2012 RIDE Shakedown – full report

this is how a crowd should look like ..shiiiit | photo by: Dan Mathieu

While last year we could celebrate a 3x times 10th anniversary of the RIDE Shakedown event, also featuring a first time ever European edition of the contest going down in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, this year’s Shakedown had to be satisfied with only one, but at least the original event in Quebec, Canada. Other cancellations or surprises shouldn’t affect the contest to land as usual a great succes on its birthplace in Quebec and hosted an overall great snowboarding party for everyone who attended and marked even a new audience record of 25’000 people on this last March weekend.

As we’ve known that phenomenon from other contests, also the RIDE Shakedown has got it’s before already 3x times crowned king Sebastien Toutant (CAN) aka Seb Toots (like the Grandvalira Total Fight and Ville Uotila until this year e.g.), who everyone went after for to break his winning series. 35 riders pushed their limits on an unique contest format of this non TTR event, featuring a Big Air jump and a jib-line afterwards. In the final, the riders lineup is broke down to 10 riders only, where they got the chance to impress the judges on a 90min. jam session, requiring them to thrown down three judged runs, of which the best two of them form the final score combined.

that's what would be called "courtside" in the NBA ..premium spot to follow the rail section | photo by: Dan Mathieu

But tradition carries on and the top prize purse of   $20,000 and winning title went to the 19-year old TTR Slopestyle World Tour champ Sebastien Toutant, making this title his fourth since his first win in 2006. The 19 year-old claimed this 11th edition with his signature Tootsie Roll off the jump – a BS 10 Double Cork and a FS Bluntslide 450 out on the rail.

“That’s the Ride Shakedown! Each year I stomp my first run, but always fall on the second. I kind of like to put some pressure on my family and keep the crowd waiting”, joked Seb, who also earned second place in Friday’s Coors Light Rail Jam.

“On my last run, I knew I could have won it with a 720, but I went for a trick that I hadn’t tried at all during the competition. I’m really happy to have landed it and earned my fourth podium” Seb said.

he clearly is happy ..ear-2-ear grinning by Seb Toots | photo by: Dan Mathieu

Jacksonville underdog Seth Hill (USA) got second with a nice FS 10 on the jump and a 50/50, BS 360-out on the rail and was also the only American on that night and could get back home with a $10,000 purse. Not too bad.

Norwegian Kim-Rune Hansen closed out the podium with the same 1080 on the jump, but followed up with a Backlip on the rail. First appearance on the Shakedown and leaving with podium spot and $5,000 more in his pockets.

Enjoy the video recap below.

| RIDE Shakedown |