The most logical place to begin this story is to tell you the who, what, when, where, and why. Halldór and Eiki Helgason, Sage Kotsenburg, Kevin Backstrom, Tor Lundstrom, Mark Wiitanen, Diggles, myself, and various others careened across Europe in an RV to premiere Dayumm, Island Born, and Vacation Forever. I joined the madness beginning in Grenoble for the Snow Garden Festival, then went to Innsbruck, Prague, Budapest, and finally Kraków. Shortly after meeting up with the guys upon my arrival in Europe, Halldór mentioned “winning the night.”

A win derives from rogue actions taken in moments when they are least expected.

The concept of “winning the night” comes from the game’s unintentional creator, Halldór Helgason. The only rule of winning the night is there are absolutely no rules. In fact, a true winner understands that the more dire the circumstance, the more rich an opportunity to capture the win. What starts as a bad decision to order a spicy kabob, could end in a game-winning dookie in the middle of a dark eastern European street. For starters, I do not want to give the impression that a win is constituted by the amount of alcohol consumed. A win derives from rogue actions taken in moments when they are least expected. It could be argued that “winning the night” is more of a sport than snowboarding itself. It involves inventive strategy, endurance, and several players.

Here’s what you need to know:

Photography by Ryan “Diggles” Scardigli

All wins are created equal

For storytelling purposes, there are certainly varying degrees of winning. One competitor shaving another’s ass at 5:00am in front of everyone will, of course, be remembered more than a night with no distinct winner. This encourages one-upmanship—an element that promotes an unpredictable nature to the game. Alas, when the tour is over, it’s the total number of wins that will get you the overall victory. Your prize? Bragging rights, bruises, shame, glory, and potential liver pains.

Authenticity is key

The harder you try, the less likely you are to win. A winner is truly named when their actions are removed from what a normal person could comprehend. To some, this comes easy. Others never stood a chance.

An iron stomach is mandatory

Every eastern European country has it’s own disgusting licorice flavored liquor. It is often forced upon you alongside incoherent yells translating to “cheers.” As the taste of said alcohol is universally agreed upon (by the group) to be disgusting, it is strangely helpful in settling your stomach. The more you drink, the stronger your chances of winning.

Spa day is life

In all likeliness, the spa day will do nothing to directly get you a win, but it is a necessary break from the insanity. Popular activities include screaming in the ice bath, and the deadman’s float in the hot tub.

The trouble with time travel

The movies at these tour stops began anywhere between 10:00 pm – 12:am. After that, there was an afterparty that can be thought of as the battleground. Considering these nights could go as late as 5:00 am, and the bus left for the next city around 7:00 am, one way to recover is to sleep the day away on the bus. This can be helpful for obvious reasons, but it could also prevent you from getting the win should you sleep too long. Bus time is essential for antics, and nothing says victory-building like hiding Smirnoff Ices under black leather cushions.

The irony of it all

The most important topic of discussion, is that the line between winning and losing is non-existent. Arguably, the two words are interchangeable in this game. If Halldór won at 6:28am with a final act of insanity, he is now the loser from 6:29 onward. The moment someone has decidedly won, the person who is least fucked up, and furthest from winning is officially closest to winning the next day. Therefore, once you win you lose, and once you’ve officially lost, you are winning.

The winner of the tour

Halldór. Honestly, none of use even had a chance.

Watch DAYUMM, the full movie from Sage Kotsenburg and Halldór Heglason

Watch the official trailer for Island Born from Eiki Helgason

Watch the official trailer for Vacation Forever from BYNDxMDLS