Driving up towards Mt. Baker, there will probably always be that back-to-basics feeling upon eyeing up the small gated cabin communities of Maple Falls and Glacier. Heck, some boarders claim that the definition of a pimp in Glacier is the dude sending the biggest airs, yet living life like he's the biggest dirtball around - most locals have a penchant for investing in nothing more than ghetto hoopties as long as it gets them to the hill and back, while holding down a job is as probable as getting a steady girlfriend. Gone are the big-name stores, fancy nightclubs, and other benign obsessions like high-tech devices that far too many can't seem to live without - there is no internet service or cell-phone usage in these small towns that lead up to the hill. Further more, don't be surprised to see old-school boarders like JF Pelchat and photographer Chad Chomlack parked in an RV outside the lodge for the weekend. Perhaps the best part of being cut off from the rest of society and being part of the LBS is that once you get here, you're surrounded by nothing but good vibes while chilling with the people that made snowboarding what it is today.

Annie Boulanger, in the start gate.

Maelle Ricker.

Cruising around with her big, white, hairy dog, Suggen, during the handplant contest - a new element of contest coolness added to this weekend going down outside the new Raven Lodge after the salmon bake on day two - Maelle Ricker was enthusiastic about seeing all the girls that she doesn't get to see throughout the season and mentioned how stoked she is to stay with a nice family near Glacier, right on the river, with some of her boardercross friends. "This is my first trip to Baker this year," she admitted, "but it definitely won't be the last." Not many females can touch Ricker's time; heck, neither can most guys when you look at the finals and realize her time is .24 of a second behind first-place men's pro master Mark Fawcett's. Ricker could easily race men's pro, so obviously she qualified first on day one, day two, and took home her sixth gold duct tape in the finals.

Travis Rice.

As for the guys, Travis Rice was blasting out of the start shack day one and two, hot off his win at Red Bull's Supernatural, just pummeling down the course. On day two, Rice was qualified for first place in front of Temple Cummins, Josh Dirksen and nearly one second in front of Terje Haakonsen. It was probably not a good idea for Haakonsen to jib the fence and bounce back into the course going into the rollers towards the bottom that day - just saying. However, on the final day, where riders get the best of two runs for their fastest time, Rice could not hold down a solid run (DQ'ing for both) and Haakonsen ended up back on the podium in first place after taking a few year hiatus from straight up killing it - apparently coming back to Baker pretty much every year to race in the LBS does something to up your strategic game.

Dom Vallee.

For her first time in the comp, Dom Vallee landed herself fourth overall for women's pro, and while she's stoked on her handmade First Nation's blanket, she is now eyeing up the hand-tooled national rodeo belt buckle (valued at $700, yet priceless in most shred's minds), the raven sculpture, the embroidered Carhartt jacket, and especially the duct tape trophies. "It was so hard getting in," said Vallee, "but I want to keep coming back every year." Helen Schettini, another first-time racer, agreed, adding, "This was the best event I've ever been to. The entire shred community, from legends to rookies, were there enjoying the crazy course and the company of everyone around. If Travis Rice fell, it's OK that I did too."

All photos: Natalie Langmann

(keep reading for more on the Canadian contingent at the LBS)