Boardercross is still relevant because of its TV carnage appeal, but are real snowboarders backing it?
April 28, 2009, 7:31 PM
By: Tracy Anderson
Fuel
Lindsey Jacobellis in the lead, as usual.
For all you Snowboardcross fans out there, like, all five of you, the Visa Championship Series airs tonight on Fuel TV. If you miss it tonight, not to worry, it's going to re-air several times through the month of May.
My question is: who, outside of Nascar Joe, is a big fan of boardercross? It fairs well at widely watched events like the Olympics because of its high carnage potential, sure. Lindsey Jacobellis' "showboat method" in 2006, which cost her Olympic gold when she couldn't hold it is one of the best known moments in snowboarding. No doubt there's some excitment there. But at the resort, on a regular day among friends and crews, which riders are backing boardercross? Or even talking about it?
For me, maybe I just miss the good old days, like in the 1997 X Games when Jim Rippey threw a backflip mid-run. Now that was entertaining. Maybe I'm bitter because at the 2006 Olympic Games in Italy Nate Holland wanted to beat me up. But then, maybe I deserved it. So maybe I'm not giving boardercross enough credit. You know, Tara Dakides is doing it now. Though what does that say?
And it's true, nothing is more fun than running a boardercross course with your friends, holding your edge through burms and snapping your tail off rollers. It's super fun. Maybe the problem is the segregation. Boardercross riders don't seem to do anything else: they don't film, they don't ride pipe and park, and when do you ever see them getting wicked in the backcountry? Does that speak to how specialized our sport has become?
Anyway, these are some of the thoughts I have when considering boardercross. Regardless, I'm going to check this series out. I'm going to give it a chance and watch Nate Holland and Lindsey Jacobellis win. You know, again.
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Contributors
Tracy Anderson
Drinks coffee. Writes about snowboarding. Enjoys a strong snus. Appreciates a good back lip.
Mary Fenton
Would rather be riding pow, sucking at skateboarding or thinking up new names for her deaf dog and fake band.
Colin Whyte
Below the Fold. Beyond the Pale. Between the Lines. Beneath the Rose. He's a Secret Society of One.
Jesse Huffman
Loves a cold a.m. shred and late day skate. Thinks green is the new black, but should really be the new normal.
Brad Farmer
Grows seasonal crops. Where there's powder and shred news, a Farmer will follow.
Blair Habenicht
A Northwest-grown snow slider with a tendency to blow off any obligations if the snow is falling.
Nate Deschenes
Blessed with the attention span of a gnat. Prefers a #2 Ticonderoga and Trapper Keeper to a MacBook.
Tim Brodhagen
Tim Brodhagen shreds the ice coast on the reg, speaks Portuguese and almost never eats breakfast.
Melissa Larsen
Melissa Larsen likes slashing, sleeping, and talking smack. Not necessarily in that order.
