The Contest for Everyone:11th Stop Recap

For the first time during the entire 2016 Vans Hi-Standard Series one standout rider was crowned both MVP and the winner of the big prize in the Van Doren Rail Best Trick. Ryan Linnert took the prestigious titles at the Sierra-At-Tahoe event on Saturday, March 19^th, the last stop of the winter tour, under sunny skies and awesome spring conditions.

“He has the smoothest style and board control of any participant we've seen on tour this season,” says series project manager, Ryan O’Dowd. “This dude should be pro.”

But today was a day for everyone—of all ability levels and as Vans pro Hana Beaman points out—and all ages. After all, the Vans Hi-Standard Series is where style is everything and no spins over a 720 counts so it was bound to bring out everyone for one of the most fun days of the season.

“I was really stoked that there were riders of all ages, literally from six to 60 years old,” says Beaman. “It was super fun to watch everybody trying steezy tricks they could do and even ones they hadn't tried before, and really enjoying themselves up there! It looked like a really fun, progressive jam sesh!”

It was during these jam sessions where Beaman and Vans teammate Nick Pooch helped give out the bulk of the $2,000 in $5-bills to the day’s incredible participants. At the Vans Hi-Standard Series riders are rewarded for performing called tricks, competing more against themselves than anyone else.

Just like every other stop, Saturday’s event featured both a jump and a rail portion of the day. First, a fun big air jam with two different take-offs—a 25- and 45-footer—and second, the fan fave Van Doren Rail Best Trick, where another $500 was up for grabs on a rail section made up of a down-flat-down rail and down tube. The day’s M.V.P. Ryan Linnert gapped to the flat with a Backside lip on the down-flat-down rail for the big money of the day: $300 in the 16 and Overs. And in the 15 and Under division, it was Bill Woodal’s Switch Hardway 270 to 270 out on the down tube that earned him $200.

To show that this series isn’t just for the kids, Chuck Banks took the title of MVP30+ for his consistency throughout the day. And since slams are an important part of any good time, the Worst Bail of the Day went to Brandon Rosales, with the Most Improved Rider award going to Devon Smead.

To add even more creativity to the day, the House of Vans Art Workshop invited participants to create their own custom works of Vans art—on a free pair of white Vans used literally as blank canvases. Local artist Willie Pinella was on hand to lead the crew in their designs and created his own giant Sk8-Hi, which was raffled off to one lucky winner, Wyatt Bucher. Participants Amanda Norton, Denner Orr and Megan King were recognized for their best designs. And everyone at Sierra-At-Tahoe was rewarded for coming out with Vans waffles that were cranked out all day at the Vans tent.

Supported by Transworld Snowboarding and King Snow, the 2016 Vans Hi-Standard series features international stops in the US, Canada, China, Korea and France, and over its entire tour features over $60,000 in cash prizes, pushing riders to show as much creativity and style as possible, while keeping all spins under a 720.