Words and Photos by Benjamin Classen
Each year towards the end of the season the snow starts to leave us for the year and we all get our sad faces on for a summer job, pick up our skate boards, or head up to camps. However, the shred still happens in the higher elevations and Idaho is no exception. For the past 7 years a group of shred vet’s head to a high corner of Idaho to remember their friend, Carson Ianson, who passed away in 2002. Since the guys Carson grew up riding with in the 90’s still shred harder than most shop kids can on their best day, the most appropriate way to memorialize him is to hold a contest at the quarter pipe spot they’ve been holding down for nearly 20 years. The QP gets pushed up each year as well as other mini-shred features such as a trash can tap and a few rails, using tools from Planet Snow Tools. A good number of the “old dudes” now work in the industry and bring along plenty of product for prize packages for those who huck their meat with the most style. I can attest the proper methods that were snapped off and the sweet air that was grabbed. Pretty fun for a hand built feature if I may say so. I interviewed Corey McDonald, the contest organizer, about what goes down each year and shot a few photos for you to enjoy, so please do.
What's your name and what do you do?
Corey McDonald I work for Planet Snow Tools building parks and event venues in the winter, and in the summer I’m the On Hill Manager/Head Digger at High Cascade Snowboard Camp.
Who is Carson D. Ianson?
Carson was my best friend and just an all around kick ass person who had a pretty crazy outlook on life that really made people gravitate towards him. He was the guy I grew up snowboarding with (along with all the adventures that go along with that). Carson moved to SF the summer I got married and was doing some pretty killer stuff down there. He then died in Thailand in 2002.
Why did you start a jam session/contest in his name?
We used to snowboard up at the memorial spot a bunch since I think 92 or so and a year or so before he moved away we always talked about how rad it would be to do a contest up there with all our friends. Carson later threw my Bachelor party up there in 1998 at the same camp spot we have the party and awards at still. After he died I just decided we should do the comp and make it a memorial for him and get all of our friends together to ride and campout. We have been doing it ever since. 7 years is a pretty good run for a snowboard related event but it being a memorial for our friend its always going to happen.
Why did you pick the spot you did?
That spot is where we always finish out the season in Idaho super sick terrain and snow into July as well as the reasons I mentioned in the last question.
Who do you invite each year?
I really just invite all my old friends and the local shredders usually catch word and show up a lot of them who never even knew Carson but they show up and help out which is pretty killer. Lots of people show up who don’t even snowboard they just come to support and be with old friends in a pretty amazing place.
Who else that was directly friends with Carson showed up this year?
Lots, Dustin Johnson who has helped me with every memorial so far and really I couldn’t do it without his help. So him and Jeff Tulloch, who was me and Carson’s biggest influence in the shred world. Dustin Hawkins came up from SLC, Doug Harper and Rory Mehen came down from Sun Valley which was rad. We grew up riding with those two and Doug is one of the best natural shredders I’ve ever seen! Lots of others too: Preston, Matt, and Carson’s Mom Kim etc. etc. Not as many as in years previous because of not being able to lock down the date earlier but still a good amount.
There is a lot of history in snowboarding from both this contest and Boise, ID in general. I'm thinking specifically of the guys who used to hit up a lot of now very popular spots such as the Mt. Baker Road Gap. Do you still see the influence of those early days in your riding and the current riding going down in Idaho each year?
Oh for sure! Jeff Tulloch is the dude your talking about and he is still killing at and is a huge influence on the Idaho shred scene Mike Hatchett sent me the footage of Jeff hitting the Baker gap from 88 and it is so amazing that he tried that on that set up! It’s in a couple local movies (Big City Kids and Raising Idaho)
Who is up and coming from Idaho that we should keep an eye out for?
Parker Duke for sure! I took him down to Super Park this year and he went bananas! Him and AJ Ogden are both up and coming kids that are killing it they both dig with me up at HCSC in the summer so their skills and tans get stellar!
Why do you continue to hold this event year after year?
I just feel Carson would be stoked on it and I love getting my friends together once a year to hang out and shred and just have a good time. It also hopefully brings our little Idaho scene together a little young and old. Boise kids McCall kids and Sun Valley kids growing up knowing each other and riding together is a pretty sweet thing in my eyes.
