Parkin Costain lays it all out in the 2021 competition. Photo: Amy Jimmerson//JHMR
Corbet’s Couloir is no joke. One of the most famous lines in North America is a 10- to 20-foot drop into a steep chute with rock walls on either side. But if the wind is right, the couloir becomes a powder stash with a soft landing, allowing pro skiers and snowboarders to take take that drop and turn it into art. The past four years of Kings and Queens has seen some crazy progression, from Travis Rice’s switch 540, to Hans Mindnich’s 360 wall slide, to Parkin Costain’s double backy.
This year could be even gnarlier. Playing a big role in the 2022 Kings and Queens story is the conditions, which are far from optimal as Jackson and most of the lower 48 haven’t seen much snow since January. But in the words of event organizer Jess McMillan, “that’s just a part of being in the mountains,” the athletes will still be sending it, and everyone here in Jackson is stoked, albeit with more of a hard-packed twist than year’s past.
Everyone loves skiing powder, it brings a special kind of looseness and freedom that’s hard to describe and even harder to replicate anywhere else. However, there’s a lot to be said for the technical ability that skiing and riding in firmer conditions requires. This year, as opposed to the full-send, huck-whatever-you-can-into-the-couloir we’ve seen in years past, the Kings and Queens of Corbet’s will be crowned based on athletes’ ability to put down a full run that includes the initial drop as well as the built-out features in the couloir and the absolutely massive kicker at the base of the line. And with a few fresh inches of snow on the ground as of Wednesday evening, the landing in Corbet’s will be decently padded, although still quite firm underneath.
This year, the course has been solidly built-out, with plenty of man-made hits through the couloir and one massive kicker at the bottom. Photo: JHMR
“Although we haven’t had to deal with it in years past, we’ve always been ready to run the event during a low snow period,” said Jess during the Athlete Bib Draw on Saturday night. She says the most important aspect of the Kings and Queens event is the platform it gives to skiers and riders to showcase themselves, and with that in mind, as well as the firmer conditions, a lot has been done to upgrade the rest of the course. Jackson Hole park crews put in the hours over the past couple of weeks under the direction of Pat Holland, a former X-Games Snowboard Cross competitor and the younger brother of former boarder-X Olympian Nate Holland. And as you can see above, the course looks sculpted to perfection, with plenty of room for athletes to draw creative lines through the couloir and beyond.
That being said, nerves are definitely high for competing athletes. Everyone wants to win, but nobody wants a season-ending injury or a slide-for-your-life situation. It will definitely be interesting to see how everyone chooses to approach the infamous chute when their numbers are called.
Defending Queen of Corbet’s Madison Blackley gets the number four spot at the Athlete Bib Draw on Sunday evening. Photo: Amy Jimmerson//JHMR
It’s been pretty non-stop since I landed here in Jackson.
I got in Saturday afternoon, dropped my bags and went straight to Bib Draw, where athletes would draw names, bingo-style, for who would take the drop first. Everyone was stoked to be back with friends and old acquaintances after a year off, but the conditions were on everyone’s minds. In previous years, everyone wanted to go first to hit the run while it was still untouched. This year, with a few inches of snow in the forecast, middle of the pack was the desirable draw.
“Practice” for Corey Jackson. Photo: Amy Jimmerson//JHMR
Sunday, the athletes took time to sesh the bottom jump and get comfortable with what will be one of the main aspects of the event this year. The tension that had been in the air since Bib Draw released, and all were doing their best to gauge where they stood. This year there are a ton of returning skiers and riders but a lot of new faces as well who are coming into the comp with something to prove and park-style skills that will be on full display at the bottom. Us press hacks got a tour of the top of the couloir from Holland, and dare I say the videos and photos don’t even come close to capturing the feeling of walking to the edge and looking down over the cliff-edge into Corbet’s near-vertical entrance. “Vertigo-inducing” might describe it.
Monday and Tuesday have been down days as we wait for snow. Best bets for when the event will run are Wednesday if things clear up enough to have good light for visibility, or Thursday if they don’t. Stay tuned for more as the event gets underway. Not to rub it in your face, but in the meantime I’ll be enjoying slope-time at one of the raddest ski resorts in North America.
