The Launch 2011 Day 1 Photos & Recap
April 6
Is it ironic that Hunter Wood is doing a backside rodeo over a Red Bull? r: Hunter Wood p: Huggy
Recap: T Bird
Captions: Pat Bridges & T Bird
It’s enormous. Jutting out from the Three Kings arm, looming above downtown Park City, Jeremy Cooper and his crew of talented PC pushers have sculpted a grip of features that would rival any built at Superpark. A slew of rail features lead into a massive step up, which direct the underage riders toward a treacherous channel gap. Following the first two jumps immediately are an 80 foot step down equipped with a monstrous wedge. Then there’s the hip, in direct view of chairlifters, and it funnels into a 22-foot quarterpipe. It’s perfection personified in modern-day park building.
On Tuesday night, March 29th, do you know what Sage Kotsenburg was doing? He was doing a night shoot at Sun Valley with Eric Willett, Blaze Kotsenburd and @TWSnow. Do you know how we know that? Twitter. 'Night shoot at sun valley with Eric Willett, Blaze kotsenburg and @TWSnow'. r: Sage Kotsenberg p: Mike Yoshida
The world’s best under-18 shredders descended upon Park City this morning. The sun was out. The wind was minimal. And the action didn’t disappoint, which is par at this prestigious platform event. Riders like Mark McMorris, Tyler Flanagan, Sage Kotsenburg, Sebastien Toutant and Trevor Jacob have laid the foundation of their careers at The Launch, and this year, while the majority of the aforementioned are also in attendance, a new wave of next generation rippers have showed up to show the world what’s in store for Mr. White in Sochi.
In 1987 the song Luka by Suzanne Vega hit #3 on the Billboard Charts. In 2011 Luka Jeromel hit this tree gap on a snowboard and it was off the charts. r: Luka Jeromel p: Jeff Baker
I would have to say that the heaviest session went down on the hip this afternoon. Sebastién Toutant went the biggest, but giving him a run for his money were Spencer Whiting, Kevin Backstrom, Stefan Krum, Garrett Warnick, Cam Fitzpatrick, and Hand Mindnich. 20-foot airs were tossed. Crazy tweaks were set down, and a few looser-than-normal backflips were hucked by Stefan. All in all, it was a pretty heavy day for riders who were just warming up.
Zander Blackman has the coolest name at The Launch, but if we're being honest, it's not quite as cool as Zeppelin Zeerip. Front board through the donkey dick. r: Zander Blackman p: E-Stone
The remainder of the field sessioned on all features all day long, and the rest of the standouts are too many to mention. That’s what videos are for. All I’m doing is letting you know that these kids are for real, and on top of that, they’re hungry. Watch the video. Check out the galleries. And have a look at the next big things. Stay tuned to snowboardermag.com for exclusive daily updates.
Stefan Crumm looked upset when he didn't land tricks at The Launch, but we just told him that that's the way the cookie Crummbles. r: Stefan Krumm p: E-Stone
Did you know that Nick Julius is the great great grandson of famed smoothie entrepreneur Orange? r: Nick Julius p: Jeff Baker
Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibers that, when woven, lie parallel (similar to twill) to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern, a 'cord'. Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel (bare to the base fabric) between the tufts. Corduroy is, in essence, a ridged form of velvet. p: Mike Yoshida
Broc is surely 'Waring' those pink pants well...for a dude. r: Broc Waring p: Huggy
If you're a keen snowboard enthusiast, we're sure you've noticed that there's a creeper in the foreground of this photo, just below Ben Bilodeau doing a frontside 50-50 to front 3. The not-so-keen snowboard enthusiast might not know that there's also a creeper in the background of this photo also. His name is Huggy, and he's shooting with a really, really long lens. r: Ben Bilodeau p: E-Stone
Modern architecture is all about lines. In this Dutch Modern home, it's obviously all about the double lines. p: Mike Yoshida
Hans Mindnich is a hip man. That's cool and all, but we're more into boobs. r: Hans Mindnich p: E-Stone
Hans Mindnich's overhead tailgrab on the hip was rad, but we're more worried about the kid in the red sweatshirt who seems to be all tangled up in the trees in the bottom right of this photo. r: Hans Mindnich p: Huggy
'Tombstone' is better as a movie than a takeoff. r: Hans Mindnich p: Jeff Baker
The current state of the housing market is on the up-and-up. Coincidentally, so is Hans Mindnich. r: Hans Mindnich p: Mike Yoshida
Spencer Pratt spends his nights in Hollywood trying to be the hippest bigshot while Spencer Whiting spends his days in Park City trying to get the biggest hipshot. r: Spencer Whiting p: Mike Yoshida
Tombstone is better as a pizza than a takeoff. r: Spencer Whiting p: E-Stone
This is Kevin Backstrom. Though he is no relation to Ikka Backstrom that doesn’t mean we can’t link to the latest episode of Ikka and Devun Walsh’s Polar Opposites webisodes. http://fresh.snowboardermag.com/video/polar-opposites-webisode-2 r: Kevin Backstrom p: Huggy
Cameron Fitzpatrick had a good run at the Launch last year until he busted his ankles attempting a double cork. This year he was having a good run until he got a nosebleed on this this frontside air. r: Cameron Fitzpatrick p: Huggy
In case anyone is wondering the three filmers on the deck are from left to right Neil Goss, Chris Onders and Jake Zalutsky. r: Hunter Wood p: Jeff Baker
Would you? Hunter Wood. r: Hunter Wood p: Huggy
BROC is a community action group in Southern Vermont, and according to their website, '2,800 of the individuals served by BROC in 2010 were children under 17 years of age...' Coincidentally, 95% of Launch attendees were under the age of 17. r: Broc Waring p: Jeff Baker
Knock Knock. r: Stefan Krumm p: Huggy
Who’s there? r: Stefan Krumm p: E-Stone
Stefan Krumm. r: Stefan Krumm p: Mike Yoshida
Several notable snowboarding celebrities made cameos in The Launch park on day 1 including Seth Huot. Peetu Piroinanennnnnnnn, Lucas Magoon, Austin Hironaka, Sani Alibabic and Jerry Lopez’s son. r: Sebastien Toutant p: E-Stone
'Le taureau rouge vous donne ailes je suis une douche gigantesque.' Be the first person to translate this french phrase in the comment boards below. seriously. r: Sebastien Toutant p: Jeff Baker
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