Representation matters.

Having a more diverse population of riders in our community can lead to more people considering the idea that snowboarding might be something they’d also find fun. When a person sees someone that looks like them doing something that individuals from their culture or race don’t normally take part in, it allows them to more freely explore these different outlets. That’s why an event like Halo-Halo is so special.

ABOVE Nineteen-year-old Veda Hallen has a deep bag of tricks. Here she keeps it simple and clean (shoutouts Hikaru Utada, if you know you know) with a frontside lipslide on the down bar.

Raibu Katayama and Michael McDaniel flipping the quarterpipe and bird, respectively.

Proper tuck, proper poke. Hayden Putnam knows what’s up. Frontside grab off the polejam.

Halo-Halo is a freestyle event highlighting BIPOC snowboarders. Snowboy Productions hosted the first Halo-Halo last year at Mt. Hood, OR and this July we returned for its second iteration. A wide range of skill level was on display in the pop-up park that Snowboy put together for the event. Experienced riders had plenty to choose from: a quarterpipe, hips, tubes, rails, bonks and places to butter. For those just getting into riding park, the Snowboy crew set up a small jump and flat box. But no matter what or how you were riding, the event was a pressure-free zone, void of judgement. Pro riders like Raibu Katayama and Irie Jefferson happily sessioned alongside intermediate and even fledgling snowboarders, some of whom only started snowboarding in adulthood after seeing videos and photos of last year’s gathering.

ABOVE Caleb Dhawornvej smoking a quick blunt through the donkey. The yellow sticker on the back of his binding is for Soy Sauce Nation, an awesome, ever-growing community celebrating Asian American snowboarders.

ABOVE Irie Jefferson grew up in Jamaica before moving to the States, then Samoa, Armenia and eventually back to the States before ever really becoming a serious snowboarder. Now he’s a standout at Snowboy’s events, and others. Read more about Irie in his feature profile in Issue 21.3.

ABOVE Frontside boardslide by Noah Grayson Carballo. Remember that name. Noah is without a shred of doubt one of the most impressive groms in the game. It’s worth noting he pulled it back to regular instead of landing fakie, too–just another sign of big things to come from this rising star.

Snowboarding has long been a sport dominated by white people. It’s out of the ordinary to see a lot of people of color shredding together on a ski resort in the US. It felt really cool to see a lot of people who look like me loving the same thing that I’m so passionate about. What’s special about Halo-Halo is that it brings together such a diverse group of snowboarders, both culturally and racially. It celebrates these different cultures and people and the stories behind why they were inspired to get into snowboarding, what led them to where they are with the sport, and the joy that it brings them. It’s about our shared love for being in the mountains, and above all, community.

ABOVE Michael McDaniel takes his turn on the QP to put down one of his quintessential plants.

Left to right: Black Star Snow Founder KINGWOLF, Murda Productionz crew rider Mike Robinson, Snowboy Productions Head Honcho Krush Kulesza and certified rail slayer GT FRM DA 6.

Another name to remember: Iris Pham. This young woman has been on an absolute tear the past few seasons, quickly carving out her spot as one of snowboarding’s most notable and formidable rail riders.

ABOVE Signing off with another shot of Raibu Katayama, because it’s impossible to get enough of this guy.

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Shoutouts to Krush Kulesza and the Snowboy Productions crew for continually putting on for the community, practicing what they preach and investing their time, energy and resources into making the world a better place. Big ups to everyone who came out and to Timberline Lodge for hosting the event. 

See coverage from last year’s Halo-Halo at Mt. Hood, OR here.