SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – The Gallivan Center lit up on Saturday, November 3rd when thousands of winter enthusiasts gathered at Ski Utah’s 2nd annual Fat Flake Festival. The event was kicked off with the first ever Fat Flake Festival Monster Rail Jam. A 14-foot high start platform and in-run will led to a "butter wedge" to a down box, provided by Park City Mountain Resort, and a 37-foot “volcano” box (a battleship with a slightly concave plateau), provided by The Canyons. The venue was covered with snow from Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon resorts. Athletes engaged in fierce and highly entertaining competition much to the audience delight. When all was said and done, judges Aaron Bittner, Kimmy Fasani and Pep Fujas crowned MC Waryas as the best female ski athlete and Kyler Cooley best male. Alicia Trujillo won best female snowboard athlete and Zak Hale best male. Each winner was awarded with $800, a bag from Dakine and a year supply of Monster energy drink.
In addition to the Rail Jam competition, many people held their breath to find out the winners of the 2007 Ski & Ride Utah Photo Contest. The awards were presented by POWDER magazine senior editor Derek Taylor. Photographer Adam Clark won best ski photograph for his photo of skier Ben Wheeler in the Alta Backcountry. Photographer Justin L’Heureux was awarded best snowboard photograph for his photo of rider Drew Fuller in Weber Canyon, UT. Each photographer was awarded $1,000.
Perhaps the most coveted prize to be won was the ‘80s ski outfit contest. Despite numerous radical and worthy outfits, Wendell Whiting blew the competition away with over whelming crowd support. Whiting said he had great confidence in his outfit since it was actually what he wore 20 years ago. Whiting was awarded his choice of Rossignol skis and bindings, an Eider jacket, a Smith helmet and a Utah resort season pass.
Music by the Spazmatics and DJ Knucklz kept crowds dancing with their high energy grooves. Resorts handed out swag, passes and prizes. The Fat Flake Festival might be over but winter is just around the corner. “After the amazing support shown by our local population on Saturday, there is no doubt that this will be another exceptional winter,” said Nathan Rafferty, Ski Utah president about the event. “It is really wonderful to see people come together and celebrate Utah’s amazing winter season.”
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