EVENTS: Red Bull Snowscrapers Boosts Local Sales, Awareness; Lets Locals Ride

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• February 09 2009
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Words by Agatha Wasilewska
Images by Ken Shih and Aaron X Vail

In a winter in which stock prices and temperatures have plunged, a snowboard scene on the Lower East Side of Manhattan brought some much needed stoke to NYC’s snow community.

Over the last three weeks, a massive snowboard ramp has risen in East River Park, snuggled in next to the Williamsburg Bridge. Nine stories tall and 150 yards long, it required more than 100 workers to build, and it lured 16 of the world’s top professional snowboarders to compete in the February 5th Red Bull Snowscrapers, making this event the largest urban snowboard contest in North America.

The fight was real and intense for the $100,000 Red Bull Snowscrapers prize purse. In front of 20,000 fans, athletes such as Olympic gold medalist Shaun White and X Games Champion Travis Rice soared above the cityscape off a specially constructed ramp towards an immense 80-foot long landing area.

A producer for Snowscrapers, Jack Fleming, put the cost of staging the event in the high six figures. Such a sum might seem insane in a recession, particularly when many snowboarding competitions have been canceled this season due to lack in funding and sponsorships, but this truly epic event brought joy and dollars to the local economy, and a tremendous amount of press and airtime for Red Bull.

Overall the event had a positive impact on the snow business in NYC, driving foot traffic into local snow/skate stores and boosting the overall morale in local industry businesses. Red Bull coordinated autograph signings with their riders in various shops such as the Volcom store in Soho, and the main event included booths for local vendors and non-profits such as Stoked Mentoring, a youth development program founded by Steve Larosiliere and Sal Masekela that teaches at risk youth how to ride. Stoked held an on-site raffle with donations from local and national snow/skate businesses such as Launch Snowboards, Brooklyn Surfer, 5boro skateboards, Hella Tight and Corduroy Surf Boutique & Gallery donating goods with all proceeds going directly to the Stoked Mentoring program.

Michael Green, owner of NYC based online shop Brooklyn Surfer stated,” The Snowscrapers event here in NYC has brought a global light to the local brands in a very respectful way. It’s the kind of light, which a small local brand like mine needs during these rough times. I know my company won’t see an increase in immediate sales, but the value it adds to my brand and status in the community is invaluable, and having the opportunity to give back through the Stoked Mentoring project, for me, is the cherry on top. I wish there were more events like this on the East Coast to build equity.”

The infusion of snowboarding in NYC has not only boosted spirits, but has already had a direct impact on retail sales in local stores. Jaki Batton, manager of Burton Soho states, “Our foot count has been significantly higher since the event, and the Burton/Urban Sherpa Bus trips to Hunter Mountain are totally maxed out for the weekend, the buses are totally full! Snowscrapers served as a catalyst reminding everyone that rides to get their gear together and head to the mountains. It created an enthusiasm for all of the folks in the city with dusty gear in their closets. And for those that were exposed to snowboarding for the first time it sparked a curiosity and realization that snowboarding is relevant in urban environments.“

The East Coast domination continued on the competitor side as well.
New Jersey’s own Shayne Pospisil, who started the contest as an alternate after another competitor was unable to compete due to injury, ended up grabbing first place and $50,000 by landing a backside 900 with a clean grab. “It all came together tonight. I landed all my runs,” said Pospisil after being carried away on the shoulders of the crowd. “Having all of my friends and family here is amazing. It’s a dream come true.” Finland’s Torstein Horgmo stuck a frontside 900 tailgrab to steal second place and third place went to another east coaster, New Hampshire’s own Scotty Lago, as he landed a backside 900.

Redbull continues to deliver to the local community through next week. From February 16th-22nd (New York City’s public school vacation week), New York City residents can have their own opportunity to be a pro and ride the Red Bull Snowscrapers ramp. The ramp will be reconfigured into a 3-story skiing and snowboarding mountain right in the heart of NYC’s East River Park. Residents of all ages are welcome, and experts can bring their own equipment and shred on the freestyle features. An additional 150-foot long snow flume will also be on-site for sledding. Demo snowboards and sleds will be available on-site free of charge for beginners. Both the Red Bull Snowscrapers ramp and the snow flume will be open from 11:00am-4:00pm daily and are free to the public.