Photos: Josh Stansfield

The thundering waters of Niagara Falls provided the perfect backdrop for the latest installment of the Red Bull Butter Cup Contest Series. With several successful stops gracing the east coast this season, what better to compliment these prior events than a summer event, at Snow Park Niagara. 50 of the top amateur riders in the country descended on the venue, with heavy hitters such as Shaun Murphy, Ricky Beuler, the Mindich brothers, Forest Bailey, and Tim Humphreys all joining the mix. This was by no means your typical rail jam, as these riders were testing their creativity, and technical skills all in an effort to bag the $2,500 first prize. With 80-degree temps greeting the riders for practice, it became evident who the favorites would be throughout the event. Riders like Scott Kuchinski, WNY local Frank Knab, and 11-year-old Kyle Mack from the Midwest were all powering through their runs. Sparta, New Jersey’s favorite sons Kade Madsen, and Matt Bothfeld were also dropping hammers as the sun set on the event. Four qualifying heats, and two semi-final rounds later, the stage was set for what would be an epic final. Shaun Murphy, Forest Bailey, Kyle Mack, Brandon Honeycutt, Hans Mindich, Scott Kuchinski, Tim Humphreys, and Rickey Beuler, all earned their spot in this ridiculous final. For twenty minutes, these riders slugged it out, with Murphy and Humphreys emerging and the clear front-runners, dropping banger after banger. The judges had their work cut out for them, but once the dust settled, the results were in: 1st Place – Tim Humphreys $2,500 2nd Place – Shaun Murphy $1,000 3rd Place – Forest Bailey $500 4th Place – Hans Mindich $250 5th Place – Ricky Beuler $250 Best Trick – Forest Bailey $500 Special thanks to the sponsors, Oakley, Burton Snowboards, Holiday Valley Resort, Red Bull, Snow Magic, and of course Snow Park Niagara for pulling out all the stops and providing one of the best summer event venues the east coast has ever seen.