Saturday, February 28th’s, AM Thrash 4th round is one never to forget.  At
every AM Thrash contest the technicality and consistency gets better than the
contest before.
  
Riders had been practicing long before registration began.  With sweat on
their brows and $10 dollars in hand, they patiently   waited for their bibs. 
When they arrived at the park nothing could be heard but the bumping sounds of a
Guf Rocks Mix Tape.  With energy flowing and new tricks on their minds, the
riders strapped and clicked into their bindings and took charge of the beasts
held with in.  

Emily Goetz, Event Organizer, is proud to say “Not only are the riders
getting better, the terrain features are getting better.”  With the help of
Wild Mountain’s Park Crew staff, Wild Mountain’s Park is always looking top
notch.  The riders where glad to hear that the top two sets of features where
going to be used in the contest.  On the top set from skier’s left to
right;  15’ Flat Box, 15’ Rainbow Rail, 25’ Down Rail, and on the bottom
set from skier’s left to right;  24’ Battleship Box, 20’ Table, and a
20’ flat box.  

When the whistle blew to start, the riders   rode together like machinegun fire
across the park.  All groups started at the same time and the shootings would
come in waves.  The rat a tat tat of a machinegun was replaced by frontboards,
back swivels, pretzels, and slides of the riders.  “There would be a long
silence as all the riders would be on the tow rope at the same time, and then
BAM, everyone would be shooting across the park for another lap with lighting
speed energy” says judge Sarah Lang with a startling look on her face.  

The 30 minute qualifier flew by like stealth fighter jets, and then a bomb hit,
finals was going to be run in a very different format.  The top two riders per
group in qualifiers were to advance to a final head to head show down.  Much
like Paper-Rock-Scissors, the top two riders in each group would ride head to
head and do the best out 2 out of 3 runs to determine 1st and 2nd place in   each
group. “Everyone seemed fatigued going into finals, but when news hit of a new
head to head battle, the riders awoke from there trance and focused on what the
came to do, ride their best” stated MC Matt Gustafson.

All in all it was a phenomenal event.  Every rider rode so strong. Cullen
Bernklau and Garrett McKenzie rode strongest for the AM's, taking the
wins.  Cody Thornburg owned the Down Rail with his Switch Unnatural Railslide
270’s.  Josh Tranby’s, our Open Class Snowboarder Winner, did Backside
Swivels that would make JP Walker get goose bumps, Sam Bakken gapped to the
Battleship Flat and rocked the most insane MJ to land in 2nd, and Andy Barring
won the Guf Rocks Cheeseburger Challenge with an amazing Backside 180 gap over
the Flat-Down section of the Battleship box and landed himself in 2nd in the
Open Class.  With only 2 more events to go, the season will wrap up quick.    So
get back to practicing and hope that the Guf Rocks Cheeseburger Challenge trick
is a trick you can do!

Leading in points for the Series Championship for 12-14 years is Garrett
McKenzie and Cullen Bernklau for years and older.

Check out below for  complete results or visit www.amthrash.com

Next round at Wild is March 22!

Results:

12-14 years
1-Garrett McKenzie
2-Alex Schulz

15 years & older
1-Cullen Bernklau
2-Aaron Becker3-
Vinnie Lkeidon

Snowboarders Open
1-Josh Tranby
2-Andy Barringer
3-Sam Bakken

Skiers Open
1-Cody Thornberg