Words by Marsha Hovey // @someginger
Photos by Sam Jorgensen // @lamevision
Video by Dan Tyler // @danpanaway
CoreNation returned to Trollhaugen for year two of Erik Leon’s brainchild; an event that not only brings the local snowboarding community together, but also raises money to directly benefit that very community. This year, CORENation raised funds for the Osceola Skatepark Project, a non-profit organization that has their sights set on creating a public concrete skatepark that mirrors the lure of Trollhaugen’s terrain parks.
We’ve seen first hand how the rope tows of the Midwest give way to some of the world’s most iconic snowboarders. The goal of the Osceola Skatepark Project is to create year-round offerings that will positively impact the snowboarding community surrounding Trollhaugen, where low-income youth of rural Wisconsin are facing some tough challenges. Erik knows the value of free and affordable spaces for action sports, and his contributions to move the needle forward have been uplifting to say the least.
Almost $2,000 was raised toward this dream by way of rail jam entry fees, raffle tickets, and even a portion of nighttime lift ticket sales were donated to the cause. Vibes were high and the community showed to support in a big way. For the 30 Troll-loving humans participating, the nighttime glow of the yellow lights set the stage for a smile-inducing jam session like none other. Erik made it clear that the objective of CORENation is not to identify who’s best, but to stoke out friends new and old, inspire others to have have the most fun possible, and create an atmosphere that embodies what snowboarding should be focused on.
In addition to Erik leading the charge, guest judges Mike Skiba, Joey Peterson, Casey Pflipsen, Garrett McKenzie, and Tony Wagner kept tabs on who was charging the hardest, rocking the most unique kit, and throwing down new tricks. After two hours of insanely fast rope laps and nonstop boarding, everyone took home literal piles of goodies from Flux Bindings, Arbor Snowboards, The North Face, Evo, Smith Optics, with extra special prizes given out by Pink Dollar Possy, Evol, and Fyve. Although there was no traditional podium, five standouts took home full kits and setups thanks to Erik’s unmatched prize gathering abilities: Jericho Johnson, Andre Hall, Reed Larson, Scotty Korwes, and Devin Larson. It’s safe to say that everyone left smiling and ready to take on the season with a couple new friends and new tricks in tow.
A massive thank you to Trollhaugen, all of the sponsors, participants, and of course, Erik Leon, for his continued efforts to move our industry forward one event at a time. You continue to set an example for the next generation as to what’s possible if you just set out to make your dreams a reality.