Men's Podium Photo by Elijah Lee

Never, ever, in my life have I witnessed a party as ridiculously pimpy as the first annual Red Tram Party. Imagine, if you can: It is dark and cold outside, the thermometer barely reads on the positive side. Two thirds of the way up its path, the red tram at Snowbird dangles some four hundred feet above the powdery slopes below. We are stuck. No food to eat, can't go to the bathroom, at each breath, the frost covers the windows slightly more. Not exactly where one wants to be, right? Wrong! Inside this massive steel structure sit seventy beautiful friends, a disco ball, two turntables and DJ Knuckles spinning fresh tunes on the microphone! The party has started, ladies and gentlemen, so put on your dancin' shoes!

"Welcome to the 2004 Subaru U.S Freeskiing Nationals, how may I make your stay here at Snowbird more pleasurable?" "Well, Dick, how about a Red Tram Party? Just my friends and me. Please include all the vodka Redbull drinks I can handle, some bitchin' food, a kick-ass DJ, and a disco-ball to boot, Please." "Oh, sure thang son, Just 'cause I'm a nice guy, I'm going to throw in four feet of the lightest snow, available, so all you big mountain competitors can rip it up, throw it down, and move them fat skis all around!"

Good Lord.

"This year's winner...threw two back-flips, one helicopter, one Lincoln loop out of the start gate, a fifty-foot cliff drop and one tip grab..."

Almost 200 of the world's best big mountain skiers congregated this past February 2nd through the 6th to compete in stop number two of the International Freeskiing Association's World Tour. Competing athletes included Manu Gaidet, the IFSA's 2003 World Tour champion and winner at the Whistler world tour competition in mid-January, local favorites Ben Wheeler and Rick Greener, and Canadian legends Moss Patterson and Johnny Law. Athletes from as far as Scotland and Japan were present to give it their all, take home some cash and win boasting honors. With literally four feet of champagne powder coating the North Face of Baldy Mountain, competition took place under blue skies and ideal conditions.

The women took control of the hill with much style, dropping 30 feet if it were an inch. Local talent and only eighteen years of age, Libby Bittner won the first run on North Baldy and was right on the heels of the more seasoned women athletes, but her inexperience showed as she dropped an air slightly too large for her britches, putting her out of medal contention. Yet, can she complain with a fourth place finish? On the other end of the spectrum, Kit Deslauriers of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, showed what it takes to medal in this tour: consistent skiing. With a slight fall over a rocky cliff section, Kit's final score of 79.6 was not high enough to take top honors, but good enough to land her a second place. Ingrid Backstrom, winner of the Whistler competition, fell at the bottom of a difficult crux, to leave room for Jessica Baker, the fiery redhead Jackson Hole wonder to take the title and the cash. Coming from the back of the pack, her fluidity and consistency skied her straight to the top of the podium!

In the men's field, there was so much completely and ridiculously good skiing going on that there isn't enough room on my hard-drive to expostulate over it. So I shall digress, and mention only one name in detail: Romain Maitre. This year's winner of the U.S Freeskiing Nationals threw two back-flips, one helicopter, one Lincoln loop out of the start gate, a fifty-foot cliff drop and one tip grab, raising the level of competition to heights never before reached. He skis with so much speed and aggression that the very slope beneath him seems to shrivel in his presence. Check my shorts! (2nd-Manu Gaidet, 3rd-Ben Wheeler, 4th-Aaron Hunt, 5th-Ian McIntosh).

Thanks to John Collins of Snowbird for all his support and enthusiasm. Thanks to Mountain Sports International and the crew behind the name. Thanks to Snowbird, Amstel Light, Dakine, The North Face, Atomic and everyone that makes this competition such an incredible experience.