Matts Kulisek and Megan Ginter Win First Ever

RIDE Shakedown U.S.A.

Seattle (March 13, 2010) – On Day 2 of the RIDE Shakedown U.S.A., Old Man Winter made his presence known once again, sending even more snow to the already generously snowy Summit at Snoqualmie, located 45 minutes from Seattle.  Even with the amassing of flakes, neither the crowds nor the competitors were deterred, and the semi-finals got underway in this inaugural year of the premier international snowboarding event and competition. 

A total of 17 men and 5 women embraced the weather and had blizzardy good times ‘boarding in the semi-final of the RIDE Shakedown.  The weather made visibility more challenging for riders, as well as slowing the pace of the competition somewhat – even delaying the final big event.  In the end though, nothing could stop RIDE Shakedown U.S.A.’s action from continuing!

First place in the RIDE Shakedown U.S.A. was scooped up by Ville Mont-Royal’s (Quebec, Canada) Matts Kulisek.  The 24 year-old wins $12,000 for his Fronside 9 tailgrab on the jump and his halfcab 180 50/50 on the down rail.  Kulisek is no stranger to the RIDE Shakedown – in Canada in 2008 he won the amateur event and in 2009 finished in second place in the pro category. Kulisek was definitely stoked about his big win, “This is so amazing! This $12,000 is going to solve a lot of problems. I’ve been hurting around my ribs so I didn’t really expect too much tonight. Everything seemed to go down really well here at Summit. There was a little problem with the weather but they sorted it out and I can only imagine this event is going to be even better next year.”  Manuel Diaz (Santiago, Chile) took second place and earned himself a $3,000 paycheck.  The 27 year-old winner of yesterday’s amateur competition once again impressed judges, this time with a backside 7 mute on the jump, and a frontside 360 nose bunk on the totem pole.  Cruising into third place was E-Man Anderson from Whistler, B.C. Canada; at his very first RIDE Shakedown, the 24 year-old wins $2,000 thanks to a run with a switch backside 7 mute on the jump, and a switch frontside 5-0 on the down rail. 

In the women’s competition, first place went to Carnation, WA’s Megan Ginter.  A backside 360 on the jump and bunk transfer on the totem pole made this 23 year-old’s first-ever RIDE Shakedown U.S.A. a memorable one – she also scores herself $5,000.  “I’m really stoked that there is a RIDE Shakedown in the United States now - and especially at one of my home resorts here at Summit at Snoqualmie. I’m excited to see how many people came out because it’s definitely going to get bigger and better every year,” enthused Ginter.  She also promised that you haven’t seen the end of her yet, “You’ll also definitely see me up at Saint Sauveur in Quebec. That will be my first time at the Canadian Shakedown so I’m super excited to see how that goes!”  Hana Beaman of Salt Lake City, Utah once again graced the podium at RIDE Shakedown Canada.  Last year the 27 year-old won the Canadian competition; this year she scored second place and $3,000 in prize money.  In third place was Boulder Colorado’s Megan Whiteside; at 22 years old, she too is already a RIDE Shakedown veteran – she took second place in the Canadian event last year, this year third gets her a spot on the podium and $2,000 in cash. 

Blue Thunder Marching Band – Old Man Winter’s Favourite!

The accumulation of 14 inches of new powder at the Summit at Snoqualmie in the last 48 hours forced the cancellation of RIDE Shakedown’s Halftime show.  The Halftime show unleashes skateboarders on the ramps to show snowboarders how it’s done in the summertime, but the wintery conditions rendered the undertaking far too dangerous this time around. 

Marching in to save the day was Seattle’s own world-renown Blue Thunder Marching Band, heralding the debut of the finals, and leading the way to the event course.  Their brilliant musicianship enthused the crowd and competitors alike, giving the RIDE Shakedown some local color and great energy heading into a thrilling and competitive final featuring international, world-class snowboarding talent.

Brendan O’Dowd, president of DIZZLE Entertainment and co-organizer of the RIDE Shakedown was pleased with the first-ever U.S. edition of the RIDE Shakedown.  “More than 3000 people were at RIDE Shakedown (Friday and Saturday), so that’s a great start!  We’re absolutely coming back to the Summit at Snoqualmie next year!”

In 2011, RIDE Shakedown will already be celebrating its 10^th anniversary - but 2010's fun isn't even over yet.  Tune in April 2-3 for more RIDE Shakedown action when the competition heads to Quebec, Canada's Mont Saint Saveur.   Canadian maple may be sweet, but the skills you'll see there will be even sweeter still - without the cavities.  See you there!

About RIDE Snowboards

For passionate snowboard enthusiasts of all ages, Ride represents an uncompromised, fun-at-all-costs approach to life. Founded in Redmond, Washington, in late 1992, Ride hit the market with a vision - to create a snowboard company for the people, built upon technical innovation, superior quality and living the dream. Today, based in Seattle, Ride continues to stay true to its original goals. For Ride, it’s not about being the biggest; it’s about being the best at what they do. For the latest on the 2009/10 Collection, visit www.RideSnowboards.com. 

DIZZLE Entertainment, architects of the RIDE Shakedown

The two founders and partners of DIZZLE Entertainment, Brendan O’Dowd and Patryck Bernier, have been providing event-oriented design, marketing and management services since 2004. Over time, they have added to these. They now provide services as athletes’ agents and consultants on the design and creation of snowboard parks. For additional information, go to: www.dizzleinc.com and www.rideshakedown.com

–      30 –

Material: Photos and videos available on the Website (Press room section http://shakedown.ca/files/index.php , username: user, password: shaking) at www.rideshakedown.com or upon request.

Source:                     DIZZLE Productions Inc., www.rideshakedown.com 

For information:      Ryan Hayter, Hayter Communications

                                  360-602-0004, ryan@hayterpr.com

RIDE Shakedown (Canada):     Josiane Bétit, PR Director

                                                  514-831-0276, josiane@shakedown.ca