The Stash Gathering: Northstar-at-Tahoe CA

The first Stash Gathering for the year in the very first Stash itself: Northstar-at-Tahoe, California. For a while you forgot you were at a ski resort and imagined yourself deep in the woods with a groups of friends who can really shred. Sessioning the the rough wooden features and hiking through the trees. Trying to impress all your friends with a trick more gnarly than the guy who went before you.

Saturday morning, 9:00 am, registration in the Village. In the weak light of the morning, a bit of excitement fills the air.The first grom competitors wait, ready.Groms sit listening to instructions.A focused Dylan, 6 years old, hikes zone 1.Randy, 11 years old and Grom Division winner, attacks the quarter pipe; Shreddie the Yeti celebrates.Tanner, 4 years old, hits the up-down milled log with speed.The groms hike zone 1, while Wyatt drops in.Women’s division winner, Lynsey hits the quarter pipe with ease.Waiting at the start of the Men’s zone 1.Terrain Park’s Brandon adds snow to the first feature, a banked log-wall.Quinn, 13 years old but competing in the men’s division, indy grabs off the first feature.Competitors hike through the Stash trees.Alex does his thing on the banked log-wall; A friends gathering.Men’s division winner Alex, completely in control on the fast and rough up-flat log.Ouch. The Terrain Park crew, Brandon, Matt and Joe grimace as a competitor comes off the up-flat log.Cameras and videos capture the moment on the up-flat, amongst the trees.Hiking back up, competitors pause to watch the others in action.MIZL fastens his seatbelt off the first feature; Ronnie pauses mid-hike to watch.Judge Joe consults with the Men’s division competitors before beginning zone 2.Lynsey on the boulder bonk, first feature in zone 2.Hiking back to the top of zone 2.10 year old Men’s division competitor Red watches on as Bryce seatbelt nose-taps the boulder.Everyone watches as 12 year old Men’s division competitor Graham masters the log pole jam with ease.Hiking to the top.Terrain Park Manager Mike talks to the competitors.Everyone listens.The guy nicknamed Slayer attacks the boulder bonk; Shreddie the Yeti watches over his Stash.Randy hikes back to the top, the chairlift in a background a sudden reminder that we are in fact at a ski resort not out in the wild woods.Ronnie attempts the rock bonk one-footed.It’s a steep hike back to the top.Carved wooden feature in the Burton Stash.Park Staff ready the cabin for the final.10 year old Red, winner of the newly created Youth Open division, makes spinning over the cabin look smooth and easy. Nevermind the 12-15 foot drop on the other side; Women’s first and second place getters, Lyndsey and Katie, all the way from the UK.Bryce stalls on the cabin stairs.The guy in red front-side disasters the cabin roof.Hiking up to try again.The boys relax, taking time out to enjoy the skills of the others.Youth Open second place getter Quinn back side board slides the cabin stairs.Terrain Park’s Matt and Brandon watch as Max, Men’s second place getter, front side board slides the cabin stairs.The hot item: a Stash medal.Judge and Terrain Park Supervisor announces the winners.