The West Coast Invitational at Mammoth Mountain is always a wild time. Held on Cinco de Mayo and known as one of the most amazing spring weekends in snowboarding, the contest/party of 2012 did not disappoint in any way. The format was switched up this year, and instead of a 2 day contest the entire event was comprised of one big, fun-filled night. The Eddie Wall Ride or the "World's most prestigious wallride contest", started things out at Canyon Lodge where everyone had gathered after an awesome day of boarding and lounging on the sun deck (drinking free tequila shots). Eddie himself was on the microphone and the riders were killing it on the rail sections and the massive, straight up vertical wall ride the Unbound crew had setup.
The bottom of the Wall Ride course before the madness began.
Sawyer Deen with a proper Nosepick up top.
Chris Grenier did tons of inverts on the wall including this awesome one-footed crippler.
Sam Taxwood was doing amazing andrechts on the vert wall all contest long.
The wall ride destruction commenced for a little over 2 hours and the riders threw everything they had at the course, but in the end it was Chris Grenier in 3rd with stylish switch rodeos and one-footed cripplers, Sam Taxwood in 2nd with dope andrechts on the very top of the wall, and Jaegar Bailey in 1st with too many maneuvers to name. The best trick award was scooped up by Scott Blum with a huge frontside handplant to switch. After the Eddie Wall Ride finished and the sun started to set, the lights on the Monster channel jump came to life and it was time for big-air to go down. The contest format was a new one, where skiers and snowboarders were paired up to form a team. The teams then battled it out bracket style, until only the winners were left standing. It was a different way of doing things, and it turned out to be pretty cool watching the teams feed off each other and hit the jump at the same time. Some of the session standouts were Lonnie Kauk's massive back 7's, Sage Kotsenburg's 1260's (which also won him best trick), and Chas Guldemond's huge switch back 1's and double cork back 10's that he was triple poking out.
Ole Christian Hagan making the choice look easy.
Chas Guldemond and his teammate Parker White on their way to the top.
The hardest working man in snowboarding, Chas Guldemond was going huge and stomping everything all night.
Ole Christian Hagan and his two planking partner Joss Christensen placed 2nd after being knocked out by the 1st place team of Chas Guldemond and skier Parker White. Both Guldemond and White were killing it throughout the contest and definitely deserved the win and all of the cash. A big shout out goes to Mammoth Mountain and their park crew for building and hosting another awesome WCI. Its always a guaranteed good time. Until next year!
Photos: Dakota Whitaker
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