Motherland Stomp Day 6 - Whitefish, MT

I woke up once again with the sunrise and the birds singing. It only seems right to wake up that way when you go to sleep the same. As the sun was setting I began to hear the most wonderful songs of birds. I am not a hippie or anything but if you heard this shit you would be very moved as well. I really think it was a Magpie Or maybe it was just some odd singing bird but this thing was amazing. It was singing at at least three octaves at once. They seem to warble like a harmonica and the scale is off the scale, I have no idea and and never heard this in the wild before. I did hear a piece on NPR about them before, being mythical birds. In the dark ages, people thought they were the songs of fairys. Well, anyway it was cool.


So, after a great night of sleep in the cool mountain air I packed up and descended into town. I ate at this little place called the Red Kaboose in Whitefish. It was a good place to eat but a bit pricey. Calabro always would talk about Whitefish as such a great town and it was a poor ski town... But it has changed now. A friend from Missoula said they call it little Aspen now.


The town is still great and I wish I could live there but it is just getting over run with fancy vacation resorts and Rich people... That always messes it up for the locals and the average thrill seekers like myself. Bummer.

But the town itself is great, lots of places to eat and bars (if you are into that) and incredible beauty all around. It is supposed to be an incredible place to snowboard but you did not hear it from me.

I rolled into the skatepark around 7:30am while it was still cool out. I like to get in early to avoid the crowds and get a feel of the park without running into groms. It is also good to avoid the heat. The only drawback is that I really don't start to shred until 10am. I can't skate early, it just doesn't work for me. But I am enjoying the quiet time to fart around on the street course and take photos... I do need to get more skating pics though so I am trying...



This was a big milestone for the trip because Whitefish is the first park I am hitting that was on that free Indy Northwest video that was out last summer. Some of you might be familiar with it. Check the vid and you'll see. These guys are so rad. I made the mistake of watching it in the parking lot. I was trying to get hyped up but when I actually got in that bowl I realized well, this is why they ride for Indy and I don't. Those dudes are freakin' RAD.


So as I walk up to the park I immediately get chills. The train started coming into town just like in the vid, that in itself is an amazing experience. So cool!! The park is flawless! It is one of the best parks I have ever ridden and certainly one of most creative works of art. There are so many features here. I could never see anyone complain because it has everything. The euro-gap has a boulder that you have to 360 flip over (Good for DR TAE). There is a wallride to metal parking block (Good For SPENCER) and all kinds of stuff for Streetcourse TIM on it too so you guys should have come!!!! The pyramid gets started off with a 8' vert quarter pipe - (I want one) and ends with a 8' Burnside bank that has two 4' bowled Q-pipes that flank both ends..





There is a crazy tight little quarter pipe on top of a waterfall which is fun as hell. In the rear of the park there is a bank area with all kinds of shutes and ladders that you roll up and down on and crazy sculpted concrete to pump over, grind, ollie, you name it. The coolest thing is this long shoot that sends you up this tall bank with another boulder that you ride up and tail block on. SOOOO GOOD>




So getting to the bowls, yes there are two of them again! We have a small flat walled bowl that is a bit annoying at first. Just because I am so sick of flat walled bowls like Northbrook and the flow bowl at Wilson - well this one is actually done right!! The transitions are tight and have a bit of vert on them and the metal coping is that rad Grindline big stuff. None of that galvanized 2" shit they put on all the bowls in IL. It is big ass black coping that lets you know when you grind it. I like that - there is nothing worse than having waxed up slick shit coping that makes you feel like a roller blader. Good luck with that.



The lil' bowl is fun though, two hips and a vert extension that is slightly bowled so you can ride it like a pocked or do big lean to tails on it... (if you are mike owen)

Getting to the rad motherfucker' the combi thing- This bowl must be ridden by Mike Owen, this is the one for him. It is so fast and smooth that you actually have to control your speed at first. The shallow is a tight 5' slightly square/round that dumps into a 11' facewall that carves over to what must be 13' on the opposite end is a tight taco that you ride up and is above the big wall. Yes, this is Grindline gnar and I love it. It was all I could do to slash in there but that is why I like these bowls so much. They are so far over my head that it really gets the gnar up. I have no idea how Navarrette does the line he does in there. It just brings on more respect that I have for those dudes.





Everybody must go to Whitefish and ride this park someday - it is a must. The park is a work of art and the scenery is breathtaking. It would be cool to hit this place up when you can skate and snowboard. Best of both worlds.




The only bummer about the whole thing is that there was supposed to be an old man sesh at 10am but only one dude showed up. I was bummed but what can you do. I have yet to have a real sesh in Montana, I must be just missing the rippers or>? It is kinda nice though because I can just take some time to get used to stuff and get about an hour of shred before its time to head to the next one. But I really need some bros out here to get stoked on what they are doing and get hyped enough to do something myself...