Burton US Open // Feb 26th – 29th, 2020
Year after year, the Burton US Open is a contest that snowboarders hold near and dear to our hearts. In fact, defining it as a contest doesn’t quite feel right, because it’s so much more than that. For snowboarders disguised as desk jockeys or service industry workers, the US Open marks the beginning of springboarding, and for those getting paid to ride the wood under their feet, it marks the unofficial conclusion of contest season.
This year was the first since 1982, the year of the Open’s inception, that Jake Burton Carpenter himself was not in attendance. Jake passed away four months ago from complications with cancer, but his spirit and energy were felt deeply within every person who stepped foot in Vail that week. Friends, family, spectators, and tourists alike began to shuffle into Vail midweek, and as the days went on, the buzz of that energy grew stronger and stronger.
The event kicked off on Wednesday with slopestyle semi-finals. That night at the Colorado Snowsports Museum, the Chill Foundation hosted its annual fundraising party. Everybody showed up, vibes were high, and it felt like one big, happy, snowboarding family reunion.
photo courtesy of Pete Curialle
Halfpipe semi-finals started on Thursday, and they were unlike any we had seen before.
The halfpipe was introduced to the US Open in 1988. In 2000, it became the superpipe. Since then, walls have only gotten taller and tricks more technical, but this year, we saw something a little different. With insight taken directly from the riders themselves, it started with a 13-foot minipipe featuring two strategically-placed 6-foot tombstones, then rollers on both sides of the mini to transition riders into the 22-footer to make for some seriously creative snowboarding.
photo courtesy of Pete Curialle
Friday was something special. The snowboard community had a collective 8:00am wake-up call to meet at the lift and celebrate Jake in the way he would want us to most—by snowboarding together and having the most fun we could possibly have.
photo courtesy of Pete Curialle
Slope finals came next, and B4BC team rider Jamie Anderson laid down a stylish run to take home the gold! No one was particularly surprised, as she has won almost every contest she’s competed in this season, but we were as stoked as ever!
photo courtesy of Pete Curialle
That night, Fat Tire hosted a Blotto photo show at their ‘70s-style mega-home east of Golden Peak. Common snowboard fanatics and industry affiliates were partying alongside Jamie and Yuki Kadono, the day’s champions, which is one of the many reasons the US Open is more than just a contest. It brings those with a love of standing sideways together as one, regardless of status.
By Saturday morning, the perpetual hangover of the Open was standard protocol, but ladies rallied through nonetheless to embark on a coffee-fueled Women’s Ride. Burton has always supported women in a tremendous way, and events like this give us the opportunity to meet kindred souls and make lifelong friends.
Mid-day meant halfpipe finals, and not only did the contestants deliver, but so did the culture. The poach was epic. Dozens of riders stole the spotlight in a group poach down the halfpipe to truly embody the reason why we all do this thing: for fun. It was exactly what Jake would’ve wanted.
photo courtesy of Pete Curialle
All the while, the B4BC tent in sponsor village was popping off. We raised nearly $5k and educated 3,000 people. Our raffles and auctions were notably busy each day and tons of people showed up for bra pong. We have SO much appreciation to Burton for giving us a platform to educate people and raise funds!
Around 8:00pm at the concert stage, people stood shoulder-to-shoulder to listen to what Donna Carpenter, proud and loyal wife of Jake Burton Carpenter and former CEO of Burton Snowboards, had to say. As fireworks erupted and sizzled overhead, she cheered, “Jake knew there could be a sport, a culture, but he never imagined THIS!”
Special thanks to Burton for all that you’ve done for the sport and for the culture. We’d be nowhere without you, and thanks to our volunteers: Kristen Cotter, Katie Bland, Amanda Pearce, Jill Reyes, Hannah Josovitz, and Darcy Beck.
In the words of Donna Carpenter, take care of each other.
