MS. SUPERPARK 2005

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Just when you thought the party was over and all the girls went home for the evening, I mean season, step on back and realize that you may have just Missed out on a great opportunity! No kidding, I'm talking to any single man out there who just can't find the right crowd to mingle with. Maybe you're not looking in the right places for that special one, because recently fifty of the best female snowboarders were invited to be a part of SNOWBOARDER Magazine's first-ever Ms. Superpark in Colorado at Copper Mountain.

The event included top women snowboarders like Gretchen Bleiler, Megan Pischke, Hana Beamen, Natasza Zurek, Molly Aguirre, Silvia Mittermüller, Leanne Pelosi, Mary Sallah, Kimmy Fasani, Colleen Quigley, Hannah Teter, Annie Boulanger, Jaqui Burg, Chanelle Sladics, Rachel Nelson, Marie-France Roy, Spencer O'Brien, Stacey Thomas, Maribeth Swetkoff and Alexis Waite to name just a few.

Complimentary dorm-style accommodations were provided at the famous "Edge" hotel that once stood as a Club Med many years ago, and might possibly become haunted in the near future. The riders were greeted with badges, a room key, a white T-shirt and Ms. Superpark graphics to create their own souvenir. The T-shirt press was hot and ready, and the girls gathered and giggled as they made their own personalized shirts. Ms. Superpark '05 had just begun.

DAY 1: (05-03-05) "Hey you, get out of my pipe if you can't reach the top!" yelled Mr. Pat Bridges as he just shotgunned his third Red Bull of the day. Bridges laid the law down on the first day for the girls, which caught people by surprise. Survival of the fittest was the name of the game. No tears allowed, only cheers for good snowboarding. And big cheers were given out on day one to girls like Gretchen Bleiler, Annie Boulanger, Molly Aguirre and Hannah Teter for their massive maneuvers on the quarterpipe. Leanne Pelosi and Alexis Waite put on a show of synchronized handplants for everyone to see, and Rachel Nelson earned respect as she charged the halfpipe and quarterpipe with grace and amplitude. P.S. Day one's lesson learned by all the females: Never leave the mountain before Bridges. "You guys are all fired!" says Bridges as he points to the girls in the lobby who are all showered and dressed for dinner. "Maribeth just killed it at sunset. Let's get her a new snowboard, where's my phone?" Okay, so we will all ride until sunset tomorrow.

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Day 2: (05-04-05) "Oh, you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes, this is Colorado," claimed Megan Pischke. And yes, the sun came and went, but it was all about the quarterpipe, black pipe, wall ride, dangerous rail line and Bridges' famous handplants.

Megan grabbed her own shovel and made a jump off the quarterpipe that became a crowd favorite. Colleen Quigley, Molly Milligan, and Marie-France Roy rode the black pipe that was "ribbed for her pleasure" as Jacqui Berg, Mary Sallah, Staci Thomas and Spencer O'Brien rode the intimidating rail line. The mean gap to down rail was not so popular by all the girls because of the high risk involved, but the wall ride was a little more inviting. Leanne Pelosi, Molly Aguirre, Natasza Zurek, Gretchen Bleiler, Marie-France Roy and the Roxy girls (Erin Comstock and Alexis Waite) were stars on this "wall of fame." And Miss Staci Thomas impressed the photographers with her many, many, many attempts at handplants on top of the wall ride. By the evening hours, the riders and filmers were content and finished for the day (and were DONE with the wall ride and quarterpipe.) Plan for day three: JUMPS!

Day 3: (05-05-05) The Copper park crew built three jumps and the ladies were ready to ride. (A few ladies even rode the jumps in pigtails and dresses. Were they really girls?) Natasza Zurek, Hana Beamen, Silvia Mittermüller, Marie-France Roy and Spencer O'Brien were all prepped and ready to finally ride some jumps. Well, the kicker session lasted as long as the sunshine did, and rain began to fall. The ever-popular barbeque hour lasted most of the day as the riders began to pack up their stuff and leave. Gretchen Bleiler stuck a few grabbed 720s and 900s in the pipe when no one else was looking (ask Jeff Potto, he got the shots). And for a Ms. Superpark '05 finale, Hana Beaman struck the piñata, which earned her Cuervo for the evening. Beaman decided jumping over rails was more fun than riding them, so she did. In the rain and all, Beaman charged what no else thought was possible and succeeded!

5 p.m.: "Girls Gone Wild In Frisco" Not sure how to write about this evening. Let's just say, the "on the rocks with salt" began, and the limo showed up to escort select riders to the Red Bull afterparty at Chill in Frisco.

Overall, Ms. Superpark '05 was a huge success. To keep everyone in suspense on what really went down at Ms. Superpark, be on the lookout for SNOWBOARDER Magazine's feature story coming later this fall.

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