The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“One run to prove their worth”
Ben Blackwood is the most decorated athlete on the planet—Planet Snowblade that is—winning his fourth Snowblade Extremes title in the past eight years of the competition.
It’s a strange planet, complete with facial hair, outrageous attire and huge balls—except for the one female competitor, Jen Cliffhucker, who has no testicles that I am aware of but is ballsy enough to enter into the 8th Annual Snowblade Extremes on the Headwall on Sunday, March 31.
“Fifteen or eighteen” extreme snowbladers showed up for the annual event, including former champions Blackwood, Adam Westlake and last year’s champion Grant Spear.
Athletes get “one run to prove their worth,” according to one of the event founders and judge Eric Schumacher. A panel of three judges based final scores on a variety of aspects including but not limited to: Line Choice; Air; Crash (you don’t have to crash, but it sure helps); Mustache Intensity (originality, length, awesomeness); Costume; and Overall “Bladeness.”
Conditions were pretty good on the Headwall with a winter snow feel up high and slush at the bottom of the venue, but that doesn’t really matter because as Schumacher said, “All conditions are optimal for snowblading.”
Schumacher did point out the one shortcoming in this year’s event.
“Mustaches were not as strong as in previous years but everyone had a mustache, which is good,” says Schumacher.
In fact, having a mustache is one of the rules, along with no practicing. And while an event of this intensity may lead to pre-partying to calm athletes’ nerves, the rules are explicit in that regard.
“Please don’t show up wasted drunk. This really is snowblading on double black terrain. It is dangerous. We reserve the right to deny competition to anyone we feel is too intoxicated. Sorry, we just don’t want to see anyone get hurt and ruin this for everyone involved.”
The pressure was on defending champion Grant Spear.
“I definitely felt like I had to make my presence known there,” says Spear.
Furthermore, Spear knew there was more on the line than last year. Low snow last year forced the competition onto Ruby Chief. This year, the athletes and organizers decided on the Headwall, which opens up a slew of opportunities to be a hero… or get badly hurt.
“I had to make sure all of my equipment was in order,” says Spear. “There was a little more terrain to work with and I tried to take advantage of it.”
Spear made the most of it and went from hero to hurt and back to hero in just one run. All was going smoothly until the bottom of the venue and the rest is somewhat foggy.
“I went for a back flip and caught my tips,” says Spear. “I was a bit dazed and confused after that.”
Spear ended up in second place behind Blackwood and took home the coveted Sickblade Award, presented in memory of former judge Jeremy Worrell.
But there was nothing and nobody to stop Blackwood on that day. After getting knocked off the top spot last year, Blackwood was back for revenge.
“Grant is a great blader but, fact is, I’m the greatest blader of all time,” says Blackwood. “Things didn’t go my way last year but, bottom line, I’m the greatest of all time. No disrespect to Grant or Adam Westlake.”
And he made a point of proving his supremacy.
“The Headwall is my favorite venue,” says Blackwood. “The plan was to charge, throw a three and stomp it.”
Blackwood did that, and then some, throwing a series of threes and icing the cake with a crotch-grab spread-eagle over a tree.
Blackwood reflected on his return to the top of the podium for the fourth time.
“It feels good,” says Blackwood. “It feels like where I was meant to be. It’s where I belong.”
