Highlands Ranch – The old-school beat of the music clashed with the new-school feel of a snowboard competition at Highlands Ranch High at dusk Thursday, as a chilly evening breeze reddened noses.
The 1977 rock ‘n’ roll remake of the Leadbelly blues song “Black Betty” pounded from the speakers as Ponderosa High senior Adam Dickey edged from a scaffold onto the 9-foot-tall ramp packed with snow.
Blue iron rails at the base 40 feet away begged for speed, as Ram Jam singer Myke Scavone wailed, “Whoa, Black Betty, bam ba lam.” Dickey bounced with his board up to the rails. He skidded across as the song continued, “She’s from Birmingham, bam ba lam.” He landed perfectly on the other side, 15 feet across, as the song reached “Way down in Alabam.”
The rails were unforgiving at the second annual “Detention” competition. For every rider who looked as if balance were a birthright, two more looked like an emergency-room visit waiting to happen.
The event drew 50 riders from 13 schools, and hundreds gathered to watch.
Founder Ryan Bell, who graduated early from Highlands Ranch High last month, started something big – much bigger than the 75 tons of snow trucked in from Winter Park.
Bell laid the foundation to make snowboarding a high school sport, said Bob Holme, the snowboard team coach at Winter Park Resort.
This annual competition could snowball into a series of meets at local schools, leading up to a championship, he said.
Thursday, Highlands Ranch High dean of students Bruce Wright looked over an audience of teens he doesn’t normally see at school functions.
“Ryan is a great kid – obviously, (because) he graduated early and he’s willing to work this hard to put on something for other kids to enjoy,” Wright said.
“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to have something snowboarders like?”‘ Bell said.
He landed sponsors, including Winter Park Resort, Wahoo’s Fish Taco, Red Bull energy drink, Satellite Board Shop and Mission Six outerwear. He recruited riders and volunteers and worked out a list of approvals and logistics.
