"... everyone came out and threw down"

Just as the winter season draws to a close, X Games gold medalist and world record holder Simon Dumont (USA) hosted the inaugural Pro/Am Jam Competition – the Dumont Cup – at his home mountain Sunday River in Maine on April 11.

At the Dumont Cup at Sunday River in Maine on April 11, amateur skiers throughout the country turned out for a chance to compete alongside Simon Dumont and other professional skiers such as TJ Schiller, Peter Olenick, Jossie Wells and Tom Wallisch. The original course, designed by Dumont himself, featured 68 amateurs participating in a slopestyle course with jumps that Simon hand-selected to include in the four-hit run.

Starting with a cannon rail at the top, the course immediately flowed into a sizeable cheese wedge to get the adrenaline pumping just in time for the course's premier feature, a massive true tabletop jump that had skiers soaring a solid 60+ feet to the sweet spot on the landing. Make or break that hit and skiers still had plenty of time to set up for the custom three-rail stair set at the bottom to close out the course.

The contest took place in the Rocking Chair Terrain Park near Barker Lodge a year to the date that Simon achieved the world record for highest air for a skier on a quarter pipe. Simon hopes the recognition gained by his world record and the Dumont Cup will help further the sport of freestyle skiing. ‘Based on the success of this year's event, we're already looking towards next year. This was the inaugural year, everyone came out and threw down. There is definitely potential to make this an annual event,’ said Simon Dumont.

Qualifying amateurs that competed in the afternoon finals were Vincent Gagnier, Joss Christensen, Clayton Vila, Henrik Lampert, Mike Riddle, Tyler Thistle, Joe Schuster, Maks Gorham, Scott Nelson, Samuel LaGrange, Laurent Farve, Christopher Laker, Dale Talkington, Charlie Owens, Charles Gagnier and Matt Magetis. $18,000 was up for grabs. The winner, pro Tom Wallisch, walked away with $10,000. Second-place, am Joss Christensen, grabbed $5,000 and am Mike Riddle took third-place, receiving $3,000. In addition, the top amateur will receive a one-week scholarship to Camp Woodward, an action sports camp and training facility.

Known for breaking records and going big in the process, Simon Dumont pushes the limits every time he drops in. Looked upon as a leader in the relatively new world of freestyle skiing, Simon used his background in gymnastics to become a spectacular aerialist on two planks. Perhaps his most jaw-dropping feat was the world record air at his home mountain of Sunday River. In 2008, he launched 35.5 feet out of a 38-foot tall quarter pipe, throwing a corked 900 tail grab to boot.