Standing Sideways Plattekill Takeover

The chance of precipitation was almost as high as the stoke on Saturday at the Standing Sideways Plattekill Takeover. For the fifth year in a row riders all across the North East came together to share their passion for snowboarding and support an awesome cause in the Live Like Brent Foundation (LLBF). LLBF was started by Brent Evans during his fight with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Never Summer demo

Cancer is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy. LLBF works to raise awareness and funds for those going through blood cancer treatment. Brent was an avid rider and what started as Carve4Cancer has blossomed into a larger organization.

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Royal Mountain: Roll Out the Red Carpet

Royal Mountain may look like a ski slope, but for those who know, it’s more of an establishment. Like so many locally owned ski resorts it’s an integral part of the community. Its walls are adorned with plaques, posters and trinkets of its people and past. It’s all part of the rich history the resort is steeped in going back to its inception in 1955.

Royal Mountain memory wall

Three owners laters, and following the footsteps of the famous Jim Blaise, the Tennis’s are blazing a new trail forward, literally and figuratively. I found Brooke and Jake Tennis behind the ticket desk shortly after opening on Saturday. She was slinging tickets and he was giving an operations update.

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Northampton Ski Park: Opening Weekend

For the past few years the Midwest rope tow scene has been firing off. Some of the best riders flock to these small hills to ride some of the best terrain parks in the country. The rope tows provide a valuable life line to the industry in the form of new skiers and riders. They offer the perfect place to learn without shelling out big bucks for mega passes.

Upper Rope Tow House

I have memories of my own, learning at Brantling in Sodus. Near the city of Rochester there are two rope tows; Powder Mills in Pittsford and Northampton Ski Park (NHP) in Brockport. Both are operated by Swain as learn to ski areas, but a few years ago the NHP started featuring a terrain park.

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