“Snowboarding is dead.” We’ve all heard people say it, maybe we’ve even said it ourselves after some snotty little turd snakes our line so he can suitcase method off the knuckle as the sun glistens off his Ruroc helmet. There is, however, a glimmer of hope. A shining beacon of light nestled in the Arlberg. It’s the Longboard Classic- an event harking back to the golden age of snowboarding, back when the quad cork was but a distant pipe dream, and the only action cams were VCR’s duct taped to ski poles.
The Longboard Classic was created in 1999 when legend in the game Paul Gruber decided he wanted to get all his friends together to have a day shredding in the same place. And so, the LBC was born and had its inaugural year. This year was the 20th anniversary and was the biggest event yet, with 560 riders, from as young as 6, strapping in and taking on the course. The course itself covers 1000m of elevation, and the riders head down Albona and ride the whole way into Stuben.
“The golden age of snowboarding, back when the quad cork was but a distant pipe dream, and the only action cams were VCR’s duct taped to ski poles”
