Last Sunday, we had sun and fun at the Crystal Ground Snowpark in Kleinwalsertal. It was the last day of the season, and a very special one, as it marked the 20th anniversary of the snowpark in Riezlern.
Personally, this is Martin, the founder of go-shred, writing to you, and it was a very special moment for me because I was there when the snowpark started in its first season. I remember how excited we all were about the first real snowpark in Kleinwalsertal. All the setups before had been DIY-style, just randomly put together. In 2005, the park was revolutionary for this little Austrian valley, which could only be accessed by car from Germany. Yes, you heard that right. Kleinwalsertal is part of Austria, but the only access by car to this dead-end valley is from the German side, which makes it even more special.
But enough of the nostalgia. Now I want to tell you about Sunday and the GAME of Go-Shred, which we started at 11:00 with registration. It couldn’t have been better. After a rainy Saturday, Sunday, the event day, the sky cleared up, and we had sunshine and, of course, spring slush all day. As time went on, more and more people showed up, and we couldn’t have been more stoked to see so many motivated riders. Shredders of all ages came out, and it was really family-oriented. Kids, moms, and dads all participated in the GAME.
At around 12:00, we closed the registration and started the groupings. In total, we had kids, adults, teens, and even minis. The youngest participant was around 5 years old, and the oldest was in their mid-forties. As the organizer and someone who has seen this format grow and evolve over the last decade, I could not have dreamed of something like this. I think about three families competed in the different categories. Mothers, fathers, and kids were all part of the GAME, and they were all equally excited about the new tricks, the personal motivation from the fun competitions, and, of course, seeing their family members enjoying the same fun.
At around 13:30, we started the BBQ and treated our guests to some food and drinks. When the last groups finished their GAME at 15:00, we proceeded with the prize-giving ceremony. We rewarded the top 3 of each group with goodies from Volcom, Giro, Stance, and YETI. Everyone was stoked and had a great last Sunday at Crystal Ground.
I want to say thank you to all the participants, to the entire Crystal Ground Shaper crew, and to its manager Josef, who literally works day and night to keep this park running. A BIG thank you to our supporters: Volcom, Skatehalle Innsbruck, Salomon Snowboards, and Giro, who are part of the Go-Shred community and support our mission to keep shredding fun, accessible for everyone, and as exciting as possible.
As you may imagine, the season is not over yet. We still have two more events this winter. Next Saturday, April 5th, we’ll be running another BINGO at Obereggen, South Tyrol, and a very special one on April 12th at Nordkette Skyline Park, SEASON RE-START.
It’s not over yet…