Students from colleges all over the West Coast competed for superiority on the slopes of Tahoe on April 12. Skiers and snowboarders from these universities battled each other for hours to see which school could successfully land the best tricks in the competition to achieve bragging rights for a year. Forty-eight teams from 33 schools battled each other for the No. 1 spot for best university in the snow.

Riders competed on an innovative slopestyle course and received points based on style, magnitude, and overall difficulty of tricks performed. In first place, claiming bragging rights as the best in the west, was the University of Nevada, Reno.

The competition, named Snow Warz, was held at the Northstar at Tahoe Resort in Truckee, Calif. From 9 a.m to 4 p.m., while the disc jockey spun his hip-hop vinyl, teams of four to six skiers and snowboarders showed off their best Shifties, Backside Airs, Stale Fishes, Twisters, and Mute Backflips. Some students lost their chance to compete because they weren’t in place when their teams’ time came to show off their sick moves.

“I was bummed I missed the chance to compete. On the first box, I was going to attempt a Backtail and on the slopes I was going to attempt an Air or a Shifty,” said Kevin Mikami, a 21-year-old SF State finance major from Orange County who has been snowboarding for 10 years.

There were six skiers and snowboarders from the Phi Kappa Tal Fraternity who made up the SF State team, Mikami said. Individual skiers and snowboarders went head to head for best trick, best crash of the day and first place for male and female riders.

The top four scores from each team were taken into account, then the top two teams from each heat advanced to the finals, said event officials. Strategy came into play when the teams were asked to select their top two riders to represent them in the final.

“I’m just out here to have a good time and catch some snow — that’s what it’s all about,” said Miko Gordon, skier for SF State and senior recreation leisure studies major from the East Bay.

The competition was sponsored by Red Bull. The warm weather, cowbells, snowball fights and jam session with the Red Bull DJ and mascot chicken made up for our loss while bringing over 40 schools from the west coast together. The weekend was one big party with all expenses paid said Chris Sanders, videographer for Red Bull and sophomore at SF State.

“[SF] State didn't win anything because kids from Reno and Washington do nothing but snowboard,” said Sanders. “Regardless the event was a good time…hopefully next year we can get some talent up there.”