March 15th, 1999- Waterville Valley, NH

This is what a snowboard contest should be:

Sitting in the lodge with Rob Campbell of Snowboarder Magazine (yes, I’m dropping names you don’t care about), discussing who was more "down with the stone", we were approached by two snowboarders. "Where do we sign up for the contest?" they asked, of course referring to the World Quarterpipe Championships at Waterville Valley.

Rob, who is of course employed by the main sponsor of the event replied, "Up there, I think you just go tell them you want to do it."

Since I know everything, I added, "It might cost ten bucks."

"Does it?" Rob asked, "Well, I guess it might."

This was about the tune of the day. Snowboarder Magazine was offering $1,000,000 to the first person to do a 40 foot air. Of course, this was physically impossible, good thing, because there was no way that money would be produced. The winner take all purse was created by telling everyone in the crowd to throw money in a paper bag. Competitors were asked to donate $5 each, although I question whether they all day. After all was said and done, the money was counted, $280 total, and then immediately stripped of 10% for beer. "I’m sure whoever wins it would want it that way," Pat Bridges explained.

With no judges, no starters, and no mountain officials, the competition started. Everyone hit the quaterpipe as fast as they could to try and break the 40 foot marker, except for the girl (all one of them) who scraped all day way down and barely made it to the vert. However, she, Nugget, stepped up towards the end to bust a few methods, and Madonna even showed up.

Since backside airs are cool, 75% of the airs performed this day were methods. The rider representing the entire continent of Europe, Daniel Sappa did indy to fakies, Luke Mathison started in early with Mctwists, and Eric Koval didn’t land back on the quarterpipe once. Kyle Clancy and Liam Barrett had it out for the biggest air of the day prize, only to be upsized by Jason Ware, who’s out of control height nearly killed a cheerleader. That’s right, Bettera even stepped it up with five Plymouth State College cheerleaders (who happened to be insane).

After the qualifiers, the time during the day that was after practice and before they reshaped the QP, but actually meant nothing, they had the finals, which were really an extention of the qualifiers. This is when everyone stepped it up. Nick Francke, who was convinced that he could hip the quaterpipe, landed directly on his face, leaving a blood trail behind, and some of his dignity with it. Rich Nesshoever started throwing Mctwists to rival Mathison’s and Kyle Clancy stepped up his airs with backside spins. However, all this was futile, because it was Shawn Durst, who in his very last run threw a stomped switch 720, to backside boardslide on the re-entry rail, winning the hearts of the spectators judges and cheerleaders alike, as well as $240.

For more photos from Waterville Valley, including the "What Did You Do, Jason Ware?" Sequence, CLICK HERE.