Blog Series Vol. 1 – January 2024

Welcome to “Downhill Both Ways,” our new monthly behind-the-scenes blog series where we share the real, ridiculous, and often hilarious challenges that come with producing the Vertical Challenge—a free amateur ski and snowboard race series traveling across the Northeast.

The Jumper Cable Fiasco and the Frozen Fridge Van

Rest Stops and Roadside Karma

On January 6, 2024, my crew of 20 and I packed up our fleet of Chevy vehicles and hit the road from our warehouse, bound for BigRock Mountain in Mars Hill, Maine. We were excited. We were prepped. We were ready.

Until we weren’t.

Roughly 90 minutes into the trip, we pulled into the Kennebunk rest area to refuel and grab some food. Just as we were about to head back out, a woman approached me:
“Do you have jumper cables?”

Of course I said yes. I mean, we had seven vehicles with us—one of us had to have a set.

Right?

Wrong.

Not a single vehicle had jumper cables. Not one. Seven trucks, twenty event pros, zero jumper cables. I still don’t know how that’s statistically possible.

But we weren’t about to leave her stranded. My amazing crew spread out through the parking lot, hunting down someone—anyone—with cables. After two hours, we finally found a kind stranger who came to the rescue. The woman’s car started. Our faith in humanity was restored. And we added a new must-have to our packing checklist.

From Jumper Cables to Engine Freezes

After that pit stop saga, we finally arrived at our lodging near BigRock. It was bitterly cold—about -10°F—but we were up bright and early the next morning, arriving on-mountain by 5:30 AM.

The event went off beautifully. Kids raced. Families smiled. Stonyfield yogurt cups were flying. Dermatone kept noses from freezing. It was everything we love about the Vertical Challenge.

But then came the pack-up.

That’s when our refrigerated van refused to start. The cold had gotten to it, and no amount of coaxing could get the engine to turn over. We tried for an hour before I made the call: most of the crew would move on to the next hotel, and I’d leave a few guys behind to keep trying.

They gave it everything they had. For four hours. But in the end, the fridge van stayed behind, awaiting a tow to the nearest Mercedes dealership. (Spoiler alert: luxury doesn’t love -10° mornings.)

We Keep Rolling

These are the kinds of things no one sees when they come out to race with us—but they’re part of what makes the Vertical Challenge so special. We face chaos, cold, and curveballs with creativity and grit. And somehow, the show always goes on.

Thanks for reading the first installment of “Downhill Both Ways.”
We’ll be back next month with another tale from the snowy trenches.

Until then—don’t forget your jumper cables.

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