Travis Parker, getting loose and limber around one of the tight Derby turns.

Well, the 3rd annual Dirksen Derby has come and gone. If you weren’t there, better luck next time. If you were, how fun was that!!! For the last three years, Josh Dirksen has thrown a miniature Baker Banked Slalom type event up at his home mountain of Mt. Bachelor. The event was created for two reasons. First, was to have as much fun as you can on a snowboard, and second was to raise money for Tyler Eklund, a fellow shredder who took a hard slam a few years ago severely injuring his neck, resulting in the loss of body movement from the neck down.

This years course was 100% hand built by Josh and friends and featured 12 vertical banked turns and a even a 10-foot double. There was also a “green line” down the course, which was the more all-natural course of about 9 turns made for anyone else who wanted to take the easy style way down. In true NW fashion, the wind and snow picked up the day of the contest, which always makes for challenging course conditions.

174 snowboarders, sit skiers, skiers and split boarders showed up to donate $25 bucks for Tyler and wait in line for upwards of an hour and a half for a run down the 30-second or so low pitch, but high speed course. When the dust settled over $5000 dollars was raised for Tyler and and a great time was had by all in attendance. So next year when you hear rumors of a 4th annual Dirksen Derby, make sure to mark your calendar and get ready to go fast down the slowest and most fun course you’ve ever shredded.

And a big thanks to Bonfire/Salomon, Dakine, Scott, Sideffect snowboard shop, Exit, Skjersaa’s, Parrilla, Rebound Physical Therapy, Deck Tech and Oregon Adaptive Sports for sponsoring and donating prizes to help make this event a success.

Words and Photos Abe Blair www.blindmanphotos.com

100% hand dug hippy shiz. Josh and Fabienne banking up one of the berms.

Dirksen hand carving up 1 of the 22 trophies that was given away during the event.

Note: no new gloves were harmed during the making of the trophies.

174 competitors x $25 + donations = over $5000 raised for Tyler!

Derby champion Curtis Ciszek riding low and taking chances.

An eager racer ready to take on the Derby course.

For Gabe Ferguson, going fast is just how he rides. Here he is successfully defending his Grom title.

The Sit-Skiers showed up in full force to post some fast, clean runs.

Sit-skier Gary Crosswater rallied down the course for a third place finish

Randy Torcom doing his best to win one of the Dakine glove trophies.

The Dirksen Derby is an equal opportunity event. Here we have Eric Pollard filming his winning run in the Token Skier division.

Filmer and all around shredder Trent Ludwig getting ready for some G-forces.

Photographer Liam Galliger ditching the camera bag and getting a piece of the action.

Donny Stevens picking up speed around the third turn.

Mens Champions. L to R: Curtis Ciszek (26.72 seconds), Logan Beaulieu (27.01), and Adam Haynes (27.12).

Groms: L to R: Jake Selover (31.40 seconds), Gabe Ferguson (30.12), and Landon Caldwell (31.70)

Ashley Thorton won this years Golden Boot Award. The recipient of this boot receives an entry into the Legedary Baker Banked.

Womens Champions (L to R): Shelly Ciszek (30.49 seconds), Ann Jackson (32.62), Ashley Thorton (31.56)

Tyler Eklund competed in and won the Dirksen Derby’s first ever Quad Sit-Ski division with a time of 69.87 seconds.