If you don’t know what the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom is, it’s high time you found out. Created by Tom Sims and Bob Barci back in 1985, the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom was the first event of it’s kind and is recognised as the predecessor to the modern day boardercross. The event was conceived at Baker as one of the few North American resorts that allowed snowboarders to use their chairlifts at the time and over it’s 28 year history, saw some of snowboarding’s most influential names win the event including Craig Kelly, Shaun Palmer, Xavier de le Rue and Terje Haakonsen – who had a whopping seven wins over a 17 year period.

This edit, focusing on the Dakine riders (Wolle Nyvelt, Shayne Pospisil, Johnnie Paxson, Curtis Ciszek, Bryan Fox, Leanne Pelosi, Jason Robinson, Josh Dirksen and Shaun Mckay) at this year’s 28th event, shows exactly why it has secured its legendary status and has pros travelling from all over the globe every year to ride it: a fun, challenging course, a great sense of family and simply as something different to do in a sport that has diversified so much since its inception.

Having raced in several boardercross events when I was at University I can personally vouch for how rad riding a couse like this is. Sure, it’s not as cool as riding the park but pumping the transitions, tucking for that little bit more speed and continually trying to be more efficient with your turns/edges gives you a different kind of thrill on your snowboard. But this just looks like a blast eh?