The Après-ski is where to be this weekend, with a pair of concerts in Missoula aimed at celebrating all that is gnarly and sick (that’s ‘extreme’ and ‘good’ to the rest of us).
First up, tonight at the Top Hat brings the local premiere of a new extreme-snowboarding film, “Tailgate Alaska.” The film documents the scene of an annual spring gathering of skiers and snowboarders at Thompson Pass, a remote spot in the middle of Alaska’s Chugach mountain range that’s known for its insane vertical terrain and untouched acres of pure powder.
Back in 2008, organizers put together the first Tailgate Alaska Freeride Festival, inviting the daring to come stay in a makeshift village and spend days plummeting down the slopes of the surrounding mountains. “Tailgate Alaska” thus serves as something of a promotional film for the festival, which aims to draw 500 skiers and snowboarders this spring.
Tonight’s premiere will be framed by a performance by Salem, a hip-hop/jazz/neosoul band based in Boulder, Colo., and led by drummer/singer Todd Anders Johnson.
With whistles thus whetted, local skiers and boarders will have a chance to test their own tricks throughout the weekend when the Missoula-based Backwoods Project presents its second annual Ride Montana Festival at Marshall Mountain on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. til 4 p.m.
With the ultimate goal of establishing a permanent terrain park in the Missoula area, organizers of the non-profit Backwoods Project have constructed a temporary model up at the shuttered ski area northeast of Missoula. For ten bucks, anyone who signs a waiver (or, in the case of minors, anyone who can convince mom or dad to sign a waiver) and shows up with a helmet can test out the rails and other features installed at the base of the mountain.
The weekend-long event will feature a Best Trick contest on Saturday, and a Rail Jam contest on Sunday (it’s an extra $5 to compete in the latter).
Although this year’s event won’t feature alcohol or on-site live music, both are on tap Saturday night at an in-town party at Harry David’s Bar, located at 2700 Paxson Street, behind Southgate Mall. The party will feature performances by local metal bands Universal Choke Sign, Blessiddoom & Six Days Under. There’s a suggested donation of $5, which goes toward helping the Backwoods Project pay for insurance for its events. Visit www.TheBackwoodsProject.org for more info about the event and the organization’s overall goals.
