It’s time to kiss goodbye to Vail’s premier snowboarding event.
The Vail Valley Foundation announced on Tuesday, Nov. 4, that The Session will be no more.
The event, which consisted of rails and slopestyle contests featuring some of the biggest jumps of any snowboarding contest the world over, began in 2003, drawing an international star-studded cast of competitors.
Coupled with live music and camp of sponsors, marshmallow roasters, video game tents, jumbotron display and historical turnout of thousands of spectators, the Session podium was among the most coveted among pro snowboards. The slopestyle contest offered a grand prize of more than $30,000.
Although the event was supposed to end in 2009, the Foundation and Vail Resorts decided to “pull the plug now” in the interest of planning “new events and programs that will target an ever-changing marketplace,” according to Foundation president Ceil Folz.
Olympic gold medalist Shaun White cleaned house at the Session every time he attended, mentioning during his reign that the fireball wrapping up each run through the slopestyle course was a highlight of the event. He did not, however, participate in the 2007 or 2008 Session.
Norwegian rider Andreas Wiig, fresh off of beating White to a gold medal in the 2008 Winter X Games slopestyle contest, held onto his crown in last year’s Session, which also saw the first 1440-degree spin ever landed in competition, courtesy of third-place finisher Chas Guildemond.
Vail Resorts representatives said one of the initial aims of the Session was to put Vail on the map in the world of professional snowboarding, and that it has already achieved this goal.
Thus, kiss goodbye to the Session and enjoy more coverage of last year’s event and of the 2007 Session.
