Friday, January 19, 2001 - Sunday, January 21, 2001 -- Champion, PA
Kahlua/ K2 Half-Pipe Jam Series
Story and photos by Don Parks
[Details]
[Coverage]
Pictures:
[Set 1]
[Set 2]
[Set 3]
[Set 4]
[Set 5]
[Set 6]
Special guests for this stop on the tour included four members of the K2 Freeride Factory Team. Having just flown in from the West, 16 year-old Rory Silva from Mammoth Lakes, California, joined the rest of his mates. Already settled in to Willie Nelson's former tour bus was 18 year-old Pete Mehrhof (Mammoth Lakes, CA), 24 year-old Mike Atkinson (Whistler, British Columbia) and 18 year-old Rory Will (Sugarloaf, Maine). In the words of K2 Tour Manager and bus driver Ben Cheek, "Our mission is to put on fun events to promote participation in freeskiing and to have a good time in the halfpipe."
Friday got everything started with a reception followed by a Kahlua
Anything Goes Party (for those 21 and older). What also rolled in
that night was some fresh snowfall, perfect for shaping the Seven
Springs halfpipe into a sick launching pad for an awesome air show.
And that is exactly what it was for Saturday's Kahlua/K2 Halfpipe Jam.
The K2 pros were now judges, and the one who proved the most impressive would be awarded $500 cash. The runner-ups also worked their moves for nice schwag including a new pair of K2 Enemys along with goods from Freeze, Skiing Magazine, Smith, Helly Hansen, K2, Motorola, Balance Bar, and Kahlua. Even if you didn't have the best-of-show abilities, most all the hardware was up for grabs in raffles and giveaways that extended into the evening at the Anything Goes Apres Jam party.
So, who did the most to impress Mike, Pete, and the Rorys? It was the
skiing trio of local riders Brandon Tracy, "John-John"
Josephic, and Matt Webb (a.k.a. "Junior"), all from the
Seven Springs area. Grabbing the cash was the 21 year-old Tracy who
rides for Willi's Ski Shop and Mojo's Goggles and a featured rider in
the Pow Pow Productions video "Unknown". Having started out on skis
at "around 3 years-old", Tracy gave credit to the sweet arena, "It
was the best halfpipe I've ever seen at Seven Springs... and I've seen
a lot of this place."
The K2 crew kept the fun pumping into the night as the snow continued to fall. Sunday would be just another day of fun on the slopes before they packed up the bus and hit the road. Next up for their invasion was a Superbowl Weekend date with Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln, Hew Hampshire. But the buzz they left at Seven Springs will certainly keep everyone jamin' in Southwest PA for some time... both in and out of the halfpipe.
For more details on the K2 Sacred Hunger / Feed Your Need Tour and the Kahlua/K2 Halfpipe Jams, check the Kahlua and K2 web sites.