Beaver Creek Log Masters 2013

Photos: S.E.
Video: The Breck Team

Before you ever knew they were coming, men and women have flocked to the woods of Beaver Creek, Colorado. March 10th, 2013 marked the 12th annual Log Masters. If you’re scratching your head and wondering why you should care about the Log Masters it’s because it stands as one of the last great core snowboarding events.

Those lucky enough to be invited are sent a seemingly ambiguous message at some point during the winter. It will include nothing more than a date, and if you know you know. The Log Masters date has been set. You have until that date to mentally prepare yourself for what’s coming, and if you ask anyone who has ever ridden in this event they will surely tell you logging requires all of your mental fortitude.

For those of you still uncertain as to what the Log Masters is here’s a quick rundown. There are 18 logs, the game is played like a round of golf. You and your group of 4 to 7 travel to each of the pre-selected logs and test your skill. Each person is given 3 attempts on each log, 50-50 it first try you score 1, boardslide equals 1 point off the number of tries it took, and if you pull it switch its -2. Lowest score at the end of the day wins. Sounds easy enough, right?

The recent snow fall in Colorado made for some very favorable conditions this year, and my strategy was based on this knowledge: the harder you try, the worse you do and more it sucks. So with beers in hand we set out to our first log — a long 30+ footer across a creek bed. This would be one of simpler logs of the day.

And so it began. I could go on for hours trying to describe each log but words don’t do them justice and no one likes to read that much anyway.

From time to time you would hear hooting and hollering through the trees from one of the other groups while you did your thing, and eventually everyone groups up at the last two logs. At this point, the event turns into more of a drunken family reunion hidden in the woods between two trails than a snowboard competition. Every one cheers on each other to finish out the round strong and this is where you see the real soul of the Log Masters. Sure everyone is supposed to be competing against each other, but the simplicity and uniqueness of this event causes all in attendance to be hyped on seeing another complete these challenging features.

When all is said and done the scores are tallied and the mob migrates to Montanas in Avon. Among the bags of product and cash, the victors receive the most coveted award, the custom made Log Masters green jacket. Well, that and the respect and admiration of all in attendance.

MEN:
1st Rick Rodriguez
2nd Nash
3rd Mark Koelker
4th Joe Otremba
Jon Simpson
Corey Hathaway

*Three way tie for 4th place.

WOMEN:
1st Tawnya Godinez
Destia Day
2nd Sofia Lindroth

*Tie for 1st place

More photos here and here