StairMasters 2011: What a Night.

Yesterday, February 19,  2011 was absolutely insane.

For the past few years, beautiful Quebec city has been host of the snowboard Jamboree, an event like no other for the East Coast. The city puts together an amazing setup around the downtown area every year — an enormous big air jump right between two bridges, supported by thousands of feet of scaffolding, and a street-style setup for the Stairmasters jib competition which is held right after the big air finals.

This years big air was gnarlier than ever — after a few days of rain and warm weather, the thermometer dipped below -10 and Quebec froze over. It was literraly a skating rink all over town, including the run-in, take off, and landing of the jump. Poor boys. After a few solid bails, some of the world’s best jumpers started sending the usual backside 10 double corks, frontside 10’s, all that good stuff. Seb Toots greased another Tootsie roll for his 125th victory this season and my boy Matts Kulisek stomped a switch backside rodeo 9, claiming second place. CHYah mannn !!!!

The real madness began right after the big air show though. The crowd (probably around 2-3000 people?!!) migrated to the Stairmaster setup, which I will describe as best as I can here:

A drop in ramp about 60 feet in the air, made of pure ice, followed by a long & high tube rail the finishes in a few options, all of them equally deadly: either face-first into a wall if you get off too early, or into a wall ride if you make it to the end, or into a little ice tranny on the right side. Another, maybe more interesting option, was the elbow to the left, which Im claiming Frank Bourgeois nailed the cleanest trick on, with a flawless noseblunt bagel out. Imagine all of this, surrounded by a nice landing of sheer ice. Viva le Quebec!!

After fatass Sarrazin broke part of the drop in, things got even sketchier. Just getting to the rail was a suicide mission. I somehow made it to the finals doing only noseblunts (which I neeeevvver do, by the way…), along with the homies Dofin, Simon Reid, Frank April, Young Jay and a few others. Cloutier ( “la Caille”) got raped by the wall, which actually ripped his boxers and caused some bleeding in and around his ass. hahah !!!

April took first place, earning a nice 5000$ (or “cinq mille liiiiassssse” as he would say), and Dofin earning second  somehow (no $$ though). Nice comeback for the homie, who hadn’t done a contest for 3 years !

Here are some Iph shots of the setup. Definitely not a setup for pussies.