Battle on the Border freestyle event begins Saturday

LOOKOUT PASS - Freestyle athletes from around the region converge on Lookout Pass Ski Area to compete in the Battle on the Border, Feb. 4-5.

The competition begins Saturday at noon with Big Air in Lookout's all-new terrain park on the frontside of the mountain. The event continues Sunday at noon with Slopestyle in the same location.

In addition to cash awards from Lookout Pass, ski and snowboard shops from Spokane to Missoula are contributing prizes for Battle on the Border.

The grand prize for both events is the offer of skis or snowboard custom built at cost by Sneva Mfg., a maker of handcrafted skis and snowboards based in Spokane.

Terrain park manager Chuck Schmidt has completely revamped the Lookout Pass parks for the 2011-12 season. Big Air competitors will be scoring plenty of amplitude with his latest creation, a kicker rising seven feet off the deck with a 35-foot gap. A smaller jump with a 15-foot gap will allow skiers and riders of all abilities to perform in Saturday's Big Air.

The Slopestyle competition Sunday offers skiers and riders a multiple choice of up to 12 features to hit during their runs. Schmidt recently expanded the width of Lookout's frontside terrain park to make room for a variety of new features, including a 20-foot fat round bar, a mellow 20-foot down rail, a wide down-flat rail, a second 14-foot lifty pole and a pole jam.

Entry forms for Battle on the Border are available at Lookout Pass Ski Area. Registration is $20 per person. Competitors can also register online at www.skilookout.com in the events section of the website.