US Snowboarding - Contest Kids Episode One - Australia
The U.S. ambassadors of snowboarding Red Gerard, Brandon Davis, Kyle Mack, Ryan Stassel, Karly Shorr, Jessika Jenson, Haiyley Langland, Eric Willett, Sage Kotsenburg and Chas Guldemond are, more or less, contest kids. Although that term isn't exactly glamorous—the snowboarding equivalent of mathlete—this season our extreme patriots are owning the moniker. As they should. Contests are in the midst of evolution. After decades of being about twists and turns, contests themselves are taking on a new spin. In the past few years there has a been a subtle series of revolutions and upheavals, a slow toppling of the antique system of stock runs, and the implementation of a new paradigm of eccentric lines and brazenly creative tricks. Even physically, slope style courses have been reshaped, now featuring a sprawling array of architectural inventiveness where three-jump tenements once reigned supreme. This summer the American podium walkers kicked it Down Under, where the sun was plentiful and the parks were prime. In essence, this is a glimpse of how our U.S. athletes are preparing for the upcoming '16 contest circuit. Yet instead of uniform acrobatics, you see style, innovation—gnarly stuff, yet still loose and fun. The first episode of Contest Kids by Mia Lambson is a testament to the new-age philosophy of creative contest riding.
