The Powder and Sun triple air is starting to get a sort of old-fashioned charm to it—dare we say it’s almost got a little east coast tradition to it by now. The contest has been around for years now, and the huge purse always gets shredders from all over the west coast making a trip, usually to Mountain High, but this year contestants are instead trekking to the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. No word on what the set up will be, but in the weeks coming up to the annual triple air there are kids everywhere working on their jump lines.
For contest with such a large purse—$3,500 this year—seems right at home on the outskirts of get-rich-quick Las Vegas, and kind of marks a rebirth for the little Vegas hideaway. In 2005, a 13-year-old snowboarder was thrown from a chairlift during an inbounds avalanche and died. The avalanche, doubled with the tragedy indefinitely closed the resort.
Pay your respects to the departed and get ready to see some of the best jumpers in the west. There are divisions for men, women, skiers, and groms and people go all out in hopes of landing that check for first place. There are super cheap deals on local hotels, too, albeit pretty far from the strip, which is where you’re going to want to go blow all that money you win. Or you could save the money and get some skating in. Our recommendation is SkateCity, in addition to all the street spots.
