As originally published in the April 12 issue of The Mountain-Ear newspaper.

William Mead, Nederland.

Riders gathered for the 2nd Annual Trick Ditch Banked Slalom at Eldora Mountain on Saturday April 7th. The event was presented by 10 Barrel Brewing Company and hosted by former professional snowboarder Eddie Wall, who provided commentary throughout.

Trick Ditch is a snowboarding competition that incorporates both racing and freestyle. The first event is a timed run down a banked course. The second event is a one-and-a-half-hour session of freestyle snowboarding where judges watch for the best tricks.

The Eldora terrain park crew constructed a course specifically for this event, including sharp turns and custom features for the freestyle portion of the competition.

“We want to give a special thanks to the park crew. These guys are up day and night to put this together,” said Wall.

For the racing portion, riders were split up into three groups: 35 years old and over, 18-34 years old, and elite participants. Each of these three groups was divided between men and women, leaving the spectators with six different races to watch throughout the day. After these races, there was one collective “style competition,” in which men and women were judged separately.

A share of $10,000 was given out to the top three finishers of each event, the highest payout being $1,500 for first place in the “elite” category. Every other event, including the style competition, paid $500 to the winner.

“I’m getting an iPhone,” said Tim Rechetniak, who came in first place in the men’s 18-34 race. Rechetniak also came in first place in the men’s style competition, proving trick after trick to be the crowd favorite.

Luckily, despite how late it was in the season, Eldora received a fresh coat of snow during the days prior to the race. Not only that, but the rain held out just long enough for the competition to stay dry.

“We loved it. It’s such a fun event, and it was last year too,” said Jodi Koning, repeat winner of the women’s 35 and over race. Her husband, Matthew, won first place in the men’s 35 and over division.

“The snow was awesome,” said Matthew. The Koning’s plan to spend their winnings on their three kids.

The Trick Ditch Banked Slalom is truly a one-of-a-kind, family-friendly event. The day was packed with nonstop action and some incredibly impressive tricks. Don’t miss it next year!