Ben Blackwood wins fifth Snowblade Extremes title

“I’m on top of the world, it’s where I belong”

Fourteen intrepid daredevils met at the top of the Silver Queen Lift on Sunday, March 30 for the Ninth Annual Snowblade Extremes, or SBX9. Actually, 12 showed up then and two more showed up later, and when the glare of greatness dissipated, Ben Blackwood stood alone, on top, for the fifth time.
“I’m on top of the world—it’s where I belong,” says Blackwood.
The Snowblade Extremes competition is a true test of one’s mental and physical stability and overall bladeness. It’s one thing to shred the gnar on fat skis with early rise tip, 115-plus under foot and a rockered tail. It’s an entirely other thing to “blade the gnar.”
Not to mention grow a mustache. Which I can’t.
Nevertheless, these bladers aren’t afraid to push the envelope each year on whatever terrain is available. And with a corporate sponsor list that includes Spedini–Provocative Swimwear For Dudes and Babes, the event draws some serious heavy hitters.
The excitement level was nearing a feverish pitch in the days leading up to the competition. So much so that organizers, or friends of organizers, tweaked the schedule to accommodate the influx of talent. While most events, be they the Grand Traverse or the Freeride World Tour, like to follow their competitions with a post-party, the Snowblade Extremes tweak the commonality of such events and instead offer up a pre-party. Specifically, an Urban Big Mountain Championships/Snowblade pre-party on the town headwall (old Kebler Pass cornice/Elk and Zero block).
The “beer in hand” competition was a showcase showdown of sorts and a brilliant way to both help competitors shake some Snowblade Extremes jitters and stoke the competitive spirit fires that run rampant among the snowblade community. I think. Though no one was blading because as the Snowblade Extremes rules state, “no practicing.”
With the Urban Jam completed, bladeletes woke up Sunday morning focused on the task at hand, bringing home the title. A copious winter snowpack left an open palette for organizers and they decided the one place to truly test their snowbladability would be on the Headwall, specifically skier’s left—pardon me—blader’s left of Angle Gulley.
“We went out the day before and looked at Westwall, Horseshoe, Big Chute and Headwall looked the most solid,” says event co-creator Mark Schumacher.
Blackwood came into this year’s event the odds-on favorite, winning four of eight SBX titles, including last year’s, and a genetic predisposition to grow pretty much any facial hair he so chooses.
“The mustaches were pretty impressive but Mr. Blackwood had 5’s across the board. He’s a four-time champion,” says Schumacher.
As the current reigning champion, Blackwood gets to choose when he prefers to go. As a result Blackwood picked to go last. As the rest of the field did their best to try to unseat the “most decorated snowblader in the world,” Blackwood bided his time and then on his run reminded his fellow athletes, the judges and the world that he, in fact, is a living snowblade legend.
“I came out of the gate just charging,” says Blackwood.
After spinning a cartwheel at the top of the venue into the handrail section, he proceeded to boost a 40-foot air, stomped that, and then a 30-foot air complete with a daffy and stomped that. But he wasn’t done. In a display of total snowblade versatility, he finished his run with spins, blading switch, an on-snow front flip and then pointed it for the finish line to prove he ain’t afraid of speed either.
“You know that Italian guy that just set the speed skiing record?” explains Blackwood. “I’m pretty sure I was going faster than that guy. That was that. It was done, it was over.”
Adam Westlake, former champion and co-creator of the event, placed second, with Charlie “Captain America” Parr taking third place.
But it didn’t end there. Included in the event was the sprint challenge, held this year in the skiercross course.
“If you think you didn’t do well in the extremes, then this is your time to shine,” says Schumacher.
Hans “Laser Pussy” McMullet took the sprint title and the bladers continued their display of “overall bladeness,” as it was obvious the crew of athletes were determined to stamp their names on the ski resort and the snow sports world, again. After blading the Headwall, they bladed everything the resort had to offer, both outside and inside, including several stair descents.
“First one to take their blades off has to buy shots. They wore them on the bus all the way to town,” explains Schumacher.
In an effort to recognize as many of the athletes as possible who were willing to blade, organizers handed out a slew of awards that included several Spedini Wear suits, Bacchanale and django’s gift certificates, a half-eaten box of Teddy Grahams, Magnum condom and handcuffs (the SBX Dating Kit), a drug testing kit, an outdated pregnancy test, saucers, beer coozies with beers in them and a beer signed by legend Chris Dach.
The Sickblade Award, in memory of Jeremy Worrell, went to Jimbo Webb; Tree Hugger Award to Chelsea for crashing into a tree; Alex Mattes-Ritz won the Smoothest Turns Award; Best Crash, Ed Dujardin; Slowest Lap, Andrew Winogradow, who was dressed in full hockey goalie gear; Weakest Line, Molly; Least memorable Run, T-Dog; Big Backflip Award, Lawson; and Best Pillow Line/Chris Dach Award, Pat Sullivan.
But among the slew of awards, Blackwood is hands-down the top Snowblader in the world.
“People say I’m the Michael Jordan of blading and I say no way, I’m better than that,” explains Blackwood. “Some people tell me I’m the Brett Favre of blading, and that’s closer, popping pills and taking a lot pictures of my junk and sending them to people. Other people tell me I’m like Tiger Woods. Maybe Tiger Woods 10 years ago when he was winning everything and had a harem. I’m really like all of those guys plus Muhammad Ali, Yoda, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and Patrick Swayze from Roadhouse. Nothing can stop me.”
He admits he’s often stopped on the street as people attempt to get inside his competitive mind.
“People ask me what it feels like when I’m blading,” explains Blackwood. “You know in Footloose when everyone is coming down on Kevin Bacon and he has to get away from it all in the warehouse and just dance? That’s how I feel, except instead of dancing, I’m blading.”
Furthermore, Blackwood believes there’s more to come from the world of snowblading.
“The progression of snowblading is amazing,” says Blackwood. “In a couple of years, snowboarding will be obsolete and skiing will be like riding a bike with training wheels. When you get that, then you move to snowblades.”