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The ski community never ceases to amaze when it comes to new events. One of these fairly young events, The Teton Surf Classic, hosted at Wyoming’s Grand Targhee Resort has combined surfing, skating, and snowboarding into an event that everyone should experience.
The event has been hosted 2 times since starting in 2018 and has lived up to the hype. The terrain park crew redesigns the North Pole Terrain Park into a snowboarders paradise. Hips, berms, quarter pipes, spines, and bowls dot the course giving riders ample opportunity to show off their style and fluidity. In order to get to the podium, you have to be able to carry transitions, carry speed, and show off your unique style. Below is a video from the inaugural Teton Surf Classic.
The Teton Surf Classic is a snowboard-only event.ย A variety of competition classes opens the Surf Classic to young groms, old souls, and everyone in between.
Competition classes include:
- Groms: 12 and younger
- Teens: 13 – 17
- Amateurs: 18 – 39
- Masters: 40+
- Families: Parent(s) + Kid(s)
- Professional Riders
Great events find ways to give back to the community, and the Teton Surf Classic is no exception. The competition is a benefit for the Teton Valley Ski Education Foundation (TVSEF). The TVSEF has been a non-profit ski team in the Teton Valley since 1978. Its mission is to provide an affordable ski or snowboard program to the youth of the local community, giving them the ability to reach their full potential as well as provide an avenue for competition and education. Across four different programs (Alpine, Cross Country, Freeride, and Snowboard), the foundation currently serves 175 athletes with 30 coaches. This program is no joke. You probably have heard of some notable names that have come out of the TVSEF. Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, a renowned professional freeskier, and 2018 Olympian Jaelin Kauf were both in the program when they were growing up.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of how competitors are judged. Competitors are evaluated based on an overall impression for the day including the following categories:
- Turns – Are you skidding or carving? The judges want to see powerful top to bottom turns.
- Speed – Can you carry speed and maximize each feature’s potential?
- Flow/Style – Smooth it out now. Throw in that soul arch as you trim down the line.
- Line Selection/Creativity – Show off your interpretation of the terrain. Look for fun transfers, lines and, features to set yourself apart.
- Slashes – We all love a good power hack. How high can you make the slush fly?
- Air – Show us your style grabs and tweaks.
After the event, there is a raffle for some great prizes. You can win snowboards, outerwear, bindings, meals, goods, and services from local shops, and a grand prize trip to Nemberala Beach Resort in Indonesia!
The Teton Surf Classic is happening this season! While COVID-19 has impacted so many great traditions this ski season, Grand Targhee Resort is committed to making 2021’s Teton Surf Classic the best one yet. The event will occur on March 27th, 2021!
While registration is already full, you can still enjoy the competition from the sidelines. A Sierra Nevada Tent will be set up for additional prizes along with a DJ to jam out to. To get more information regarding the schedule and other aspects of the Teton Surf Classic be sure to check out Grand Targhee’s Website.
