The ‘Red Bull Slide-In Tour’ slides through Stratton Mountain
Miles Fallon getting some air time with a little help from Zeb Powell at Stratton Mountain to kick off the Red Bull Slide-In Tour.
Get in the RV! Back for 2021, Red Bull came through Vermont as part of the Red Bull Slide-In Tour. The Tour is a nine-day road trip along historic Vermont Route 100. Setting sail through the Green Mountains, the trip up Route 100 began in Stratton with a stacked lineup of snowboarders. X Games Gold Medalist, Zeb Powell, Miles Fallon and Vermont native and snowboard phenom Maggie Leon, who joined the crew during the 2020 tour. “It was really sick to be able to join the tour for a couple of stops last year,” Leon said. “I’m stoked to officially be included on the roster and to ride some of my favorite local mountains”
“The tour is where we can be our most creative selves. There is no risk to throwing crazy tricks or trying something new since it’s not a competition. When we are all together, we also come up with things that we wouldn’t come up with on our own.”
Zeb Powell
The tour included stops at Killington Resort, Stratton Mountain and Jay Peak as well as urban park riding in Burlington, VT. The crew will also be veering off the beaten path, to explore some of Vermont’s hidden gems, and tapping into the roots of the Vermont snow scene.
“I announced this in 2020 but making the mountain more colorful is a mission I am going to continue to stay true to with everything I do,” said Powell. “I’m so excited to meet up with the Chill Foundation and support everything they are doing to make snowboarding more diverse and inclusive.”
For 2021 Red Bull has partnered with another powerhouse in the industry, Teton Gravity Research (TGR), to produce a short film that will highlight and create a deeper narrative around the snow culture in Vermont – from its origins to the Vermont way of life, to the future of the sport.
Zeb Powell
It’s fitting that snowboarder Zeb Powell was born just a couple of weeks after the turn of the century on January 18. The stylish goofy foot from North Carolina has a knack for melding classic style with creative tricks and modern amplitude. His signature blend of a super smooth rail game with shifty spins and tweaked-out grabs has been turning heads for a few years now. An East Coast rider through and through, Zeb has no plans to leave the right coast anytime soon. “Copper Mountain in Colorado is a kind of home away from home for me, “ he says, “I also like how creative and heavy Keystone’s park is, but the East Coast is home.” Ironically, the first time Zeb went snowboarding, he hated it. “I was with this really mean instructor who kept making me ride regular,” he explains, “When I finally went back with a friend, I saw a little box below the lift. I hit that box on my very first run, stuck it and was totally hooked from then on.” -Bio courtesy of Red Bull
Maggie Leon
Starting at the ripe age of eight years old, riding a board from Walmart, the Vermont native was hooked. “The feeling that I get from snowboarding is unmatched,” Leon said. Maggie Leon joined the 2020 Red Bull Slide-In Tour a few stops in and the crew loved her vibe and her ability so much they demanded she stayed for the remainder of the tour. This year Leon is a staple athlete on the tour and it’s fitting she gets to show off her state of Vermont. “I love riding in Vermont because of how appreciative everyone is of good snow conditions,” Leon said. “Even when the conditions are not “ideal,” people are still down to get out and get on snow as much as possible. That attitude makes the few sunny and snow days even better. Good conditions are never taken for granted.” When Leon isn’t shredding on the hill, she is working at Burton headquarters in Burlington. -Bio courtesy of Red Bull
Miles Fallon
At age six, Miles Fallon found himself on a board. What started out as a family vacation to Mount Snow has become a life’s obsession. “I begged my parents ever since the first trip to Mount Snow,” said Fallon. “Next thing you know we started driving up every weekend.” Fallon joined the Red Bull Slide-In Tour in 2020 and became a staple for the tour. “I love riding on the east coast because it’s just where I’m from and I always feel at home and it’s the best.” When Fallon isn’t on a snowboard he surfs and skates. -Bio courtesy of Red Bull
Below are some of our favorite images and video from the crew’s day at Stratton Mountain, riding through Big Ben with no other objectives other than fun, and throwing down.
Miles Fallon snowboards with a little help from Zeb Powell.Maggie Leon grabbing crail on the Red Bull down bar in Big Ben.Maggie Leon up and over with Miles Fallon and Zeb Powell in Big Ben.Miles Fallon boosting into the Green MountainsMaggie Leon hiking back up to nail the shot.Miles Fallon & Maggie Leon. Golden Hour.
