Hunter Lamoureux and Cole Maxwell have been named as top 10 contenders in the 2014 Smoking Aces Tour, which wraps up this weekend at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Lamoureux and Maxwell currently are in second and eighth places, respectively. They will ride for spots on the podium this weekend at the tour finals, held this Saturday.
The tour, held at three top resorts throughout the state in February and March, hails as the first Montana-based tour for freestyle skiers and snowboarders. In its inaugural year, the tour has garnered an impressive 50-rider average competing at each event. Riders compete in each event for a total purse of $1000 as well as other prizes. Competitors are judged on style, creativity, difficulty of tricks and judges’ overall impression of the ride.
“The Smoking Aces Tour allows local kids to compete, recognize their own potential, and use this event as a springboard to grow – whether that’s in snow sports industry or other pursuits,” said 2014 Tour Director, Billy Marcial. “These kids have amazing ‘air awareness,’ and this Montana event, the first of its kind in our state, showcases their talent to the snowboarding and skiing world.”
“We’re stoked to see Hunter and Cole in the top ten for Smoking Aces. Our riders often travel long distances for events, so this is a great opportunity to compete locally in a growing tour,” stated Brittan Ellingson, founder of Notice Snowboards, a custom snowboard company based in Whitefish. “As a brand, we’re also proud to have the chance to sponsor a Montana event created for the top riders of our state.”