Holy Bowly 11

There was powder on the nose of my snowboard as I sat on the Great Divide Chair at Sunshine Village, AB. I was headed back to the Holy Bowly after ripping a new-to-me zone in incredible conditions for the first day of May. Below me, I saw a group of riders heading towards the course. They were in tight formation and carrying speed. One of them drove out of a heelside turn and slashed a revert onto his toes. It looked like he should’ve scrubbed, lost momentum and fallen to the back of the pack as he pushed his tail around. Instead, he popped, centering himself in the air as he subtly poked out his switch ollie. The move was powerful and stylish, so much more than the sum of its parts. These flashes of inspiration are a dime a dozen at Holy Bowly, and I love every one of them.

A lay of the hallowed land. Snowboy Productions' Holy Bowly 11 build at Sunshine Village, AB.

Holy Bowly 11 had it all. Over 200 dedicated freestyle riders came together and collectively pushed snowboarding to new levels of expressiveness. The weeklong session saw unbelievable riding in, around, and outside of the course, but more than that it offered snowboarders a chance to connect with other snowboarders on multiple levels. Like the stacked features and shadow lines of the dream park itself, there were opportunities to tap into both new and established elements of the community. It set a clear tone as Snowboy Productions rolled Holy Bowly into its second decade.

Iris Pham has been gaining notoriety as a phenomenal rail rider. Holy Bowly 11 was an ideal setting for her to show off how well she can jump, too.

Powerful snowboarding doesn't have to mean leaving the ground. Justus Hines smacking the lip.

A glimpse of the Canadian Rockies and an equally magnificent George Malcom laying out a big ole backflip at Holy Bowly 11.

Members of the Stoney Nakoda Nation opened the session with traditional drumming, singing, and a ceremonious round dance. Attendees participated eagerly in the circular, arm-in-arm choreography, taking time to acknowledge the Indigenous Peoples who have been connected to the land for time immemorial. An extended window of sun followed the ceremony, and the energy felt amplified as riders fervently kicked off day one of riding.

The course had flavor, with big features like the "Big Fuckin' ‘cano 3" and the "Return of the Brow" (official names according to Snowboy Productions’ Head Honcho Krush Kulesza) spaced perfectly throughout clusters of skatepark-inspired hits. But central features shared the spotlight with inventive new designs like the "Castle Mountain Quarterpipe with Benefits."

So many options. Liam Gill opts for a backside 180 tailgrab over a carveable channel gap on snow features inspired by flow-focused cement skateparks.

Ryan Wells digging a heelside trench that would make Josh Dirksen proud.

Laura Rogoski, indy. Laura is one of Snowboy's shapers and was sharing insider info on lines throughout the bowl all week.

"Bowly is the first Snowboy Event to reach 10 years," Krush explained. "We'd done 11 events in nine years with Downtown Throwdown, but never hit 10 years. Part of that is me being critical and not wanting to stick around for a number. It has to have something new to offer. Last year, for year 10, we started adding 'benefits' to our classic features. Take a volcano and throw a love seat in front of it, or throw a volcano in a quarterpipe, or on top of a ‘Tenjin Bowl.’ So, you see the fingerprints of all the Bowlys that came first, but we're making sight lines and different approaches into things that nobody has ever seen before. I'm really stoked to stay on that front end and keep Holy Bowly as memorable and as fresh and evolving as I can for as long as I can."

As the week went on winter conditions took hold. In the mornings, riders split time between riding powder across Sunshine's ample terrain and helping Snowboy’s self-proclaimed “Quality Handjobs Crew” dig out and re-rake the bowl. British Columbia based shredders like Darcy Keller and Evan Lavallee hiked to secret stashes, reminiscing on the good old days as they teed-up side hits they first rode decades ago. The Lib Tech squad rode Delirium Dive, an iconic Sunshine freeride zone that requires avy gear for entry and boasts some of North America's steepest inbounds lines. And despite flat light dominating much of the first half of the event window, motivated riders made it happen in the course.

The official video recap from Holy Bowly 11. Film and edit: Jourdain Basaraba

Jason Walker, who lost his lower left leg in a snowboarding accident, impressed us all as he navigated the course with authority. "I'm a 49-year-old snowboarder with one leg," he told me. "It’s insane how much there is for me here. As long as I'm careful to find transition and don’t land flat, which can lead to me splitting my patella—I know because I've done it three times—this is the perfect place for me to ride."

Jason ended up collaborating with Jordan Phillips on a bold over-under through the cascading Tenjin Bowls at the top of the course. Al Clark, a living legend in Canadian snowboarding who was a driving force behind early gatherings like the Brohm Ridge Superpipe, was seen throughout the week hanging with other Banff royalty like Andrew Hardingham and Jonas Guinn. "Snowboarding's in good hands," Clark said approvingly as he watched Holy Bowly unfold.

Photosynthesis? Crytal Legoffe planting in the sunshine.

Crail grab by the ever-creative Clayton Miller. Another reminder to stretch daily.

Party wave.

The passion Krush and his team poured into the build paid off. "I want Holy Bowly to be the conduit that helps connect everything," Krush said. “And keep shit evolving and getting radder every year."

Krush Kulesza and the band that is Snowboy Productions. Certified rockstars.