I always find it hard to put words to something that means so much to me. Hailey Ronconi and I have been co-directing Park Affair for over 10 years and, somehow, after every event we remain driven and passionate about our mission.
In January we hosted A Grand in Your Hand at McIntyre Ski Area, NH, but to really understand the significance of the contest, one must look behind the scenes. The day before the rail jam, we held our Build With Purpose clinic, an intentional space that pairs experienced women park crew members and managers with women who are curious about park crew, new to the field, or ready to pick up a rake for the very first time. With the support of Luke Boutin and the McIntyre Park Crew, these women came together to design and build the park themselves, bringing visions to life that are too often left on the sidelines. The passion, dedication, and attention to detail these women bring to their work is unmatched, and it shows in every feature they shape.
A group of women carry a feature up the hill at McIntyre Ski Area for the Build With Purpose workshop hosted by Park Affair. They are building the terrain park for the following day's A Grand in Your Hand rail jam, an annual all-women and nonbinary riders competition which is also put on by Park Affair. Photo: MacKenzie Hennessy
McIntyre's Park Manager, Luke Boutin, and Mt. Snow park crew's Lacey Zeranski working together on the setup for the A Grand in Your Hand rail jam. Photo: Anna Burch
Snowcat driver and terrain park shaper, Jess Goucher, throwing down on the build. Photo: MacKenzie Hennessy
Abby Faelnar raking one of several features set for the following day's A Grand in Your Hand rail jam. Photo: MacKenzie Hennessy
The Build with Purpose crew: Abby Faelnar, Trina Janos, Billie Reva, Cass Lainez, Erika Roy, Lacey Zeranski, Tenisha Rehberg Mimi Brooks, Grace Aronsohn, Sohpie Bille. Photo: MacKenzie Hennessy
The following day, these women and more threw down at A Grand in Your Hand, our annual rail jam. This year felt especially meaningful. Not only did the first place rider in the Open Women’s / Non-Binary division take home $5,000 in cash, but they also earned an invite to The Uninvited Invitational in Utah, making this the largest women’s prize purse on the East Coast. More than the numbers, it was a statement: women belong at every level of snowboarding, from building the park to standing on top of the podium.
Riders getting ready to drop in at the top of the Grand in Your Hand setup. Photo: MacKenzie Hennessy
Athena Comeau, disaster backside boardslide. Photo: MacKenzie Hennessy
Sophia Bruck getting sideways on the down-flat-down. Photo: MacKenzie Hennessy
At its core, Park Affair is about more than contests or prize money. It’s about building space, physical and emotional, where women can feel unstoppable. Confident in their riding, confident in their voices, and confident in taking up space in an industry that hasn’t always made space for them. From shaping the park to building the event, we strive to create an environment where women support women, push boundaries, and leave knowing they belong here.
Open Women / Non-Binary podium: 1. Sophia Bruck. 2. Lily Calabrese 3. Callen Hwang (aka "Bean"). Not only did first place finisher Sophia Bruck walk away with $5,000 in winnings, she also secured her spot at the Uninvited Invitational this spring. Photo: MacKenzie Hennessy
Park Affair will be hosting another Build With Purpose clinic this February, along with three park camps across Vermont and Connecticut. Registration is now open at ParkAffair.com.
Photo: Park Affair co-directors Hailey Ronconi and Mercedes Ortega. Photo: Anna Burch
A Grand in Your Hand Winners:
2. Lily Calabrese
3. Callen Hwang
Grom:
1. Stew McLead
2. Zinn Knack
3. Mack Frackoviak
Just for Fun Men:
1. Will Karins
2. Silas Irwin
3. Connor Brooks
Just for Fun Women:
1. Anna Margiotta
2. Charlotte Proctor
3. Maddie Duggan
The Crew behind Build With Purpose:
Billie Reva, Erika Roy, Jess Goucher, Lacey Zeranski, Sophie Bille, Trina Janos, Emma Desmarais, Sofie Chavez, Abby Faelnar, Cass Lainez, Tenisha Rehberg, Tyna Young, Mimi Brooks & Grace Aronsohn