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words by Garry Pendygrasse – photos by Spencer Legebokoff – Top photo rider: Shawn Colley
About 5 years ago I noticed a few postings on the interweb from a group of snow shreds in Japan who were building and riding snow bowls. "What are snow bowls?" you ask. They are exactly what they sound like. Rideable bowls built in the snow. Think old school concrete skate parks ala Seylynn in North Van but on a bigger scale to fit snowboards.
When I caught wind of a snow bowl session taking shape up at Whitewater at the end of March I immediately made it a priority to be there. I put the word out to a few friends and before I knew it I was on the road to Nelson for the first time in 7 years. I met up with my old buddy Tyson Carmody and secured a room at his place for the weekend. Thanks Tyson! The next morning we made our way up to Whitewater and did a few slushy speed laps before checking out the scene at the bowl. After a reunion with JP Martin we were cleared to drop into the afternoon session. Entry to the bowl on Saturday was "restricted" to invited riders. Turns out there were a lot of invitations. Everyone was feeling the good vibes though and it was all good. Finally it was my turn to drop. Those old skate bowls in North Vancouver are where I spent my youth skating and hanging so when I finally got to drop into the snowy version it was a total flashback. There were so many line options available that I got lost on my first few runs. Then, after getting a feel for it and watching riders who had been sessioning all morning, I began to figure the place out. Every run now was more and more fun. Huge smiles were all around. The sun was shining, the park was soft and fast and good friends old and new were all around. This was exactly what I came for. I found myself floating effortlessly back up to the top of the park after each run.
All sorts of people showed up for the sessions. JP Martin was responsible for the build and drew unique lines all weekend. Josh Dirksen was super styley and clean. Mark Fawcett rode fast. Al Clark was throwing down his old tail grab Mctwists as he fell in love with transitions all over again. The Gentemstick crew kept it surfy. Tyson squeaked in a few speedy lines. Jonas Guinn was unleashed from Blue River and rode hard and fast with Charles and Peter White. Pete Saari and Kelly Ross helped me out repping the old dogs. Sweetgrass Productions had the cameras rolling for their new film "Valhalla" too. Locals and visitors young and old lined up for their turn at this unique snow park. Recent Nelson transplant Dave Cashen made it up to Whitewater to check out the scene. His knee wasn't ready for action but he was pretty stoked get a first glimpse of the mountain he'll be shredding next winter. It was great to have him up in the mix too.
Shawn Colley
Thanks to Gentemstick, Whitewater, Ripping Giraffe Boardshop, JP Martin, Tyson Carmody and everyone involved in bringing the snowbowl to life in Nelson, B.C.
