

Elite rider Cody Winters laid down the fastest two times of anyone for a combined time of 51.82, claiming $1,500 in winnings. Stacy Gaskill in the Women’s Elite division outpaced her next closest competitor by almost five seconds for her $1,500. Second and third place Elite racers received $750 and $500 respectively. In the Women’s Open (18-39), Lauren Weibert won by .17 of a second. An even closer contest involved Women’s Open (40+) first place finisher Marcy Neerhof who edged out the runner-up by merely .06 of a second.

Following the slalom was the Men’s and Women’s Style Competition. Not as lucrative as the Elite slalom race, but every bit as exciting and always a crowd favorite, it took place at the bottom of the hill on a newly constructed quarter pipe built especially for the event. Perhaps 25 feet high, it had a rail in the middle and two taller spots on either side from which to launch from. A jump on the left was for those who wished to fly to the other side. Maximum air was achieved in a number of different manners much to the delight of spectators.