Mt Baldy Banked Slalom
Hand-shaped berms, gutters and banked turns carved into Baldy's steep terrain. SoCal's old-school snowboard race is back.
What it is
The Banked Slalom is a traditional snowboard race on a custom course carved out of Baldy's steep terrain. Riders drop one at a time through a line of berms, gutters and banked turns, and the clock decides the rest.
It's put on with local shops and brands like Wave Rave L.A., and it pulls in riders from all over the region, campers from the parking lot and plenty of past and present Baldy crew.
A course built by hand
The course is usually built on Robin's Run, one of the steeper lines on the mountain. Every berm, gutter and banked turn is dug and shaped by hand, so no two years ride the same.
Back from the dead
The Banked Slalom has always lived and died by SoCal snowfall.
A SoCal staple
For years the race was a fixture for Southern California snowboarders, with heavy support from the local industry and riders coming in from across the region.
No snow, no race
After COVID hit, a run of seasons without a workable snowpack put the event on hold.
Shaped by hand again
When a monster snow year finally came, Wave Rave Los Angeles teamed up with Baldy co-owner and General Manager Robby Ellingson to bring it back. Crews from Los Angeles, Laguna and Mammoth camped in the parking lots and hand-shaped the banks and gutters on Robin's Run.
Camp out, shape, ride
This one has a raw, rugged reputation, and that's the point. The course is shaped by the riders who race it, the lot fills with campers the night before, and everyone hangs at the start cheering each other on.
How the day runs
| Check-in | 8 – 9 AM at the bottom of Chair 1 |
| First run | 10:30 AM |
| Awards banquet | Afternoon |
Times are from the last race and can change each year. Every rider needs a signed season waiver before riding the lift.
Awards banquet
The day wraps with an awards banquet in the afternoon. Riders, shapers and the crowd pack in for the podiums and a celebration with the shops and brands that make the race happen.
From the course
Berms, gutters and a lot of snow in the air.
The date drops when the snow does
Follow Mt Baldy on Instagram and check the Mountain Report. We announce the race as soon as there's enough snow to build the course.