How to Survive Last Call

Last call has been a staple event for the East Coast for the past 21 years. It’s a gauntlet of fire and brimstone that draws its power from the raw origins of snowboarding. There’s no turning back, no second guessing and no “bitchin out” when it comes to what lies before the riders that secured an invite. Everyone who stands at the top of that course knows that in the end their life is forfeit to the snowboarding gods and Loon

is their battlefield. Annually it is considered tradition that someone will get broke off during the proceedings, as is demanded by the blood debt Eastern Boarder requires to run the event. Despite all the grandeur, there are those who not only survive, but thrive under the pressure of the danger. They eat death defying cheerios for breakfast and one of these gladiators is crowned winner of Last Call. No one is ever really ready for their first Last Call, so we decided to create a guide to surviving the ordeal from the perspective of those who have come before you.

So what happened to the homies who didn’t make it out unscathed? The ones who broke bones and had year long recoveries. What would they have done differently, what ounce of life saving knowledge did they gain from their misfortune? We caught up with Connor Collins, this year's tribute. He is no stranger to Last Call, but this year's Jumps section snuffed him out resulting in a broken ankle. “ You have to ride with full confidence and composure, if there’s any hesitation the features will smell it and bite you off. If you think you’re going fast enough, go faster.” Connor, spotted on the Bunyan room deck for awards on crutches, didn't let the injury take away from the stoke he had cheering on the winners. 

Previous years' victim, Jesse Warrington, was given one of the most brutal beatings in a while, falling from top ropes and high speeds into a set of metal stairs. Personally standing 10 feet from the crash, I witnessed what I thought was a broken hip, leg, potential cracked open dome and maybe worse (see clip here). Dragged down and sent off in an ambulance, somehow, he made it out with just a broken elbow, a bruised lung and the overall impression of what it would feel like getting hit by a Ford F150. Jesse made it back for 2023 letting us know his strategy for his returning performance. “The biggest thing for me coming back to Last Call after getting broke off was making it to the free lunch. It wasn’t about throwing down the gnarliest tricks, more just having the most fun and being a part of it again was the kind of win I wanted. Big Gaps means big consequences, so no need for any extra drops once the session is over. It’s a long day; hydrate, slow and steady hiking wins the race.”

On the other side of the battle field are those gnarly souls that came out on top. They slammed, they chucked and did not back down until the last drops were finished. One of the most winningest Last Call attendees, Zach Normandin, found his wins in his ability to go as big as humanly possible on every single section, while trying the hardest trick he could pull off. After Zach did his patented double on the hip section he straight lined it straight to the Bunyan Room, as one should after shutting down the biggest feature of theday. Zach’s take is, “ If you want to survive Last Call you’re probably going to want to let a few people guinea pig the bigger features first, then get your hits in. Maybe don’t try shit you’ve never done before. Also there’s nothing wrong with sitting on the side and crushing a few cold ones while you watch some crazy riding go down. If you want to win Last Call, the first step is waxing your board. Be ready to hike a ton and go big. Put down something big, a 900 a 1080 preferably. Go ham on the rail section, if you’re like me you just will go fast, shoot a huge gap and clip the end of a rail. Last up for the transition feature speed and amplitude are your friends for winning over the hearts of the judges and any potential suitors on the sidelines. After all that, hopefully you find yourself outside the Bunyan Room on top of the Podium.”

Jake Aaronson, this year’s winner, was a no-brainer. He rides like he’s at Last Call every day of his life, going bigger faster and cutting off death when it should have the right of way. After taking two failed double backies straight to the face, he got up and went to throw down the gnarliest tricks of the day, taking the crown. So what does this behemoth of a human have to say for your first time at last call? “If you never Fucc Around, you’ll never find Out (insert cool sunglasses emoji).”

Words by Ely Campeanu

Photos by Randy Spitzer