Westbound Boarder

I’ve lived in SoCal for two years of my life now, but if you count the 13 years I lived here growing up, that’s 15 years total.  15 winters.  Can you believe I had never been to Mammoth?  Well, a few weeks ago, I decided I was going to change that.

After a particularly long week at work in Seattle, Washington, I decided it was about time to finally head to Mammoth.  It was May, mind you, but reports of continuous fresh pow flooded my ears all spring.  Powder and sun in May?  Um, sold!  My flight home from Seattle landed at LAX around 5:30pm, so I headed home, threw some cloths into a bag, and by 7pm my friend Matty and I were cramped up in his tough (and slightly smelly) Toyota, gear, pillows and sleeping bags sprawled in the back, cruising up the 405 freeway toward Mammoth.

We arrived around midnight (we took an hour-long detour in search of food… we ended up at Panda Express; figures) and stayed in a quaint little pad that must have slept at least 14.  Yeah, the place was tight, but cozy.  We pretty much hit the sack immediately, in preparation for the long day that lay ahead.

Now, I was told that it was pretty cold at Mammoth, so as soon as our alarms went off next morning (ok, well, after hitting the snooze button a few times) I piled on the layers.  Two pairs of pants, three top layers, and two pairs of socks later, I was bundled and ready to hit the slopes… only to find that it was at least 50 degrees F but the time we got up to the hill.  Translation, I could have worn a bikini and made out just fine.

From the main town area, you can either take a tram from the bottom to the hill or drive up.  It’s maybe a 10-minute drive and parking kind of stinks, but if you’re willing to shell out 20 bucks you’re granted premium parking right in the lot (we don’t like exercise, so we opted for that route).  We picked up our tickets (beware – lift tickets will run you a whopping 87 bucks, but rumor has it prices will rise to 92 next year, making Mammoth one of the highest priced mountain resorts in the US) and were finally ready to face the hill and shred some ridiculous spring snow.  And the sun definitely wasn’t stopping the pow from being anything less than amazing.

One of the great things about Mammoth is that there really is something for everyone.  There’s more than 90 acres of free terrain that incorporates a nice mix of beginner and advanced slopes.  There are some fun tree runs, but plenty of bowls and open groomers as well.  We spent the morning shredding the terrain (I’m sure we didn’t even begin to graze the surface of all that was available to us) but the real fun began in the park.

With three pipes and seven parks, Mammoth is continually touted as having one of the best parks in the nation.  And I can definitely see why.  Their park area was pretty sick.  It had a nice mix of jumps and they were very well groomed, but also a good number of mid-sized jumps, just enough to challenge me without completely scaring me off.  There were a few 70 footers, too (and people were actually doing them )  This year toward the end of the season, Mammoth even brought in a landing pad where riders could try new tricks or perfect the old… you know, without dying and such.

My favorite thing about Mammoth, though, is the chill and laid-back vibe this hill resonates, especially in the less-crowded spring season.  Everyone spends their days chilling in the park or hanging on the benches outside with a drink in hand before they start round two.  Out of any resort I’ve been to, Mammoth is hands down the most fun, whether you’re riding or not.  And the nightlife ain’t too shabby, either.

Insider Tip: Given its close proximity to what is commonly referred to as the mecca of action sports (ahem, LA) there is always something going down at Mammoth.  Before you plan your trip out though, be sure to check the events calendar on the Mammoth website before solidifying your trip dates. The best weekends to go are the weekends when there’s something big going down – the Roxy Chicken Jam or the West Coast Invitational, for instance.  And there’s always a pro or two to be spotted – especially when you go during a big event weekend.  I saw US Olympic rider Greg Bretz and Tyler Flanagan in the park line several times, for instance, and I bumped into Elena Hight at lunch.

With more than 45 feet of snow falling throughout the 2009/10 season, Mammoth Mountain is currently slated to stay open through the Fourth of July weekend.  So if you’re still looking to satisfy your snowboard fix, you still have a whole month to make it up!

If I were to sum up Mammoth in three words or less, it might sound a little something like this – Great snow, killer parks, and awesome local vibe (Okay, so that may be a few words over three, but you get the idea…)  All in all, Mammoth is a mountain worth going for.

A couple weeks ago (March 25 – 28) top female snowboarders from around the world all came together for the sixth annual Roxy Chicken Jam at Mammoth Mountain, CA.  The Roxy Chicken Jam is one of the premiere industry events for females, and it plays a huge role in raising the profile for women in the snowboard industry.  And in case you missed the event live, no worries, because you can catch the recap on FUEL TV (schedule below).

The Roxy Chicken Jam women only snowboard contest gathers the world’s best pro riders to compete in both a slopestyle and superpipe competition at Mammoth Mountain. With more than 100 girls from around the world, Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark, Rana Okada, Olympian Elena Hight, X Games gold medalist Jamie Anderson and Cheryl Mass all compete for a chance at $15,000.

“ROXY CHICKEN JAM 2010″ Air Dates:
Monday, 5/10/2010 8:00 PM ET / 5:00PM PT
Monday, 5/10/2010 11:00 PM ET /8:00PM PT
Wednesday, 5/12/2010 12:30 PM ET / 9:30 AM PT
Friday, 5/14/2010 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT
Saturday, 5/15/2010 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT
Sunday, 5/16/2010 11:30 AM ET / 8:30 AM PT
Monday, 5/17/2010 3:30 AM ET / 12:30 PM PT
Wednesday, 5/19/2010 6:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM PT
Saturday, 5/22/2010 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT
Sunday, 5/23/2010 9:00 AM ET / 6:00 AM PT
Tuesday, 5/25/2010 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT
Tuesday, 5/25/2010 11:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM PT
Friday, 5/28/2010 2:30 AM ET / 11:30 PM PT
Saturday, 5/29/2010 9:00 AM ET / 6:00 AM PT
Tuesday, 6/1/2010 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT
Wednesday, 6/2/2010 12:30 AM ET / 9:30 PM PT
Monday, 6/7/2010 3:30 AM ET / 12:30 AM PT
Tuesday, 6/8/2010 9:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM PT
Wednesday, 6/16/2010 6:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM PT
Monday, 6/28/2010 12:30 PM ET / 9:30 AM PT

I’m always stoked to see women-only snowboard comps. which is why the Covergirl Snow Angels Invitational (as well as last weekend’s Roxy Chicken Jam) is hot on our radar.  This year’s event will once again be held at Snowmass this coming weekend, April 2 – 4, and it will feature some of the industry’s best talent.  Competing athletes include Olympic athletes Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, and Elena Hight, as well as Sarah Conrad, Ellery Hollingsworth, Mercedes Nicoll, Linn Haug, Maddy Schaffrick, Haruna Matsumoto, Soko Yamaoka, Sophie Rodriguez, Kelly Marren, Palmer Taylor, Paulina Ligocka and Ursina Holler.  The event will feature a Superpipe contest on Saturday, April 3 in Snowmass. In addition, there will be several lifestyle activities for the riders including a spa day, yoga classes and a girl’s night out on the town.  The girls will all vie for $20,000 in prize money at the superpipe competition in Snowmass on April 3.

This year’s event will feature several new twists on past year’s activities, including the Barbie Little Air (open to the public) where participants 13-years-old and younger will compete on a small jump at the base of Snowmass for prizes from Barbie (totally cute! I wish I could go watch!), an autograph session with the athletes at Spider Sabich below the Snowmass Superpipe, free snowboard demo from K2 Snowboard’s 2011 product and poolside après party at the Viceroy Resorts and Residences.

This event is awesome and so perfect for the female audience because it shows that its okay for women to be hardcore snowboarders while still embracing their inner feminine beauty, despite the fact that action sports is a male-dominated industry.  It’s also a neat way to integrate a non-endemic brand into the snowboard industry.  Kudos!

Catch the full event schedule below, and stay tuned for the highlights!

Thursday, April 1st
9 am – 4 pm: K2 Snowboard Demo – Snowmass Village Mall

Friday, April 2nd
9 am – 4 pm: K2 Snowboard Demo, Oakley and ContourHD demo – Snowmass Village Mall
10 am – 1 pm: Film, photo shoot & freeride day – Snowmass Superpipe
3 pm – 4 pm: Barbie Little Air – Snowmass Fanny Hill

Saturday, April 3rd
9 am – 4 pm: K2 Snowboard Demo, Oakley and ContourHD demo – Snowmass Village Mall
9:30 am – 2 pm: Free superpipe viewing access for foot-passengers – Burlingame lift
10 am: Superpipe practice – Snowmass Superpipe
11:30 am – 12:45 pm: Superpipe Jam Session Competition – Snowmass Superpipe
12 – 2 pm: Lunch specials – Spider Sabich Cabin
1 – 1:30pm: COVERGIRL Snow Angel athlete autograph session – Spider Sabich Cabin
4 – 6 pm: Poolside après party – Viceroy Pool

Sunday April 4th
9 am – 4 pm: Oakley and ContourHD demo – Snowmass Village Mall
10 am – 1 pm: Film, photo shoot & freeride – Snowmass Superpipe
9 pm – 12 am: COVERGIRL Snow Angel night out featuring Danger Kitty – Belly Up Aspen