Unique Ski Competition Inspired by Red Bull Rampage Returns

Come April, a crowd of talented freeskiers and snowboarders will descend on Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, California, for another iteration of the reimagined Silver Belt competition.

While the modern Silver Belt is going on its second year of existence, the competition has existed in one form or another for decades. It started in 1940 with the Silver Belt Classic, a bruising, off-piste giant slalom competition that required precision and grit. Athletes danced through gullies and chutes, all while riding the long, wooden skis of yesteryear. The event was revived twice after its initial conclusion in 1975. Then, last winter, with the help of local freeskier Xander Guldman, the Silver Belt got another fresh coat of paint, returning to life as a unique athlete judged freeride competition.

Guldman, who received support from Sugar Bowl's President and CEO Bridget Legnavsky, envisioned a ski event that drew inspiration from, in part, Red Bull Rampage, a mountain biking competition. Instead of digging through the dirt, though, organizers constructed jumps and features with snow, enhancing the Silver Belt’s natural venue. Then, the competitors threw down, hitting cliffs and throwing flips. By all counts, it was one heck of a show that let athletes flex their creative muscles.

“She gave us a blank canvas to make the coolest event that we wanted,” Guldman said of Leganvsky during a conversation with POWDER last spring.