words: Sean Genovese
photos: Sean Genovese, where noted by Derek Weimer and Thomas Uecker
FOR FULL STORY, PHOTOS and VIDEO click HERE
For the past twelve springs on a snow patch in the state of Idaho, the βcoreβ of the Boise snowboard scene and their close friends have gathered to celebrate snowboarding and the life of Carson David Ianson, for whom the CDI Q-pipe weekend is in memory of. Although after twevle years of this event, while itβs unfortunate that not everyone that attends was given the chance to meet Carson first hand (myself included), itβs easy to get a sense from his closest friends that he was fuckinβ AWESOME!
If youβre fortunate enough to find yourself on this same snow patch one spring in Idaho, hereβs a few awesome things that youβre likely to encounter: Corey McDonald, aka One Awesome Motherfucker. Heβll expect that you have a shovel in hand, arms ready for digginβ, a back ready for βthe bucket lineβ, and a leash for your dog. Youβll help make one of the best hand-shaped quarterpipes that youβll ever ride and then youβll have one of the most fun sessions βtestingβ this thing of beauty the evening before the actual event goes down. Youβll stick around a bit later that evening, wondering if a good sunset session might happen. Butm youβll probably end up heading back down the road to the camp spot, tucked off the road that keeps going deep into the woods. Youβll get a small fire going and cook yourself your campfire food of choice, have a few beers, learn a thing or two about Star Wars that you didnβt know before, and then put on an extra pair of socks before crawling into your tent for the night.
Youβll wake up the next morning, and if youβre lucky enough to find yourself in the right camp site at the right time, you might find the perfect Bloody Mary, aka a Bloody Molly, waiting to accompany your breakfast. Youβll track down the CDI ledger, sign your name into the book, and skim back a few pages trying to catch a glimpse of what you missed in the years past. Youβll see generations of snowboarding, past, present and future, gathering their gear and lacing up boots that may or may not have dried the night before. Youβll help guide your friends Mazda Miata over the rocks on the road out of camp so he doesnβt puncture the oil pan. Youβll get up to the snow patch remembering you forgot to grab that extra salt, but it wonβt matter because the sun is shining and all this QP needs is a morning rake. Youβll see Corey Mac hoist the Maiden Boise flag on the deck and know itβs just about βthat timeβ. Youβll see him take the opening drop and say to yourself, βDamn! First try?!β Youβll get in line and climb the drop in time, after time, after timeβ¦and then youβll do it again. Youβll see hand plants by Randy Vannurden that you didnβt realize were physically possible! Youβll meet new friends and see them learning a trick you havenβt tried in years. Youβll probably end up dropping in at some point and trying that trick you havenβt done in years, because friends inevitably push eachother. Then, youβll see your friend do it switch and youβll be hyped, because progression is awesome! Youβll watch as the grom generation inches their way closer to the top of the lip and know that by next year theyβll probably be airing over you. Youβll take a break just long enough to grab a snack and a beer and see Parker Duke do another trick with flawless style. Youβll see the generation before you drop in and do methods with perfect style, because thatβs just how they were done back then. Youβll see a few people dropping in on snowskates and ask yourself how they make it look so easy. Youβll keep riding until your legs wonβt let you any moreβ¦or itβs time to start tearing down the drop in. ouβll gladly grab as much garbage as you can stuff into your backpack as possible, even if it isnβt yours, and help get the scaffolding to the trailer before dark.
Youβll get back to camp and kick off those wet boots, not caring where they end up, because youβre not gonna ride on Sunday anyways. Youβll drag wood over to the βbig fireβ where youβll wait for the awards to be announced. Before the awards, youβll see C-Mac take a bit of whiskey and remind you what this event is all about: to party, to have a good timeβbut not to be a fuckinβ idiotβand always look out for your homies! Youβll cheer in agreement, then hear who won. Youβll probably get something awesome in the raffle, and damn sure youβll be gettinβ a Team Take Forever koozie. Youβll party in the forest while DJs spin records on turntables in front of a bonfire, and hopefully a calming person will be there to prevent any mixers from seeing the flames. You might even see someone make a failed exit on a small motorcycle. Youβll drink all your beer, then roll back to your tent before sun up. Youβll wake upβ¦earlier than you would if you had partied that hard on a regular Saturday night. Youβll gather round the fire for one last morning and laugh about all the shit that happened the night before. Then youβll pack up your stuff, youβll bid your good-byes, and set out for home with a head full of great memories and thinking to yourself, βthat weekend was fuckinβ AWESOME!β
Thank you to Corey McDonald and ALL of Carsonβs friends who keep making this weekend happen year after year. These DIY events are the best thing happening in snowboardingβ¦hands down.