Snowboarders and skiers from Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech launched off ramps and glided down rails at Massanutten Resort for the chance to win first place at the 4th annual Red Bull Rivals competition.
Snowboarders and skiers from Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech launched off ramps and glided down rails at Massanutten Resort for the chance to win first place at the 4th annual Red Bull Rivals competition.
The competition began as soon as the sun set Saturday Jan. 7, with the competitors separated into two 30 minute heats. During that time, riders took turns over two ramps or two sections of rails.
Judges from the Charlottesville-based sports store Freestyle and Massanutten Resort scored the teams on their run as a group and on individual tricks.
This year was the first time VCU entered, and skier Nicholas Rivero and snowboarder Chris Wise could not have been more stoked.
“(The competition) is awesome,” Rivero said. “This has been a sick trip.”
Both Wise and Rivero had participated in a few competitions before, but some teammates were racing a snow ramp for the first time. During the event, a Red Bull-sponsored DJ was blasting mixes while the crowd cheered as athletes did flips, nose grabs, and cork spins.
“We’re all here to shred the gnar, and have a good time,” Wise said.
After the two heats, the judges turned in their scores and the athletes took off down the hills shirtless, trying as many tricks as they could. JMU was awarded first place, with second going to Virginia Tech, third to UVA, and VCU in fourth place.
Regardless of the results, VCU snowboarder James LeGrone said he was happy with VCU’s performance.
“It was fun, it was definitely an experience,” LeGrone said. “I might need to practice a little more before [next year].”
While the athletes left in good spirits, the competition was not without a few injuries. During the first heat, a snowboarder from UVA fell from a rail and had to be taken off the course due to a possible concussion.
Less than two minutes afterwards, snowboarder Emma Troy took a fall landing on a ramp and was carted off on a back brace to the nearest hospital. Troy posted on Facebook the full extent of her injuries.
“Broke my back in three places, few fractured ribs and a partially deflated lung,” Troy wrote. “I’m very lucky I can still move my legs and feet.”
Troy had an early birthday surgery for her injuries Jan. 9, which she said went well.
