THE UNINVITED INVITATIONAL: THE BEST CONTEST MONEY DIDN’T RUINWords: Stan Leveille
Photos: Mary Walsh, Shaina Joel, and Stephan Jende
There’s this dusty myth that floats around snowboarding like a moth-eaten contest bib: that back in the day, you’d show up to the hill, and if someone else snowboarded, that was it—you were friends. Like snowboarding was this sacred bond.
That kind of camaraderie feels pretty rare these days. Industry events are more stratified than a music festival VIP section, and unless you’ve got a gold medal or a trust fund, you're probably watching from the rope line. But once a year, in the unassuming Utah corridor of Woodward Park City, something entirely different happens.
The Uninvited Invitational isn’t nostalgic. It’s insurgent. A contest that doesn’t ask if there’s room at the table—it flips the whole table over and builds a better one out of welded steel and kinked rails. Created by Jess Kimura, it’s equal parts progression session, international summit, and joyous middle finger to every gatekeeper who ever said “the girls could never do it.” Spoiler: they can. And they are. And they’re doing it better than most of you.
This year, riders from over 20 countries showed up to prove it, flooding the course with unmatched energy and a shared understanding that they weren’t just here to ride—they were here to rewrite the blueprint.
Let’s start with the welcome party. Oversized novelty checks lined the walls like talismans of future victories. Names left blank as a collective visualization exercise—“one of these might be yours.” And with $60,000 on the line, that wasn’t a metaphor. It was a very real, very tangible opportunity, making this one of the best-paying street contests on the planet, period.
Qualifiers kicked off with 70 riders swarming the course like it owed them money. No timers, no rigid drops, no pre-scripted ‘jam format’ with fine print—this was a real-deal, drop-when-you-want, keep-dropping-if-you-want kind of chaos. On day one, the wallride wasn’t even installed yet, which gave the tech riders full rein to flex on the lower features. And flex they did.
Nora Beck, Jess Perlmutter, Lex Roland, and Hunan Sakamoto set the tone early—fast, fearless, and calculated. When the wallride came into play on day two, the whole course opened up, and with it, the level. Devi Gupta, Bella Warren, Himari Takamori, and Taylor Elliott stepped up with confidence and style, Taylor even throwing anvandrecht on the wall on the first try.
And then came Finals. Thirty riders left. No filler–Just banger after banger like it was a highlight reel. Jill Perkins dropped a gap back lip that sent the crowd into orbit. There were moments when it felt like the tricks weren’t being done for the contest—they were being done in spite of it. Like everyone there knew: this wasn’t about who landed the biggest hammer, but who did it with the most conviction, the most style, the most them.
The Crowd was complete with homemade signs, bubble machines, and temporary tattoos. And enough cowbells to summon the highest of energies. Say what you want about race culture roots, but if cowbells are now a tool of snowboard expression, I’ll gladly ring one until my hand goes numb.
The judging panel was stacked—Mike LeBlanc, Melissa Riitano, Louif Paradis (who was out there raking lips before the first drop), and head judge Catie Cook. There was no fluff here, only people who know the difference between a hammer and a contest make.
When it was all said and done, Trying to list every standout trick would be like trying to live-caption a riot—too many moments, not enough hands. Nearly every rider had a clip-worthy moment, and most had ten. Jess Perlmutter, last year’s wildcard, took the top spot. Jess Kimura, microphone in hand, summed it up best: “This contest is a fuck you to everyone who said the girls could never do it.” She recalled the early days, when she just hoped three women would enter so the podium wouldn’t look like an empty bus stop. Now? The top five had to be extended. Because anything less wouldn’t capture the fire on display.
FINALS PODIUM & AWARDS
1st Place ($15,000): Jess Perlmutter
2nd Place ($11,000): Himari Takamori
3rd Place ($8,000): Veda Hallen
4th Place ($6,000): Devi Gupta
5th Place ($4,000): Annika Morgan
Best Trick ($1,500): Jaylen Hansen – Switch 50-50 Cab 360 Out
Baldface Stoke Award: Bella Warren (Free Trip to Baldface)
Best Slam ($1,500): Jayva Jordan
One to Watch ($1,500): Mela Stocker
Best Air ($1,500): Katja Dutu
Style Award ($1,500): Emma Crosby
North Face Free Your Line ($1,500): Laura Rogowski
Heart Award ($1,500): Emma Sita
Yeti Rookie Award ($1,500): Hinano Sakamoto