Mt. Baker, Washington, is a legendary mountain—not just for its terrain, but for the notable talent that’s slid down its inviting faces. Craig Kelly, Carter Turk, Dan Donnelley, and Amy Howatt are just a few of the names associated with this place. The ski area is surrounded by famed mountains such as the glaciered Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker—a volcano – both of which serve as constant reminders of just how small we humans are. It’s also home to the one event in snowboarding that’s been around long enough to truly hold its own legacy: the Legendary Mt. Baker Banked Slalom. The weekend of February 6-8, 2004, 2o years after its inception, the annual event went down in the history books one more time.

Many of snowboarding’s biggest names, heroes from past and present, showed up to race this year. The consistent snowfall in the Northwest this winter made the course as big and smooth as it gets. Well, smooth at least for the first day; as more people ride the course, the bumps and ruts eventually form, making it especially challenging by the finals. The added bonus to the whole weekend was the powder to ride on the rest of the mountain, after the contest.

These conditions are why it takes a damn good freerider to win this event. In fact, for many of these competitors, this weekend is the only time during the year that they’re referred to as “racers.” For all but the retro category, the only judge here is a very unsympathetic clock. The fastest racers are smooth and solid and obviously in control, as seconds are added with only the slightest mistakes. It often comes down to fractions or time that separate the winners from the losers. And the winner this year in the women’s pro division was 19-year-old Stacy Thomas. I’m really proud of her—I’ve watched her become a stronger rider every year. She’s a Washington local, so I know she’s put in her time on those mountains. (She just started riding Gnu boards and she was on one of my boards for the race!)

A new addition this year was the retro category – requiring old-school gear, head to board. Tom Burt made it down the course on his 1985 Avalanche 150 faster than the majority of racers that day on their 2004 setups. Oh, and he was riding that board with its original bindings (no highbacks), the same Sorrel boots he wore that same year, and a very bright red speedsuit. Rob Morrow actually earned the fastest time for that race, but he was using a late ’80s setup that allowed him the luxury of highbacks. Plus, his outfit wasn’t quite as obnoxious as Tom’s, so he was bumped by the “judges” into second place. There were about 20 retro racers in all and they put on a great show, reminding the rest of us just how lucky we are to have such good equipment to ride these days.

This year, the prizes were the best I’ve seen yet. Custom surfboards were given to the top three pro men and women, as well as to the retro winner. Not to be forgotten, beautiful Pendleton blankets were bestowed on the top 10 men and five women. The duct tape trophies even looked better this time around!

With more categories emerging every year, the number of people making the journey to Mt. Baker increases. It is always a fun week, but to truly experience Mt. Baker ski area and its legendary terrain, stick around until all the crowds go home.

Pro snowboarder Barrett Christy has been competing in the Legendary Baker Banked Slalom for 10 years, and splits her time between her homes in Gig Harbor, Washington, and Vail, Colorado.

RESULTS

Pro Women

1. Stacy Thomas, 1.43.63 (Seattle, Washington)

2. Karleen Jeffery, 1.43.88 (Kamloops , British Columbia)

3. Fabienne Reuteler, 1.44.493 (Zurich Switzerland)

4. Tanja Frieden, 1.44.499 (Thun, Switzerland)

5. Victoria Jealouse, 1.45.21 (Whistler, British Columbia)

6. Marni Yamada, 1.45.76 (Seattle, Washington)

7. Michele Taggart, 1.45.77 (Pemberton, British Columbia)

8. Jen Sherowski, 1.45.86 (Encinitas, California)

9. Laura Hadar, 1.46.12 (Aspen, Colorado)

10. Jessica Hall, 1.47.27 (Incline Village, Nevada)

11. Kelsey Galt. 1.47.69 (Kelowna, British Columbia)

12. Marguerite Cossettini, 1.48.60 (Khancoban, Australia)

13. Annie Boulanger, 9.99.99 (Whistler, British Columbia)

Women’s Masters

1. Dawn Lambert, 1.43.22 (Mt. Vernon, Washington)

2. Susan Hellman, 1.49.15 (Stateline, Nevada)

3. Rachel Deryckx, 1.50.60 (Bellingham, Washington)

4. Morgan LaFonte, 1.53.05 (Tahoe City, California)

For complete results and more info on Mt. Baker, go to www.mtbaker.us.

Mt. Baker, Washington, is a legendary mountain—not just for its terrain, but for the notable talent that’s slid down its inviting faces. Craig Kelly, Carter Turk, Dan Donnelley, and Amy Howatt are just a few of the names associated with this place. The ski area is surrounded by famed mountains such as the glaciered Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker—a volcano – both of which serve as constant reminders of just how small we humans are. It’s also home to the one event in snowboarding that’s been around long enough to truly hold its own legacy: the Legendary Mt. Baker Banked Slalom. The weekend of February 6-8, 2004, 2o years after its inception, the annual event went down in the history books one more time.