Jackson Hole Snowboarder Magazine 68
T
he emcee booth couldn’t have been in a better spot on the Dick’s Ditch course at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. It was right in the thick of the action, perched near one of the massive sculpted turns. From this vantage point, emcee Jeff Moran had a perfect view of the competitors weaving through the banked slalom course. This made it easier for Moran to heckle the participants on the loudspeaker while Elliot Alston, a.k.a. DJ ERA, played everything from heavy metal to hip-hop. The two men brought the party. Dick’s Ditch isn’t your normal banked slalom, after all. It has personality. Imagine a bobsled track plopped in a narrow ditch. Start at the steep Amphitheater Bowl, now add some man-made turns, a wiggle or two, a couple massive jumps, and you’ve got a Dick’s Ditch course. Well, kind of; the design is always dictated by the year’s snow conditions, which have historically varied from powder to absolute crud. But that’s the beauty of it, you never know what you’re getting yourself into. It began with an avalanche Emceeing was a first for Moran. Over the past 18 years, he’s been more acquainted with the start gate and the burn of navigating an ass-kicking course. When he was the head snowboard coach and director of the Freeride Program for the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club, he encouraged his snowboarders to race too. But competing was merely half the experience. Sure, vying for a spot on the podium was motivation, but for him, Dick’s Ditch is also about commiserating with competitors at the bottom of the course.
Photo: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
