Every March, hell it seems to come quicker each year, is the US Open Snowboarding Championships held at Stratton Mountain, Vermont. Organized by Burton Snowboards and fueled by a perfect storm of history, end of season good weather (often) and a huge dose of Vermont flavor. Many of the Burton riders over the years have been Vermonters of course, (Ross Powers, Kelly Clark, Abe and Hannah Teter, then going back to Stevie and Mike Hayes and Andy Coughlin) as is Burton's founder Jake Burton Carpenter. No space here for a history of snowboarding but there will be multiple posts in the days ahead leading up the The Open. Yearning for the old Opens is getting a little worn, but the event started with pure racing and is now 100% style judged, so the old timers have a right to gripe. Regardless, the Saturday halfpipe contest is legendary.
Couple of moody clips below. A K3 shooting 16mm incase you wondered.
