Dave Mirra is one of the many action sports athletes to take his skills to the world of rally racing once age kind of settled in and the thought of slamming on a bicycle becomes less and less appetizing. He drives for Subaru and did this cool little commercial.

Words & photos: Julie Weinberger

It's a blustery, cloudy Sunday and 27 big mountain skiers are lined up at the base of Mackenzie Face in Revelstoke, BC for heli rides to the knife-edge top. This isn't some kind of photo shoot or guide course, but rather the finals of the Canadian Freeskiing Championships, stop two on the Freeskiing World Tour.

Prior to getting this rare contest opportunity, skiers endured two days of competition followed by a weather hold on Saturday. Qualification day was on the Separate Reality venue. While the venue lacked in options, skiers did not fail to get creative and jibby, separating the field for the following day's World Tour kick-off on neighboring North Bowl. This venue was chock full of options, letting skiers pick what kind of terrain suited their skiing best, from billy-goating to high-speed and open.


Jess McMillan launches one in North Bowl

From there, the field was cut yet again to get to 27, with Chopo Diaz and Janina Kuzma at the top. The fields are so deep these days that just six tenths of a point separated the cut off mark at 20 with the guy who finished 26th.



Caleb Mullen

With weather rolling in, contest coordinators were making haste, hoping to avoid using the Sunday weather spot. But, Mother Nature had other ideas. As athletes, spectators and event staff gathered by Mackenzie Face, the wind, snow and low rolling clouds left everyone wondering if the final would take off.



Hanging out, waiting for the clouds to lift enough to see the top.


Jess McMillan, who came into the final in second place, took the win, easily sending the biggest air out of the women. Jacqui Edgerly, in third place after Friday, came in a close second, skiing the middle line and hitting a double stager. She was the only skier to choose that line. In her first big mountain event ever, Angel Collinson took third place and the North Face Young Gun award. Day one's leader, Janina Kuzma had a bobble in her run, throwing her out of contention.

Then, it was time for the 20 men to hit the face. From fluid, fast lines with few airs to one or two big hitters, we saw it all. Arne Backstrom, Day one's third place finisher, ripped GS turns down the center of the face faster and cleaner than anyone else by a long shot. Backstrom was so fluid, it was tough to tell the difference when his skis were on the ground or in the air. He did not go the biggest, but he was the only skier to hit that middle line. This landed him on top of the podium and with a Sickbird belt buckle. Julian Lopez sent the largest air of day at around 80 feet, landing him in second place while Luke Nelson rounded out the podium in third. Drew Tabke skied a great line on the looker's right side that would have landed him in the top three had he stomped his gigantic bottom air back flip.



Second place finisher Julian Lopez sent this one a good 80 feet from the top of this rock.



Men's Podium


Women's Podium

It was a Great weekend here in Revelstoke, and we can't wait to see what the next stop of the Freesking World tour will hold!

Dennis Enarson has earned the prestigious title of KING of the Animal House. Dave Mirra's invite-only warehouse contest was attended by few (just riders and media) but followed by many. 16 of the world's top riders showed up and put on a performance like none other. Dennis Enarson stole the show with big tricks, unique lines, and I think he tried to touch the ceiling in that place, which is impossible.

On Friday, he took the cash jam by a large margin, earning $1150 all in hundreds and an IOU from Dave Mirra worth $50. The next day he won the whole contest, however, and won the best prize of all... a brand new Subaru WRX! Winning a car is always cool but winning the kind of car Dave Mirra flies through dangerous rally courses is twice as cool!

ph: Mark Losey


What is Dennis going to do with the Subie? Well let's just hope he wears his seat belt and doesn't do any rally maneuvers on the streets and gets pulled over! A teenage boy infatuated by speed and airtime and a car that can provide both. Haha!

Dennis Enarson has climbed his way up the ladder of professional riding and by beating the top names such as Ryan Nyquist, Craig Mast, Daniel Dhers, Harry Main, and more in this event he IS one of the best riders in the world. I think that title may not be on his mind however as he has $1150 to spend and a new Subaru to get insured. How much is insurance for a teenage boy driving a sport performance car?

ph: Mark Losey


Congratulations to Dennis Enarson from his sponsor Nike 6.0! Nobody can wait for the 2010 contest season to see what Dennis can do!

Ladies and gentlemen it is Dennis Enarson! Yes! Dennis Enarson won a brand new Subaru and I couldn't think of a worse person to give it to. Let's just hope Dennis doesn't kill himself in that thing because one thing we know from his riding is that he likes to go fast, and he likes to go high. Dennis also won, by far, the most in the cash jam by putting over a grand in his pocket easily. Everybody else was under a grand.

Ryan Nyquist won second place to earn a Yamaha 250. I think he won by setting a Guinness world record of most truckdrivers in one minute. Craig Mast took third and a ballin' Breitling watch from Monster. Craig kills it of course. Only guy doing flails (frontflip flairs) still? I believe so...

Daniel Dhers in 4th, Guettler in 5th, Darden in 6th, Perry in 7th, Webb in 8th, Maddog in 9th, Jeremiah in 10th, Byron in 11th, Hennon in 12th, HARRY MAIN in 13th, Laird in 14th, Miller in 15th, Wade in 16th only because he injured himself in the cash jam or early the next day or something. He sort of won in my heart though. Dude... is... nuts.

So, I'm not even going to look at my predictions considering how much I failed. However, Harry Main in 13th makes me cry. I don't know what happened. This dude does 900s on baby quarter pipes and flair footjam barspin nonsense that nobody else can do. I seriously thought he was going to win a Subie and be all pissed the steering wheel is on the wrong side!

I know you're not reading this, so let's get to the videos. From Vital and Ride BMX, we have footage...

Thanks to Vital BMX, Dave Mirra runs down the approaching real soon King of the Animal House contest. The warehouse is decked out with some new looks and a hot looking Subie waiting to be grabbed up by some wild contestant. All these filthy, ratty BMX riders are competing for a slick new car or a ballin' new watch to up their game with the ladies. You know it! All the riders are in town now and it's scary to see this much talent in one warehouse. I know we get the best of the best in the X Games and Dew Tour but something feels different. There is a lot more on the line right now.



Predicting results in this contest is just impossible but let me take a CRACK at it...
Remember though, one more guy will be added through a wild card during the cash jam!
And Maddog is replacing Chase Hawk who hurt his shoulder... right?
Drew can't make it, Vince Byron and Chris Hughes are wild cards.

1. Harry Main
2. Daniel Dhers
3. Josh Perry
4. Mark Webb
5. Ryan Guettler
6. Ryan Nyquist
7. Rob Darden
8. Ben Hennon
9. Dennis Enarson
10. Brett Banasieciwuidwiszzz
11. Jeremiah Smith
12. Mike Miller
13. Morgan Wade
14. Craig Mast
15. Mike Laird
16. ?

UGH... That is awful... I'm not going to try to hard on that list because all these guys are going to go NUTS. Reason I give it to Harry Main is because he almost has everything everyone else has. He has big bangers, he has technical trickery, he has style, he has variety. Daniel Dhers is more of a box-jump rider but he is the best at that easily. Josh Perry is slowly climbing up the ranks and I think if he goes 100% he can easily get third.

http://www.mirrabikeco.com/animalhouse/