Did T Rice just try to throw Real Snow?!

X Games Real Snow Backcountry just dropped and the world's top snowboarder's entry is a surprising one … to say the least!

Real Snow is a video competition that aims to bridge the gap between contest riders and those who film for video parts. Selected participants get to film all winter and submit a 90-second edit for public 1-on-1 voting for the chance at $50k in prize money. With that much cash and exposure on the line it's really taken on a life of it's own, with several contestants even hiring private filmers and concentrating solely on their Real Snow part. Some of the entries are just mind-blowing.

That's what makes Travis Rice's entry all the more interesting – or alarming depending on how you look at it. While everyone else's parts consist of 20+ shots/tricks, Travis' is just one shot, consisting of one run down a backcountry face, with maybe 4 tricks in the line. Is this genius or is this Travis making a statement? And what is that statement? 

Is he saying "I'm so good I can beat everyone with just this one shot"? Or is it more along the lines of "Fuck you X-Games, I'm not playing your circus show games"? You'll have to decide for your self but personally I feel like it's a bit of both. The idea of a one shot video part excites the fuck out of me, I mean how cool is that?! The only problem I see is that although the run is undoubtably insanely sick, the run in question simply is not the best Rice has to offer. We've all seen better from him (which is funny because almost any snowboarder in the world would call this the best run of their life!) and with the budget available to him I truly feel he is capable of more.

[update: Upon further reflection I definitely think Travis has done something wonderful here. While simultaniously making fun of ESPN with the voice-over, he's basically saying "You ain't gonna tell ME what I'm supposed to do"… Still though, I would have loved to see a completely fresh line with no tracks… call me a purist!]

Angrysnowboarder.com has a really good take on it HERE … an excerpt:

"You see Travis has done it again proving that snowboarding is more than what the mainstream media tries to mold it into. That voice over is mocking the jockish nature of ESPN; his ability to film one single line shows he didn’t put time into this like the other riders; and the fact that he’s obviously not going to get a medal but will still continue to do what he wants in snowboarding is why he wins.

Now some will not agree with me that he won. But look at all those other edits it’s jump here, pow turn there, pillow line this, frontside slash here, etc. etc. He’s the only one that took a different approach to it knowing fully well that it won’t be the ‘popular’ thing to do. It’s that rebellious nature that needs to live on in the current crop of snowboarders, the ones that say this isn’t what the mainstream dictates this is what I dictate is snowboarding to me that will preserve our culture, ethos, and ideals."

Other highlights include Mark Landvik showing once again he is one of the most powerful riders and personalities in the shred game. Mark Carter showing everyone just how much of a beast he is. And Mikey Rencz really showing the world what many of us have know for years, that he is not only "ready for the big time" but is solidly entrenched as one of the all-time pros who goes bigger than almost all others, and with more style and pop than any of us could ever dream of.