Skiers gear up for Throwdown at Showdown

• THROWDOWN AT SHOWDOWN
• Feb. 13-14. Signups at 8:30 a.m., competition at 11.
• Showdown Ski Area, Neihart
• Cost: $15

For more than 10 years, Showdown Ski Area has been giving skiers and snowboarders the opportunity to see who has the best jump skills on the mountain with its Throwdown at Showdown event.

Sponsored by Carnahan’s Towing and Napa Auto Parts, the competition takes place over two days, Feb. 13 and 14. The first day, skiers vie for the biggest air coming off what Showdown calls the “waterfall.”

“That’s exactly what it sounds like,” events coordinator A.J. Korslien said. “It’s a really big jump, and lots of cool tricks are done off that.”

For the second day of competition, skiers again take on the waterfall, followed by two runs through each of Showdown’s two parks. On both days, competitors are judged on amplitude, trick difficulty and style.

Participants are split into categories – ages 12 and younger, 13 to 17 and 18 and older – and prizes include four snowboards and four pairs of skis as well as many smaller items.

The entry fee is $15 and includes lunch. Skiers younger than 18 must have a legal guardian’s permission to participate. Helmets are recommended, and Korslien says inverted aerials are discouraged but not prohibited.

Sign-ups take place in the Showdown ticket office from 8:30 to 11 a.m. each day, and participants can practice from 9:30 until 11 a.m. when the competition begins.

“We actually have a little more spectator area this year,” Korslien said, “so it’ll be an improved view for anyone who wants to come up and watch it.”

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Traci Rosenbaum at 791-1490. Follow her on Twitter @GFTrib_TRosenba.

THE ESSENTIALS

What: Throwdown at Showdown

When: Feb. 13-14. Sign-ups at 8:30 a.m., competition at 11.

Where: Showdown Ski Area, Neihart

Cost: $15