Earning Points

For the last four days, snow bombed Mount Seymour, a local's ski area outside Vancouver, British Columbia. But it mysteriously cleared yesterday for an afternoon of face shots and soft drops and surreal Vancouver skyline backdrops. Yet, Mother Nature continues to rule the show.

The Snowboard Cross qualifiers happened late yesterday, but the finals were cancelled. When the snow lets up, the fog rolls in, and vice versa. I don't think they can even find the course at this point. Both times I've pushed a car out of a ditch I haven't been able to see my hand in front of my face. Yup, what we have here is a whiteout.

The king isn't wearing his Triple Crown at the moment but the other festivities continue to roll. The music is bumpin' and the Canadian Avalanche Foundation is hosting its annual Avalanche Awareness Days at Mount Seymour — couldn't ask for better conditions. Other entertainment includes practicing your bindingless rail slides over a Coleman cooler or shaking it in the party tent. Bar sales are doing well today.

"We'll take all my money, and all your money, let's go to Vegas and we'll say, 'Hey, it was a great contest!' and they'll just take pictures of us on the crap tables"— Steve Van Doren, Vans Organizer

At this point, everyone is praying for a break. Some of the riders have ducked back into Vancouver while others wait with ants in their pants. Zeke Tringonis had his boots kicked off and his feet up when he said, "I'll run it (the boardercross) either way. It doesn't matter to me."

Vans Commander in Chief Steve Van Doren was on hand serving up quesadillas and veggie burgers with a huge grin on his face. I think he put it best when he announced to the riders, "We'll take all my money, and all your money, let's go to Vegas and we'll say, 'Hey, it was a great contest!' and they'll just take pictures of us on the crap tables." He's the man with the plan — I'm going to all his parties.

	Boy Blue

Nobody knows what's happening, but everyone is keeping busy. Trevor Andrew is "over it" and headed back to Whistler. The flock of full-face helmets is headed up again to train amidst the soup. If they supply the riders with headlamps, they might have a chance of seeing each other but not the course. Stay fixed to your screens kids, 'cuz here comes the Triple Crown from just outside cosmopolitan Vancouver. The halfpipe qualifiers are set to go off Saturday morning, but it's currently rainy and hazy, so who knows where the Triple Crown will end up.

—Lucas Kane, digging out boy blue for MountainZone.com