Last snowboard event of the season brings out the pros
This weekend, for the fourth year in a row, Showcase Snowboards will be hosting their Showcase Showdown, featuring a halfpipe competition on Saturday (May 12) and a 20-foot quarterpipe on Sunday.
Athletes in amateur and pro categories are invited to compete for their share of an $11,000 prize purse and more than $20,000 in products – more than at any previous Showdown.
"Our goal, like anyone who runs a competition like this, is to make it a little bigger every year," says organizer Sean Kato, a senior staffer at Showcase. "With the Westbeach off, next year we’re going to step it up a bit. If we’d known earlier that the Westbeach was cancelled, it probably would have been even bigger this year."
You can register in advance at Showcase Snowboards in the Westbrook Hotel, or on the day of the competition in the Roundhouse. The event is usually a sell-out, so advance registration is recommended.
A number of pros have already entered the Showdown, including David Carrier-Porcheron, Megan Pischke, Dennis Bannock, Deni Bevin, Dylan Butt Mike Rencz and Rube Goldberg.
Whistler’s Dave Melancon, last year’s champion and a sixth place finisher at the World Snowboarding Championships, is expected back to defend his titled, as is women’s champion Mercedes Nicoll.
Helmets are mandatory this year as it is a B.C. Snowboard Association (BCSA) sanctioned event.
For junior riders 15 and under, it costs $25 to register for Saturday’s halfpipe. It costs $70 for both days for amateur riders, and $90 for pros. If you’re not a member of the BCSA, a $10 membership is required.
