2023 Winter Dew Tour lookback Day 2

I know I’m a year late again. No COVID this time, just life and my neurodivergent brain getting in the way. Anyway, Dew Tour sort of skipped a year because instead of being held in December 2022, the contest was in February 2023. It also got squished to two days since Day 1 again was reserved for practice, not open to the public. Instead of checking out the Dew Tour Experience, which I figured I would have time to later on, I scheduled a snowboarding lesson. That worked out for the best since it dumped in the morning and I got to enjoy powder (even though it’s harder to learn). Click here to see pics from Copper Mountain outside the Dew Tour.

Day 2 kicked off in the morning with Men’s Ski Superpipe finals. Despite the somewhat early start, a decent-sized crowd was there, and we were treated to a mix of freeski veterans like Alex Ferreira and David Wise and newbies like Matt Labaugh and Ben Harrington. Ben in particular won everyone over with his energy; as Chris Coté (who I finally got to meet after a couple of years of being a fan and online friend) said in the broadcast, he was the “people’s champion”. David Wise and Brendan MacKay kept trading places for first and second. The four run format made the battle particularly exciting since you see them go a little bit higher and smooth out their runs over the course of the event. In the end, it was Brendan who got his first Superpipe win.

Getting a solid tailgrab on his double cork 1260s was one of the keys to Brendan’s victory.

Next was Women’s Snowboard Superpipe. The field consisted only of five competitors, which I found disappointing because true equality includes equal opportunities to compete. The absence of heavy hitters did allow everyone a chance to shine. I was stoked that four of the competitors were Asian or Asian-American and that Summer Fenton was holding it down for the non-teens/pre-teens. However, the 11-year-old phenom Patti Zhou blew us all away with her switch backside 900 and sassy responses in interviews. “It’s so easy!” she said after her first run.

Surfers and Skaters for a Free Palestine

I haven’t found the heart to update this blog with the genocide that has been happening in Palestine and still having to go about daily life in a country that is complicit. I had been frustrated with the action sports world remaining relatively silent. Granted, politics are a touchy subject for sponsored athletes, and it turns out I was looking in the wrong place. Beyond the contest scene and big brands are organizations, media, and individuals highlighting the years-long struggle of Palestinian surfers and skaters.

Explore Corps founded the Gaza Surf Club in 2008, and that same year, the documentary God Went Surfing With The Devil highlighted the struggles to just get surfboards into the blocked-off area. Eight years later, a film that centered the voices of Palestinian surfers themselves, Gaza Surf Club. One noteworthy aspect of this documentary is the inclusion of female surfers, and although the male surfers espouse sexist attitudes, this is visual evidence that Palestine is not the oppressive place that Zionists are trying have us believe it is. You can rent Gaza Surf Club on Vimeo.

Last November, Australian surf culture site The Section published a letter, Surfers in Solidarity with Palestine, which condemns the genocide in Gaza and calls for a ceasefire. The Instagram accounts, surfequity and surfyonder, boosted the letter and have continued to post in support of Palestine. Their founders are among the initial signatories of the letter, which also includes Lee-Ann Curren (yes, she’s Tom Curren’s daughter) and Saad Abid. Another notable name on the list is the legendary Tom Carroll, who previously led some of his fellow pros in boycotting South Africa during the apartheid.

#ThrowbackThursday: Gerry Lopez at 2022 EarthX Film Festival

The 2023 EarthX Film Festival is happening in Dallas this weekend. It’s the only environmental film and music festival in Texas, and the line-up includes a few short films about outdoor and action sports. Tomorrow night kicks things off with a screening of Common Ground, a feature length documentary about the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, and music by Donna Missal. Click here for more info on the festival.

In addition to teaming up with 4DWN (the subject of one of the short films) and Dickies to bring a skate event last year, EarthX Film Festival also brought legends Gerry Lopez and Stacy Peralta to Dallas. Last year’s festival was in May, and the closing night feature was Stacy’s film, The Yin and Yang of Gerry Lopez.

Nonbinary Action Sports Pros

This past week was Nonbinary Awareness Week so I wanted to shout-out the enby (short for nonbinary since NB already stands for “non-Black [person of color]”) pros in the action sports world. Nonbinary individuals identify as being not just strictly “male” or “female”. If you want to learn more, check out the answer to the first question in this article. if you’re here to hate, you can leave because I’m nonbinary and will not tolerate transphobia. Also, I’m a scientist working in neuroscience with a background in genetics so don’t even try to pretend you know biology.

Photo from the519.org

Undoubtedly, the most well-known nonbinary action sports athlete is Leo Baker (he/they), thanks to a cameo in a Miley Cyrus music video and the Netflix documentary, Stay On Board: the Leo Baker Story. I’ve previously talked about the film, which reveals the frustration and stress in trying to conform oneself into the gendered categories of competitive sports. While Leo chose himself over the Olympics, fellow skater Alana Smith (they/them) continued their competitive journey and used the exposure to assert their identity.

Alana’s teammate, Alexis Sablone, explicitly did not identify as nonbinary or use they/them pronouns two years ago, but their Instagram now shows “they/she” pronouns. I add them here with the caveat that they have only identified as queer and don’t like the definitive nature of labels of both the gendered and gender nonconforming variety. To round out this list of skateboarders, we have several members of There Skateboards’ “Gay Team” who are enby: Jessyka Bailey, Sam Bolton, Chandler Burton, Kien Caples, Shag, and Kat Sy. Check them out in the groundbreaking film, Ruining Skateboarding.

On two wheels (although they also participate in board sports), we have Benny Gonzales. Last year, they made history with Subrosa and The Shadow Conspiracy, as the first nonbinary BMX rider with a sponsorship. They also released a sick edit titled “Nonbikenary”.

Finally, there’s snowboarder Alexis “Lex” Hernandez-Roland, who has demonstrated various aspects of their gender identity in Pink Dollar Possy’s Out at Sea. They’re also a friend, and we got take our enby gang at Dew Tour earlier this year.

I’m wearing my “No Gender, Only Fluffy” sweater from Paws of Pride.

2022 eXponential Awards (excluding Olympics)

I decided that instead of recapping every X Games with an eXponential Awards, I would just go an annual version with bonus Olympics editions. The past couple of years have revealed that the X Games is no longer the dominant force representing action sports. It is still the event with the most variety, but the limited invitations means a lot of great athletes get left out. Furthermore, there are single sport events like Natural Selection and the World Surf League Championship Tour that contribute to the action sports world, and I also wanted to recognize film projects so there’s the new categories of Best Edit/Short Film (anything under 30 minutes) and Best Film. I’m not going to be able to keep with everything, especially all the movies, but given how exclusive contests like the X Games are, I want to diversify my consumption of action sports media and hope to give a better glimpse into the world with this new format. I do realize that I did an X Games Aspen 2022 version of the eXponential Awards so I avoided repeats despite some outstanding candidates from that event.

Best Female Athlete – Rayssa Leal (Skate)
Talk about domination. Rayssa Leal not only showed the world that the little girl heelflipping in a fairy costume was more than a viral photo with her Olympic silver, but she also swept the entire Street League Skateboarding series, winning all three events and the Super Crown. She also won her first X Games gold medal at Chiba and turned pro for April. This is all before Rayssa’s 15th birthday at the beginning of 2023 so she’s got many more years ahead.

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Best Male Athlete – Julien Vanstippen (FMX)
Julien Vanstippen might be relatively new to FMX, but his racing background has given him the bike skills to excel at Best Whip. He got two X Games medals from his first two appearances and then cemented himself as “King of the Whip” in a contest with that name in South Africa. Julien isn’t a one trick pony though. He won Best Upside Down Trick in the same contest and placed third in Red Bull Imagination.

Best Non-binary Athlete – Leo Baker (Skate)
You might question my choice since much of it has to do with Leo Baker not skating. However, to live authentically is what drives all action sports athletes. We finally see things from Leo’s point of view with the premiere of Stay on Board: the Leo Baker Story. The documentary helped us understand that the gender euphoria he experienced after getting top surgery is worth more than any Olympic or X Games gold, and we also got to meet Leo the musician with the release of his first single, “Hold Me Till We’re Home”. He’s still skating, and it’s finally on his terms.

2021 Winter Dew Tour lookback Day 5

The final day of Dew Tour was a big one. Snowboard Superpipe finals were going down, and with big names like Shaun White and Chloe Kim looking to cement their spot on the U.S. Olympic team, more people were there than previously. The women’s event was still sparse in comparison, but the crowd was very enthusiastic. The side of the pipe I stood on was in the shade, and several riders seemed to have visibility issues. Maddie Mastro hit the deck in one of the problematic areas and got hurt. Thankfully she was able to walk away, but she did not take her second and third runs. Queralt Castellet, however, had no issues. She threw down the gauntlet with her high-scoring first run that included immaculate back-to-back 900s. Her early lead pushed everyone to bust out their biggest tricks.

Queralt held onto the lead for most of the comp.

Xuetong Cai was another rider who seemed to get better with age. Her opening method was so stylish. Chloe Kim struggled in her first two runs. Just as the pressure mounted, she changed her run to avoid hitting the wall near me, which helped her land bolts and secure the win. Her relief at the result showed how much pressure she felt as the reigning Olympic champ.

2021 Winter Dew Tour lookback Day 4

Learning to snowboard took a lot out of me so I stayed in during the morning to watch the Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle finals from my computer. I have to give Annika Morgan props because she came up short on a jump and instead of bailing, she threw herself into a front flip. I brought it up at the Roxy signing after the contest, and she shrugged it off (but was obviously very grateful to have not wiped out). Get the woman into Knuckle Huck!

I rode the Woodward Express to the top of the slopestyle course just as the Men were starting their competition. It turned out that pedestrians got to ride for free. I wish I had known earlier because maybe I would have tried to go up multiple times. It’s still a long and strenuous trek (TV makes the course look deceptively small). Some of the people I passed had the stream on their phones, which is a good way to keep track of results if you have the battery power and data plan. I did enjoy snapping photos of the riders at various parts of the course though.

2021 Winter Dew Tour lookback Day 3

Day 3 had an early start with Women’s Ski Superpipe finals taking place in the morning. The crowd was sparse again, but that was everyone else’s loss since the athletes still gave it their all. Defending gold medalist Cassie Sharpe was coming off an injury and had some tough luck.

It was nice seeing Cassie back in action after her injury.

I was stoked to spot some unfamiliar names, two being Chinese: Kexin Zhang and Fanghui Li. I think it made my parents more interested. American teen Hanna Faulhaber was another newcomer although by how high she went and how solid all her tricks were, she seemed like an old pro. She took home bronze and would definitely be one to watch in the future. Even if the media did hype up a rivalry between Kelly Sildaru and Eileen Gu like they did in the past with Tanner Hall and Simon Dumont, the two women were going to run in to each a lot all weekend, as they were both competing in all three events. Eileen went bigger, and her insistence on always bettering her own runs helped secure the top spot.

Ken Block – Visionary, Pioneer, Icon

The action sports world and beyond owes so much to Ken Block. I first saw his name in the X Games rallycross events. It sounded really familiar, and he was obviously a big deal. That was when I learned that he was co-founder of DC Shoes. However I didn’t think much of that besides it being a job title.

I had the pleasure of seeing Ken race in X Games Austin 2015. His car the one on the outside lane. His branding has always been unique so even with this blurry photo, I can tell which car is his.

As I learned more about the world of action sports beyond just the athletes I saw on TV, the job title became so much more. Without DC Shoes, there might not have been Danny Way and the progression of the Mega Ramp. There might not have been Rob Dyrdek’s various projects: Rob and Big, Ridiculousness (which was hyping viral videos before the rest of us), Street League Skateboarding, and Thrill One Media. The Rob Dyrdek/DC Shoes Skate Plaza Foundation is a perfect example of how closely tied to DC he is, and Rob has talked about how Ken encouraged his innovative ideas.

For snowboarding, he created the DC Mountain Lab, which was the apex of 2000s snowboard culture. I’m trying to think if there was an actjon sports athlete who created a playground for their compatriots before Ken did. Nowadays we have Peace Park, Axell Hodge’s Slayground, Pastranaland, and more. They’re not exactly the same because action sports culture has changed, but the influence that DC Mountain Lab and the films that came out of it are obvious.

Then of course, there’s the rally racing. Without Travis Pastrana and Ken Block, who knows if rallycross would made its way to the U.S. and garnered a bunch of new fans? Same for gymkhana (a poet friend recently mentioned that she hadn’t heard the word in years before I read my tribute to Ken). Suddenly people who knew nothing about racing saw what Ken Block could do with his Gymkhana series. He made a viral YouTube video before this became an ultimate goal of online content creators.

The Verge’s piece “We were all fans of Ken Block” is so true. The impact of his various endeavors ripples through different communities: action sports, racing, internet culture. He’s truly an inspirational figure as someone who wasn’t a top competitor in skateboarding and snowboarding but found his way to be involved and who became an elite driver at an age when most people retired from racing. Also he was never caught up in controversies. Ken truly was an amazing role model with a simple yet effective approach to life:

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I never got to meet him, but all the stories from friends and fans reveal what a great guy Ken was. More importantly, as stated on Hoonigan Industries’ Instagram, he was a father and a husband. A lot of career talks I’ve attended question the possibility of “having it all”. Could you succeed in your job while also dedicate time for your family and have fun? Ken found a way, and I enjoyed seeing his daughter Lia get featured on his YouTube and how he has passed on his work ethic and determination onto her. My heart goes out to his wife and kids.

I’ll conclude with a poem I wrote, as I was thinking about his impact on action sports and seeing how many people he has touched with his myriad of accomplishments. It’s published on The New Verse News: 43: Ode to the Original Hoonigan . Thank you for everything, Ken.

2021 Winter Dew Tour lookback Day 2

Yes, I took another year to start recapping my 2021 Winter Dew Tour experience, but in my defense, I caught COVID-19 right afterwards and it’s honestly been a struggle to stay on top of things. I heard some of the athletes got sick, and I really admire that they were able to push through and recover in time for the Olympics. Anyway, lesson learned on being too lax on safety precautions, especially as someone who has health issues. Even now it’s important to stay safe!

Like in 2020, the first day of Dew Tour wasn’t open to the public. It worked out since I was traveling to Copper, and I wound up meeting Mary Walsh of Snowboard Magazine on the shuttle. There weren’t delays with travel, but since there was a good amount of snowfall, slopestyle qualifiers got postponed.

Day 2 qualifiers included Women’s Snowboard Superpipe. Despite not being a morning person, I really wanted to check it out since the women’s events tend to be earlier. I felt frustrated because the lighting wasn’t ideal and there were hardly any people in the crowd. Nevertheless, Maddie Mastro and Chloe Kim fought hard for the top spot with Maddie getting the higher score. It was sick to see Maddie’s double crippler in person.

Haruna Matsumoto just squeaked her way into finals.

Men’s Snowboard Superpipe qualifiers followed, and that’s when people started to show. It might have had something to do with Shaun White making an appearance, as he was aiming to make the Olympic team again. He proved to still have a large bag of tricks and his signature big airs. However, the Japanese riders were ready to dominate, and Ayumu Hirano, Ruka Hirano, and Yuto Totsuka scored the top three spots. Missing from their team was Raibu Katayama who was recovering from an injury sustained the previous week.

Andre Hoeflich’s sick style helped him qualify in fifth.

Conditions proved to be challenging for slopestyle again, and this time qualifiers were cancelled. We spectators didn’t know exactly what was going on besides schedule changes, but Mark McMorris’ Dew Tour video shows the debate going on behind the scenes about whether to run qualifiers or not.

Any drama or stress of the day for the athletes went away in the evening, as it was Boarding for Breast Cancer’s 25th Anniversary Fundraiser. Although it was open to the public, I felt slightly out of place as a non-athlete or industry person. I did run into Mary again briefly and wound up befriending someone who was working the Pacifico booth all weekend, and The Nuns of Brixton provided music to rock out and dance to so I stopped feeling as self conscious. There was also an auction to raise money for B4BC, and I won a Dakine backpack. I learned that Kimmy Fasani was diagnosed with breast cancer, and B4BC was holding a ride out for her. It was cool hearing how B4BC has impacted the lives of many female snowboarders through their support of survivors and advocacy work. Jamie Anderson talked about being involved since she was a kid. Here’s to another 25 years!

The lead singer of The Nuns of Brixton thanked me for dancing when I was leaving the event so I’m happy my talents came into use. Next time I won’t be as self-conscious.

More photos can be found on my Flickr.