Riding with only one good arm, Canada’s Maelle Ricker took home her fifth straight roll of gold duct tape in the Women’s Pro Division at the Legendary Banked Slalom this past weekend at Mt. Baker. On a world-famous banked track called “the smoothest in 20 years” by longtime course architect Gwyn Howat, Ricker put up a time of 1:31 on a bluebird, deep-powder finals day, beating second-place finisher and hometown hero Maria Debari of Glacier, Washington by two full seconds. Kelsey Galt of Kelowna took home a respectable fifth place in the women’s division.
In the Pro Master’s division, Nelson’s Mark Fawcett showed the Canadian National team coach can still rip, winning his 30-and-over professionals class with a clean, smoking run of 1:28.52, a time that would have placed him fourth in Pro Men’s Division. Vancouver resident, Basker local and former Prior demo guy Nate Kewin won his second specially embroidered Carhartt jacket, finishing on top of a competitive Older Amateurs division with the category’s fastest time, a 1:31.17.
The only downside to the positivity was an obnoxiously heavy-handed presence by the law with more than 20 uniformed and undercover officers from Whatcom Country Sheriff, the Washington State Patrol, the State Liquor Control Board and the US Boarder Patrol turning the mountain lodge, lot and town into what has now become an annual police station. In an embarrassment to the North Cascades’ normally welcoming feel, the officers created a constant weekend hassle of the peaceful snowboard visitors attracted to Mt. Baker from across North America for what is the region’s marquee tourism draw.
Yet in true Baker spirit, community trumped authority resulting in another legendary weekend for both spectators and participants. Holding true to the culture-over-cash mantra, the LBS staff once again pulled off one of our lifestyle’s defining events in challenging mountain conditions. Circle this one on next year’s calendar if you’ve never experienced the LBS, because few elements of shredding are more true to our founding roots than this long-running race. And, if history is any guide, the sky will start dumping, Baker-style, when you land and then crack blue for a crystal view of the best event in snowboarding.
