Mammoth WCI: FIESTA DE LA PIPA
Words: George Crosland
photos: Andrew Miller,  George Crosland

- The scene at Mammoth Main park

Otterstrom Takes Fiesta De La Pipa, Again!

Chances are if you are reading this you are thinking about Snowboarding in May, which means you are really into it. You think about snowboarding all year, not just in the winter like all the tag along types. You know the ones that only ride on Presidents day or such bullshit. You are like us here at the Revolution, you can not get enough, you are a lifer. You may or may not be stuck in some shit hole town far from the snow. Fear not, many of the shreds you see pictures of here were in a similar situation. Through dedication and work they ended up in Mammoth in May. It was rad and someday you gotta go. Put down the fuckin X Box, make it happen. Or maybe you are rich and can do what you want or maybe you are just really board. Anyway, here is snowboarding in May.

Stoked! It snowed and the weather was so snowy that the second annual Vans Fiesta de la Pipa at the Mammoth was delayed from Friday May 4 until Sunday May 6. Bullshit you say? Maybe so but not for moi cause I had to trabajo (work) at my normal job on Friday. That means I got to witness the pipe action in freakin May. Who cares I have seen a million contests, right? Wrong! This was not like other pipe contests - it's a 3-hour jam, judged by the riders themselves, in a freshly-built, 18-foot Zaugg-cut pipe lined with boxes, rails, unique jibs and pińatas. So this was more like some of the best pipe riders around riding pipe for a few hours, not a best of 3 run slog. Fun to watch – check out the action, take a run, grab a beer, smoke a blunt in the woods (I don’t condone drug use but if you do, who am I to judge) go back, watch some more…you get the idea…a cruising, yet exciting good time. For those who do not know a pińata (pronounced pin-yata) is a paper machete thing that is full of candy and kids try to hit it with a stick will blindfolded. Only the Pińatas became jibs.

The action was not like the big airs you usually see in the pipe. It was a subtle beauty. Like Peter Line doing 540 to lip slides on the box, Pat Moore inverting off the tombstone, Chad Otterstrom doing complex tricks on the obstacles, to Tyler Flanagen just doing laps. It was a good time. Thanks Mammoth! Oh yes the free riding was kick ass and the park is still good

More Todd Richards quotes

“Thanks to Mammoth, Vans, Red Bull, and Quiksilver but mostly Quicksilver. Thanks mostly to Quiksilver”

“Hey Cody high five yourself”

“Just tell them you are Shaun White, you have red hair” – to Pat Moore

“How about Smith and Wesson? I would like to see more relevant sponsors come in and sponsor events”

“Hey Todd I bet Paul Mitchell has bought you an Audi” – Sullivan

“Paul Mitchell is right for Snowboarding”

Results:
Womens:
Jamie Anderson - $2,500

Mens:
1st: Chad Otterstrom - $5,000
2nd: Chaz Guldemond - $3,000
3rd (tie): Peter Line & Pat Moore - $1,000 ea



George Crosland Photos:

- Kimmy Fasani was telling me that Kelly Clark looked like the winner. However in the end Jamie Anderson was announced the winner. Jamie was a sleeper. Not going big or anything but towards the end of the jam I was thinking that she was hitting a lot of the obstacles, prolly why Jamie won. Anyway here is Kelly Clark doing an invert




- Shane Pospisil was riding solid




- Louie Vito has some style




- Two-peat, not the Superbowl way but Chad winning in 2006 and 2007. Got a lot of photos of Chad spinning big airs but this nose bonk was chosen cause how often do you see nose bonks in a pipe? Right?




- Chaz Guldemond was ripping today. Last night I thought he should have won the rail jam. Turns out many others thought that too but Chaz was not listed on the ballot. Chaz was on the ballot and scored second today. Hopefully that helps ease the pain of being overlooked last night




- Mason Aguirre may be a top Burton head be he aint above shredding with his pals for three hours. He was not in it for the money but fun. Molly was hurt, I think is what I heard. Front 7 for Mason here





- Little Luke Mitrani is not so little anymore. He could likely kick your ass, although that is unlikely to happen cuz Luke is nice kid




- Pat Bridges on the box. Pat Bridges is the fucking man, he runs Snowboarder Mag and he is a lifer, a total dirtbag and totally dedicated to snowboarding. He was flipping off the box, smoking during his runs, yelling that Peter Line sucked and so on. Todd Richards would say “yes it is the boxes fault, you did not make it” You should subscribe to Snowboarder if for no other reason than Pat Bridges. I will buy you $14 worth of beers in a bar if you do




- Goldy taking out the lower pinata

Andrew Miller's Photos:

- Peter Line front invert on the big box




- This was so sick Cody has such good style




- Jake Airing into the pipe




- Luke Wynen bonking the pinata before it was taken out




- Lane Knaak was around




- overview from the top




- Nate Farrell was also riding super solid here invert on the box





- Pat Moore planting into the pipe





- O-matic Rider JJ Johnson taking it to the box





- Max Weinberg tubing the top tube




- The fiesta!! yeeyaaaeeeehhhh

 - Announcing is such a hard job, Sullivan, Capitan Cripple T Richards and Oren Tanzer.

- This is probably one of the only times all year you will see this guy on the hill

- Joe Eddy spinning to the top of the box

- Cody Rosenthal getting wild

- Fiesta de la pipa yo!

- Pat had this on lock every run

- Oren with the money

- Pat Moore was so stoked on his tie with Peter Line he open mouthed him with tounge

- Chaz with his 2nd place bills

- The boys

- Jamie, Chaz, Peter and Pat

- El podium (l-r) Chad Otterstrom, Jamie Anderson, Chaz Guldemond, Peter Line and Pat Moore (Crosland photo)

- Chad with his loot





- This was the only shot i got of the crazy billy bob sled neck show before one of the two sledders land on each other on one of the jumps.  It was crazy one guy was stopped on the landing and the other snomo dude jumped the double and landed his sled right on the guys arm.  He got destroyed and so did his sled and the whole demo was over in about 3 minutes.

Related: WCI RAIL JAM 2007 FULL REPORT

Sunday, May 06th 2007 @ 07:46 PM.
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