Secret snowboarding tournament: 2011 Nixon Jibfest hits Northern California after a long break
The latest edition of the Nixon Jibfest has returned after a long hiatus to Northern California. The event has been running since April 26 and will conclude on April 28. As per tradition, the exact location of the event has been kept a secret.
The world is still in the dark regarding the exact list of riders participating in this year’s event even though the tournament is currently going down at its' secret location. 12 exciting snowboarders have been called to the invitation-only event to participate
in this years’ fun snowboarding session.
The minds behind the Nixon Jibfest include some of the biggest names in the snowboarding community. Some of the elites acting as hosts of the event include JP Walker, Jeremy Jones and Dave Downing. Explaining the intended motivation for hosting the event,
Downing said that they wanted to do away with the 'contest' characteristic of the event and basically create an environment and atmosphere where the athletes could really have fun.
The marketing director of Nixon Jibfest, Chad DiNenna, added that the primary objective of the Jibfest is to create an atmosphere where the snowboarders can come out and session with their friends with getting lost in the competitiveness.
When the Jibfest was introduced a decade ago, nobody was quite sure if the jibbing contest would be able to survive and get a good response. However, the idea turned out to be a real success and was widely appreciated. In the years that followed, Mack Dawg
produced a documentary film of the event. The film detailed how the invitees are selected, how the riders make their way to the secret location, what goes down at the location while the session is in progress and also how the course is torn down after the
conclusion of the event to preserve its unique status and secret.
The one-of-a-kind event has earned itself quite an impressive reputation and has remained highly influential in the snowboarding scene.
Talking about the latest edition of the event and its importance, one of the hosts, Walker, said that Jibfest is a reincarnation of something that has meant a lot to many people. The event has given birth to an entire generation of snowboarders that view
jibbing and handrails as one the main aspect of snowboarding.
Another host, Jones, said that the Jibfest needs to return in order to lighten up the atmosphere since snowboarding has suddenly become extremely serious and intense instead of fun. According to him, snowboarding is all about having fun with friends, eating
hot dogs and the riding the snow with a smile on the face instead of feeling stressed.
Simon Chamberlain, one of the riders who had gotten the opportunity to attend the event in the past, said, “It's the most important jib contest out there. It usually has the sickest jibbers in the world, the funnest set-up, and the best formula for a contest:
three days of riding for fun, and that's it.”
The Nixon Jibfest intended to remind everyone what the sport of snowboarding is all about. While the competitive element makes the sport exciting, one should not forget to relax and have fun on the board.
Tags: