Scoring with the Shady Crew 

In the 2010s, we used to put on a helltrack, BMX-style banked slalom at Mt. Hood in the summer, called the Rat Race. A Drink Water production, we capped the event to 100 participants, which made the race spots fairly coveted—to get in you had to have a sponsor spot, be a close friend, win the somewhat rigged lottery, or help build the course. People would say they’d come help, but the only ones that ever followed through were Mt. Baker locals Che Contreras and Dan Scanlon. 

Year after year, they showed up to put in the work. One year it was raining during the build days, and no one was excited about the task ahead. The whole crew was stalling as much as possible before heading up the chairlifts in the rain to shovel for the day. When we got to the top, we found Che and Dan waiting for us to get started—they had hiked up in the rain to avoid buying a lift ticket. Then they put up fast times on race day as well. 

Dan and Che are products of their environment. Since Mt. Baker Ski Area first allowed snowboarding in the early 1980s, it instantly became a cultural hub for the sport—specifically, for those seeking a no-frills experience focused on steep terrain and deep snow and not afraid of a little weather. It’s a place where respect is earned by your riding rather than your outfit. These values were baked into the lift towers themselves and have been carried forward by the likes of Craig Kelly, Jamie Lynn and Lucas Debari. And, even in a social media crazed world filled with fast fashion and internet meme trends, Mt. Baker continues to be Mt. Baker.

I started seeing more of Dan and Che while on trips to Baker—they’d be the ones setting the bootpack out Shuksan Arm. Then they became handy with a GoPro and always had the best Baker content, even before the lifts started spinning for the year. Now, with a few sponsors backing their DIY approach, they make an annual trip north to Alaska. 

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