Riding with the pros at Killington

KILLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - It’s not too often folks get the chance to snowboard with pros. Unless, of course, you live in our region, where it’s an annual affair. Reporter Adam Sullivan busted out his board for the Red Bull Slide-In Tour’s stop at Killington’s Woodward Peace Park.

For Zeb Powell, an X Games gold medalist and Stratton Mountain School alum, it was a homecoming. “It’s great to be back in Vermont. This is the old stomping ground for sure,” Powell said.

The Red Bull Slide-In Tour started five years ago as a way for fans of the sport to interact with the best of the best in a non-competitive format.

“That is why you are here today, you have fans who love you. And it is just kind of in my nature. I can’t just not say, ‘Hey’ to fans,” Powell said.

“I mean, Slide-In Tour is really special because it engages the local community,” said Maggie Leon of Burlington. The engineer helps design boards for Burton and is riding on this year’s tour, which will be at Killington through Sunday.

“Everyone can ride together no matter your skill set, no matter what type of riding you like to do. You can just take some laps, get out there and have some fun,” Leon said.

Snowboarders like Teddy Pupilla. “It has me stoked,” Pupilla said. The Vermont law School student says riding with the pros makes him better. “It’s really great getting to see what they are throwing down out here. It really helps motivate you to want to send it and go big,”

And the professionals will tell you, if you can ride on the East Coast, you can ride anywhere. “I think it makes you harder. It makes you a better snowboarder. You are able to endure more,” Powell said.

As for the conditions, there is still tons of snow at Killington and mountain officials say the Red Bull tour kicks off a full slate of spring events.

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