12th Hawaiian Classic largest ever

The core supporters of the Nate Chute Hawaiian Classic were still there, but it was a new crop of snowboarders who pushed this year’s event into new territory.

More than 130 snowboarders came out for the 12th annual boarder cross and banked slalom last weekend at Whitefish Mountain Resort, marking the most racers ever in attendance.

“What has always been a grassroots event is growing into something bigger,” Jason Forrest, the resort’s event productions supervisor, said. “It’s always been about remembering Nate Chute and the guys who knew Nate, and as long as those guys keep showing up, the race stays alive.”

However, Forrest noted, a number of new riders from across the region amped up the competition this year. Snowboarders from Canada, Washington, Oregon and across Montana traveled to Big Mountain for the weekend-long event. Local snowboarders came out in droves, too.

“It’s starting to garner regional and national attention in the snowboard world,” Forrest said.

Hugh Black won the men’s open division with a combined low score of five points. Ty Bacon was second with 10 points, and Chase Matteson took third with 18.

Sarris McComb won the women’s open with the lowest possible score of two points. Rosellen Munroe came in second, and Anna Bengtson was third.

The open winners split a $3,500 purse.

Nearly every racer who competed in the boarder cross on Sunday commented on how fun and smooth the course rode. Since the resort committed to building a boarder cross course on the Goat Haunt slope early in the season, Forrest said, they’ve been able to host multiple events and tweak the features to make it a “world-class course.”

“We were able to increase the cadence this year,” Forrest said. “Whereas before there was one feature, this year there were three. It’s faster, quicker, with more passing opportunities.”

The award ceremony following the boarder cross on Sunday drew about 250 people, where friends shared memories and talked about the reasons the Hawaiian Classic was started.

“It’s about friends and having someone to talk to when you’re feeling down,” Forrest said. “That will always be the driving force behind the event.”

Men’s open division

Hugh Black 5

Ty Bacon 10

Chase Matteson 18

Matt Sadler 20

Tyler Roe 20

Andrew Bassett 26

Women’s open division

Sarris McComb 2

Rosellen Munroe 4

Kylie Jugan 3

Anna Bengtson 6

Jennifer Smith 8

Kaili Hagen 8

Anya Shawback 9

Mindy Cochran 10

Michele Calabretta 11

Simone Bourassa 12

Katie Talda 14

Lindley Couser 17

Am Men 21-plus

Craig Kuzma 1

Kyrykas Pitaouls 2

Cheyne Shoultz 3

CJ Page 6

Jay Dobbins 6

Cache Gibbons 9

Scott Alsbury 10

Michael Over 11

Brittan Ellingson 12

Jeremy Carnagey 12

Noah Couser 12

Kyle Mosseldt 13

Michael Patterson 14

Benjamin Wilson 16

Bill Braski 20

Baylan Connolly 2

Chance Ling 5

Lyle Rhodes 7

Cody Ling 9

Cody Page 12

Dylan Parr 12

Ryan Heavirland 14

Sam Vitek 14

Dillon Sleichter 15

Haeden Eaton 21

Hunter Garbacz 21

Ryan Conway 23

Am Women

Brandi Bryan 2

Bailey Eaton 6

Tara Nelson 6

Reilly Holland 9

Harmonee Johnson 10

Cherstin Ling 11

Lauren Kientz 16

Rachael Ashby 17

Allison Linville 18

Amiee Bartel 20

Grom men

Cole Maxwell 2

Kyle Thomsen 4

Timothy Amish 10

Logan Morley 9

Ethan Lannaghan 9

Jared Welch 14

Braeden Ortt 10

Dylan Rozenbloom 18

Christian Langston 19

Liam Mulla 11

Grom Women

Makena Morley 2

Delaney Connor 4