Red Bull Heavy Metal is a single-day street snowboard contest that features the most progressive rail riding in the world. Following last winter’s revival in Duluth, MN, the highly touted street jam moves east to downtown Detroit’s iconic Hart Plaza on February 11th. With over 40 of the world’s top snowboarders set to descend onto the streets of Motor City, this one you won’t want to miss!
Viewing is free and open to the public.
Gates – 1pm
Zone 1 – 2:00-2:30pm
Break – 2:30-3:00pm
Zone 2 – 3:00-3:30pm
Break – 3:30-4:00pm
Zone 3 – 4:00-5:00pm
Awards Ceremony – 5:30pm
The contest is broken into three zones, each one favoring different trick approaches. Zone one is The Wall, a 20-foot-tall slab of concrete famously handplanted by Scott Blum in “The SNOWBOARDER Movie.” Of course, the Wall is a behemoth and will require no shortage of guts to get to the top; ATV riders with little fear and lots transition tricks will do well, as this zone is made for plants and stalls. Watch out for Rob Roethler, Dylan Okurowski, Jill Perkins, Zak Hale, Nora Beck, and Zeb Powell (among others). Due to The Wall’s imposing size and the infrequency of conditions lining up to make it possible to hit, setting up this spot during Red Bull Heavy Metal for a few dozen pros is essentially opening up the floodgates to a tidal wave. Expect a show right of the bat and likely some NBDs.
Zone 2 is where things get really technical: The Kink Rail, a down-flat-down rail nestled in between Hart Plaza’s walls. This essential street feature is the perfect combination of size and complexity for flawlessly executed staples and switch tricks, along with complicated 270 variations to all shine. Things are going to get gnarly during this session, as The Kink Rail is a prime proving ground for each and every rider in Red Bull Heavy Metal. Individuals with unique perspectives will likely be eyeing up the walls, too. Jed Anderson, Alexis Hernandez-Roland, Benny Milam, Miles Fallon, Denver Orr, Mike Liddle, Savannah Shinske, and more will all be throwing down in Zone 2.
The final session of the day is Zone 3: The Down Rail, a 50-foot length of steel that runs down the stairs of the Hart Plaza Amphitheater. A 50-foot bar is no small feat and in addition to the podium, bragging rights are up for grabs. There’s no doubt that staking a claim to this Detroit spot will prompt the assembled crew to go all in. Grace Warner, Brady Lem, Casey Pflipsen, Mike Skiba, Jaylen Hanson, and Ben Bilodeau will be among those setting the pace in the Hart Plaza finale.
Standing on top of the podium at the end of the night will require riders to dominate in all three areas, no small task given the stacked roster of invitees. Last year’s winners, Benny Milam and Maggie Leon, will surely be looking for a two-peat, but a few dozen of their peers are also vying for those top spots. On February 11th, it’s truly anyone’s game, but here are a few riders to make sure you’re familiar with heading into the event.
See you at Hart Plaza Detroit!!
