Stoke was flowing and flakes were falling as a record-number of the fastest skiers and riders in the west descended upon Teton Village on Saturday, Day 1 of Dick's Ditch Classic Banked Slalom! With flurries of snow, changing visability and conditions, racers were pushed to their limits on every carve, slash, and jump.
From below Nez Perce through the top of the iconic upper Dick's Ditch, riders wiggled through a smattering of icy banks, step-over jumps, and the Ditch's natural terrain with a singular goal: make sure they are racing in Sunday's finals. The energy at the gates was buzzing - hoots, hollers, and ringing cowbells fueled all the athletes' chase for bragging rights, a shiny new belt buckle, and, for the pros, cold-hard cash moolah.
With live timing updates, racers and fans watched in real-time to see who was edging closer to the cutoff and who had locked up a top spot. Only the fastest 70% in each division retuned for Sunday's showdown. Competitors left it all on the line for a shot at some new bling and Dick's Ditch bragging rights. The day started with fog rolling in and out of the venue, but conditions quickly softened as the sun came out for the final day. Familiar with the course, competitors charged through the run, leaving mere hundredths of a second separating podium finisher.
One final congratulations to all our racers! We’re already looking forward to running the iconic Dick’s Ditch again next year.
Below are the cut lines across all categories and Sunday's start lists.
Snowboard Cut List
Ski Cut List
Snowboard Start list
Ski Start List
Photos by Connor Burkesmith