Event

Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge 2024

The Love Did That

Words & Photos: Jon Tapper

This year’s big inside joke at Mt. Bachelor, OR is that nobody remembers the names of the well-known runs or secret stashes. “Let’s take ‘Moto’ to ‘Zimmerman’s’ and rally to ‘Grannies’,” someone will say. “Is that like ‘Hemlock’ to ‘Pinecone’?” Another might reply. “Whatever, I’ll follow you.”

Rei Igarashi, Temma Tamai, and Ayumi Kitahara flew over from Japan to unlock the lines on Pipeline.

The devoted have long held their own monikers for special spots around the mountain. It’s kind of like surfing where, over time, the names of some of the world’s best breaks have become singular, holding a weight that goes beyond their geography. Take for instance Pipeline, Mavericks, Jaws, and Nazare—one need not mention their location to conjure imagery of each wave’s lore.

Knowing that surfers like to name breaks was probably why, while riding the chair with Gerry Lopez 14 years ago, Andy Goggins asked Gerry if he had names for any of his favorite spots on Mt. Bachelor. Having shocked the world by moving from Hawaii to Bend in the mid-90’s, and having ridden Mt. Bachelor regularly for nearly 20 years, Gerry knew the mountain better than most. He pointed to a big windlip above them and said, “Well, yeah…that one’s Uluwatu.” It turned out that Gerry had names for a lot of the natural rights and lefts secreted away on Bachelor’s undulating volcanic terrain, some of which harkened to surf breaks from his past. And in that moment, the idea of the Big Wave Challenge, a surf-inspired snowboard contest, was born.

Gerry Lopez at the 2024 Big Wave Challenge at Mt. Bachelor, OR.

Now in its 12th iteration, the Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge has embedded itself in local lore. Ask any Bend local what their favorite contest is, and the answer is almost always this one. Mt. Bachelor’s windlips and natural transitions lend themselves to a surfy style of riding and the Big Wave Challenge course has evolved every year to interpret and amplify its wave-like features. The course was originally built by Pat Malendowski and around 2016 the task transitioned to Alex Storjohann. This year, Alex reimagined the course to take advantage of the solid snowpack and crafted more lefts than rights, hoping to “let the snow fall where it wants to go.” Alex said, “Every year the goal is to make it the best course. Which is a bit of a double edged sword… the better the course gets the harder it is to top it year after year. This year I just tried to make sure to focus on all the small details that make the biggest difference. The other big part of this contest for me is trying to make sure it’s something that Pat would be stoked to ride.” Gerry approved of Alex’s work wholeheartedly, claiming it was the most fun course build in the event’s history.

Big Wave Champion Ashley Thornton is always a threat to the podium when she paddles out.

Kai Huggin boosting off the J-Bay volcano.

Blacktip reef sharks are local to Bali, Indonesia’s Uluwatu. Mike Aldridge is local to Mt. Bachelor, OR. With a layback like that, our money’s on Mike.

Yama-san, aka Orange Man, brings aloha into every turn he makes.

In addition to the freestyle fueled fun on the mountain, the Big Wave Challenge has become a fundraiser for Malendowski, who has exceeded expectations for the past 9 years in his fight against brain cancer. Pat’s roots in snowboarding and Bend run deep, and the unifying theme of love and aloha is something that every rider radiated throughout the weekend.

Grant Korgan won the Fan Favorite Award for flying down the course in his sit-ski, which isn’t a surprise as he’s a licensed pilot.

Hanging loose is a timeless and universal vibe.

Hokkaido, Japan’s Ayumi Kitahara took the crown on her first trip to the Big Wave Challenge. Fluid, powerful, and playful describe this rider with the sunny disposition.

Kane Champion Dru Brownrigg seemed to ride on another level during the weekend… bigger, faster, and looser. The ‘go for it’ attitude paid off big.

Josh Dirksen took a unique line at J-Bay, airing over the volcano and rolling over the judges’ toes before slashing the lip and dropping back in.

I always say that participating in the Big Wave Challenge will change the way you see the mountain and ride snowboards. The variety of styles is mind bending. Park rats, charging groms, Japanese soul surfers, ripping pros, grey-tipped locals, renowned surfers, contest riders—you won’t find a more varied or better dressed lineup anywhere else. Judges Jason McAllister, Matt Baker, Annie Fast, and Pete Saari kept a keen eye on all the competitors, with max points awarded to riders that were able to blend big tricks and surfy connectors.

A painter and her canvas. Janessa Bork brought imagination and creative lines to her runs.

Judges Annie Fast, Pete Saari, Jason McAllister, and Matt Baker were looking for flow, combining surfy laybacks and slashes with big air and smooth connectors. “Style: you know it when you see it,” Baker said.

Fun fact: Hawaiian shirts add extra tweak to your methods. A grom putting it to the test.

Gabe Ferguson helped unlock Phantoms, turning the double-bowled wave into a massive air.

Joe Curren strapped up for the Pro Surfers division.

Even with the competition day forecast calling for inclement conditions, sometimes things just have a way of working out. I could try and wax poetic about how the day dawned, but Gerry captured it best:

“This event is about love. Every year, you never know what you’re going to get, and the beauty of this event is that there’s so much love. The forecast today was for thunder and lightning and storms. But as I was driving up at six o’clock this morning, before the sun even came up, I could see the moon, a big full moon over Mt. Bachelor. The sun came out, it was beautiful, and I went, ‘Wow. The love did that.’ That’s what this event is all about. Pat. All the volunteers. The riders. And we ended up with a great day.”

What’s a good time without good tunes? Makua Rothman’s band provided both before awards in the West Village Lodge.

Thanks to Gerry, Mt. Bachelor, Andy Goggins and Anne Dos Passos and all the volunteers and competitors for making the 2024 Big Wave Challenge another notch in the proverbial “Greatest Days of Our Lives” belt.

2024 Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge Full Results

Wahine (Women’s Open 17–39)