Not this year, however. On Saturday we somehow managed to drive by all nineteen or so CHP, Mono County and Douglas County Sheriff's Department law enforcement vehicles for a windy but wonderful day of snowboarding at June, one of my all-time favorite mountains. On Sunday, I opted to ride the bus through the checkpoint instead.
"[June is] a beautiful mountain full of all kinds of interesting trees and different levels of riding," Colorado rider Bryan Redniss told me on Saturday.
"Amazing," agreed Cornell Agee, a local Mammoth rider, as we rode up Chair 7. "Just turn around and look."
Saturday's park setup included a series of boxes and rails, two gigantic gap jumps (a step-down to a step-up) several more booters, and all sorts of barrel jibs including two big metal eyeballs. On Sunday the eyeballs were perched staring out from the top of the halfpipe walls.
"We use a lot of street style features and a lot of features you wouldn't see in normal parks; it kind of keeps us fresh and it keeps people coming back here," said Jeremy Cooper, head of the June Mountain park crew.
As expected, a bunch of pro's were out both days--including Mason Aguirre, Louie Vito, Chas Guldemond, Luke Mitrani, Lucas Magoon, Dave Aubrey, Greg Hahn, Doug Mercer, Pat Bridges, Gabrielle Maiden, and Mercedes Nikkol, to name only a few, not to mention Grenade Gloves cofounder and two-time Olympic halfpipe silver medalist Danny Kass. There were also several hundred locals and visitors enjoying the mountain.
"This is a nice event," said June Lake resident Dan Roberts. "There's nothing going on that's so horrible. Everyone's just riding like they normally do. It's really nice of the Grenade crew and park staff to set it up."
Started in 2005, Grenade's "Games" are as much a parody of traditional athletic competitions as they are a celebration of snowboarding's renegade spirit.
Take the Bull Rider event held on Sunday, for example. Contestants had to ride a Snurfer-style snowboard, sans bindings and with only a strap to hold onto for balance, through a nasty course of ice chunks as they tried to hit an orange couch courtesy of Zumiez to win $250 worth of merchandise. As rider after rider careened into the ice debris, the crowd pelted the fallen competitors with snowballs (ice balls?) until they made it back to the start while announcer Binky yelled "No mercy!" I'm fairly certain it was Lucas Magoon who made it to the couch first after repeat attempts to take the prize.
"I've never had to hop over so many downed snowboarders in my life," said visitor Rhett Torres, who finished in the "last 6th" of the downhill competitors.
Saturday also featured a slopestyle jam session (it seems local Lonnie Kauk may have won this one) followed by the Zumiez' Meat Helicopter (best spin) and Boned Age Best Bone (best tweak) competitions, which took place next to the packed mid-mountain barbeque at Stewpot Slims. Kyle Clancy took the best spin prize and Chas Guldemond won for best bone. Sunday's prize for big air in the halfpipe went to Luke Mitrani and the 2008 best overall rider award went to Chas Guldemond.
"I'm blown away [by] the stuff kids are doing; they're going so huge," said snowboard icon and lead singer of THC (Tahoe Hardcore) Shawn Farmer, who performed at the Grenade Games on Sunday alongside Terry Kidwell. "But it's still the same vibe. These Grenade dudes really carry the torch in a cool way." Also performing on Sunday were Deathpact and Retard Riot.
What was in 2006 a one-day event costing $10 went up to $30/day or $50 for both days of the Grenade Games in 2008. According to June Mountain spokesperson Abigail Ross, it costs about $25,000 to prepare for and run the event. When asked if that accounted for the increased ticket cost, she responded "Yes and no. Every year it costs more money to run the chairs, build the park, and pay the employees. After all was said and done, we broke even."
Because Grenade Gloves moved its operations to Portland, Oregon from Mammoth/June Lake early last year, there is some question as to whether the Games will return to June Mountain in 2009. "We don't know yet," said Grenade general manager Kevin Casillo on Sunday.
"I hope so," replied Grenade team member Bryan Regis. "We started out in Mammoth so it's kind of nice to do it here. I just like June Mountain, period. I like how they kind of let you do what you want," he said, adding with a laugh: "except for the roadblocks. I got a ticket for not wearing a seat belt--no big deal."
When asked what the Games are about, Regis said, "It's about having fun snowboarding with all your friends. A lot of us grew up together. It just gives us an excuse to have a good party and ride. It's a celebration, some might say."
Former June Lake resident Carlynn Gerebizza agrees. "It's just the true spirit of snowboarding--fun and friends," she said.
Although there were a few complaints about the lack of a rail setup for Sunday's games and the fact that Chair 7 was only open Saturday, the public rallied to rectify the situation--setting up a feature line replete with a picnic bench followed by a hip off the side of the barbecue barricade.
For me, the highlight of the weekend was when Snowboarding magazine's Pat Bridges taught me to do a hand plant, in between watching Louie Vito's breathtaking attempts at a switch frontside inverted "Miller flip" on one of the eyeballs. Hiking to the top of the pipe for one last run, I turned around in time to see the same eyeball break off the deck and roll down the pipe.
Later after the awards I hurried down the hill to make the 5:30 bus back to Mammoth, dodging three sliding picnic tables manned by three-person teams on my way before riding down the now-icy face of June and inadvertently front flipping into a big patch of dirt. Minus my license, credit card, and money--as I later discovered--I barely made it to the bus, where I spent the 20 minute ride home on my feet staring into space with all the other burnouts.
"We are not an image," Grenade says on their MySpace page. "We are not here to brainwash you with flashy pictures of money and fame. We are here to breakdown the hierarchy of the corporate world. We don't believe their lies. No one should ever have to. We are the revolution. The world is an ever changing struggle. We are here to bring you comfort in it. To put an end to profit before friendship and rekindle the [sole] purpose of life, to live!"
Sweet, dudes. And thanks for the fun snowboard party too.
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