Tired of watching the same old snowboarding halfpipe? Well, the folks at Red Bull might have something that peaks your interest – and could potentially change the discipline.
As part of the Red Bull Signature Series, 10 of the world’s best snowboarders recently took part in Double Pipe, the largest and most progressive halfpipe structure ever built. The double pipe is two back-to-back halfpipes, each over 550 feet long and 22 feet tall, which allow riders to transfer back and forth, performing tricks that couldn’t be done on a traditional ‘pipe.
Red Bull Double Pipe transformed Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen to one of the sport’s largest playgrounds and who better to push the sport to the next level than Scotty Lago, Taylor Lake and Greg Bretz. We recently got a chance to speak to Bretz, to find out more about how it all went. Be sure to catch all the action this Saturday, April 12, at 2 p.m. EST on NBC – hosted by Sal Masekela.
CraveOnline: First off, can you talk a little bit about what the fans can expect to see on NBC?
Greg Bretz: It’s a contest that’s never been done before – two 22-foot halfpipes placed next to each other with a spine in the middle. [Red Bull Double Pipe] is a snowboard contest where the riders will push their creativity and really use their abilities in snowboarding to push it to the next level.
Crave: Is the double pipe something new, or had it been done before Red Bull’s Signature Series?
Bretz: No, it’s the first time that it’s been done.
Crave: So, this is something you’d never tried or attempted, even just messing around?
Bretz: Right, no one has ever snowboarded anything that huge like that – ever.
Crave: Was there any special training that had to go in to your preparation for the event?
Bretz: Not necessarily, we’ve been doing halfpipe all season, so it was really cool to take what you know from the halfpipe and put it toward something else.
Crave: What are some of the benefits of the double pipe – like during competition?
Bretz: Benefits? Well, it’s really cool how they did a jam format for qualifying and it also really takes the snowboarders’ creativity and allows them to compete however they want.
Crave: On the opposite side of that, are there increased risks with the double halpipe format?
Bretz: Yeah, there’s always risks. You’re going out there and you are risking your life. Being on something that you’ve never been on before, that’s definitely a challenge.
Crave: Were there a lot of spills on the course because it’s a new experience for the athletes?
Bretz: There were a lot of spills, yes.
Crave: How would you explain the conditions, were they optimal?
Bretz: The weather was really, really nice and we couldn’t have asked for any better weather.
Crave: You’ve done a lot during your career, you’re a two-time Olympian, an X Games medalist and more, so where would you rank this event on your list?
Bretz: I didn’t really look at it as a snowboard event. I looked at it as an opportunity to go out and try something new and use my snowboard abilities to push it to the limit.
Crave: Was it something you enjoyed that you’d consider doing again?
Bretz: I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun and it was really nice to kind of step away from the test circuit and really do a snowboard contest that the riders just win.
Crave: So, even though it was a contest, you kind of looked at it as a different situation where you’re going out and having fun with the guys, as opposed to putting pressure on yourself?
Bretz: Right. I mean you can’t really have pressure on the double pipe.
Crave: As we mentioned, you’re a two-time Olympian. Can you talk about your experience in Sochi this past winter?
Bretz: Sochi was really cool. The media kind of blew all of the security out of proportion and it was really mellow. The halfpipe conditions definitely weren’t good – at all. [The halfpipe] could have been a lot better. But the whole experience in and of itself was just absolutely amazing.
Crave: Did you get to meet any fellow Olympians and were there any you were in awe of?
Bretz: I did get to meet some athletes. I got to meet Kelli Stack from the women’s hockey team, I met a few of the ski racers and it’s really cool when it comes to the Olympics, you don’t really have that team mentality, you just go out there and compete for your country.
Crave: Snowboarding aside, was there any event that you enjoyed and wished you could compete in?
Bretz: I’m satisfied with my decision to be a snowboarder. I don’t think I’m necessarily that jealous of any of the other athletes but – I got to watch some hockey, so that was cool.
Crave: Speaking of which, the NHL playoffs are coming up, which is nice.
Bretz: Yeah.
Crave: What’s it been like for you to work with Red Bull and to be involved in events like this?
Bretz: It’s been an amazing experience working with Red Bull. I broke my back last year and they did everything in their power to help me rise above it and get stronger. They really give back to the athletes which is really, really cool.
Crave: You mentioned the back injury, has that had any effect on how you’ve snowboarded recently?
Bretz: I don’t think so, because Red Bull got me better and my body got stronger during the season – no.
Crave: Is the double pipe an idea you could see taking off, where a few years down the road we could see it everywhere?
Bretz: I don’t know, it’s hard to say because you don’t get to practice on features like that, so…
Ed Miller is a contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
asdf
