07-24-06
Events: Final P2P drops at Hood

For nine years now the Bonfire Pipe-to-Pipe (P2P) has provided up-and-coming shredders with an opportunity to go toe-strap to toe-strap with their professional shred brethren. It’s the ultimate venue for hungry groms to put their best front-boardslide forward, try and show up some of the dudes they’ve always looked up to, and ultimately see just how they stack up against the guys that get paid to ride.

The contest consists of a couple different skate and snow jam sessions at Windells, aka “the ‘funnest’ place on earth.” Winners from each event walk away with a thousand bucks cash and the overall winners take home an additional grand. Oh and then there’s all the gear from the sponsors and of course the possibility of getting to brag to all your bromies that your 270-on/450-off was way cleaner than Johnny Proshreds.

And with all this at stake its no wonder the event has proven to be such a success year in and year out. This summer was no exception.

“I thought it was awesome,” said Tim Windell, owner of Windell’s camp. “The level of rail riding was stepped way up from events in years past.” Indeed.

Pros and ams alike were sliding every which way and doing so with unrelenting style and consistency. There was lots of spinning onto rails and off again, with some shred doggies cranking around both front and backside 450’s before locking onto one of the four down rails set up at Windells. The oft-overused, but always appropriate “Ohhhhhhhh!” was the word of the day, as it appeared the crowd that gathered just couldn’t come up with any other single word to better describe the trickery they were witnessing.

“That was siiickkkk,” was also overheard on several occasions.

And while the level of riding was highly elevated, the jam format created a relaxed atmosphere that seemed to be more about progressing than winning.

“I thought it was so fun,” said Zac Marben. “I really like the jam format, it’s awesome.”

Marben who spun onto more rails than most of the competitors combined, ended up winning Saturday’s event and taking home a thousand bucks.

Desiree Melanchon’s nonchalant style earned her a cool grand for last weekends event and she ended up taking home another thousand bucks as the overall winner of the P2P. At the awards ceremony Melanchon and Marben both tossed some Washingtons (one dollar bills) into the crowd of frothing groms and said they’d use the rest to pay off debt.

Hood loc Nick Dirks was the overall champ for the men and ran off excitedly clutching his lunch pail full of money and heard uttering, “I can’t believe it, I won, I just can’t believe it!”

The awards were presented at Windells indoor skate/trampoline/fun facility following the skate portion of the event, which was just as impressive to witness as the riding that went on up at Hood.

All in all the event inspired a lot of radical action, and what made it all the more radical was the format of contest itself, in which professionals and amateurs competed together, on a level playing field if you will, as nothing more than a bunch as riders of boards.

“It’s just a great forum for everyone,” Tim Windell said. “Everyone’s just here to have fun and it’s almost stress free.” The way snowboarding and skateboarding should be.

Results

Mens Skate

1.Silas Baxter-Neil

2.Steven Reeves

3.Micah Hollinger

Skate Overall

Steven “man-child” Reeves

Mens Snow

1.Zac Marben

2.Nick Dirks

3.Brandon Reese

Girls Snow

1.Desiree Melanchon

2.Bev Vuilleumier

3.Jess Sutton

Campers Snow

1.Andrew Parsons

2.Jonathon Black

3.John Noble

Best Trick

Sam Hulbert

Best Crash

Mitch Richmond

Girls snow overall

Desiree Melanchon

Mens snow overall

Nick Dirks