A photo tour of the week in Northstar with the Ams.(mostly...)

Jack Griffin throwing out the slob.

 The SMS am team, made its first real Revolution Tour appearance at Northstar in California this past week. To be truthful JP and jack got a start last year at Mount Snow but the snow was deep and sticky. The young guns don't stand a chance when that happens and This was a real trip. Not only was the Half Pipe nearly perfect. The slope course was actually fun, not too big or too small, and it held as well as the pipe did throughout the entire contest day. Thank you Northstar. So what did they do... they landed their first, safety, stock runs close to perfect and got the chance to try harder skills in the next...mission acccomplished when you land what you drop in planning to do. Thank you young gunners. They also got to see two of of SMS' senior leaders show how you get on the podium two thousand miles from home so Thank you and Congratulations to Mike Perle for battling all day on a knee like a grapefruit: 3rd place HP, and Phoebe Novello for rolling out what is perhaps the most technical wmns slope runs ever put down at a Rev Tour slope contest.
One setback. One challenging result of the trip. One reason that one of my usual top models in the am team photo journalism is missing here...JP tweaked his knee in the middle of the trip and had to sit out the contest, awaiting an MRI. JP will be back. The meniscus is suspected and while he feels mostly better he needs further investigating. I want him back now and I know he is more frustrated than I that these great mid January conditions are eluding him. Everybody is pulling for you man. Fear is the mind killer and patience is king....now feast your eyes on your friends getting it done.

Jacks bs 5's air a gateway trick, locked, loaded and perfect for first contest runs...

Jack's stale fish is always a favorite for me. Pretty classic.

Xander. Method air...

I, missed the grab with this shot but there is a story to this mc-twist. "Xander has them on lockdown this week."

This is Xander Raith doing a bs rodeo 5. If you have read this blog through the riding of Eric B and Hunter W you know this is one of my favorite skills to see on a board. The method of inverted tricks.

Rider X.  Boardslide to fakie. (contest). go ahead and launch yrself strait at the end of that bookcase wall...none for me thanks.

Mason Geils with the sick half cab. (contest) How sick is that?!

Mason Geils mute stiffy. (contest)

I love the speed in these two frontside Boardslide shots of Peter D...

...and BtW the "front Board" is "the method" of rail tricks...

PD lipsliding. (from side to top, very few of those out there.)

Peter Dimitriou cab 5 tail. (contest)

Mason Geils getting into nose-press position.

Noelle Edwards practices pipe with a large fs air. I was impressed with Noelle's amplitude and variety. Not the result she was working for contest wise but I'll wager this trip will serve her all year. Nice work kid. Keep it up.

Pheebs sbs 3. (contest)

The woman, the myth, the legend.  The Champion Phoebe Novello cab 540. Scored, 93.00 (possible 100!)