World-class Maine snowboarders eager for Sugarloaf event

Four years ago, Nikki Pilavakis and Terry Plum of Carrabasset Valley never thought they’d be at the forefront of the snowboarding movement in America. At 32, neither can believe they’re there now.

Yet at the Boarderfest snowboarding competition this weekend at Sugarloaf/USA, Pilavakis and Plum, who both grew up around Sebago Lake, will be among the big-name boardercross riders. Both have been ranked in the world in boardercross – Pilavakis as high as No. 1 – and both say they’re just getting started.

When Pilavakis started snowboarding competitively three years ago, she thought she’d be too old. When she won $400 in the halfpipe at a regional competition, she took it as a sign. Twelve days later, she went out west with Plum, her boyfriend, and ended up making quite a bit more money.

“I made maybe $10,000 in three months. I was always in the top five,” Pilavakis said. “The prize money has gone up. You can really make a living at this.”

Pilavakis coached snowboarding and skied at Sugarloaf for six years before she got into serious competition. She said those years working on the mountain gave her the instincts and nerve to compete at the world level in boardercross, where she is currently ranked third and first in the U.S.

Boardercross is unlike other snowboarding events in that it is similar to free riding. Plum likens the course to an enhanced GS course with banks, rollers, stair steps, and jumps instead of turning gates.

After Plum graduated from the University of Maine-Farmington, he traveled in Canada with plans to return in two months. He discovered boardercross and competed for four months.

Plum, who is now ranked 22th in the world and fourth nationally, said the edge he has over other riders is that he trains on the East Coast, where firmer conditions force riders to become better technicians.

Pilavakis said the Boarderfest event at Sugarloaf is geared more to amateurs than high-ranked professionals, but the money in this yamateurs than high-ranked professionals, but the money in this year’s series makes it worthwhile for pros. Pilavakis and Plum, who train at Sugarloaf, said they’d participate regardless.

“It’s a fun way for local riders to get together and have a good time – to test their skills,” Pilavakis said. “There are a lot of good riders. A lot of strong CVA riders. A lot of people will travel to it, too.”

The Boarderfest will draw amateur and pro riders to the halfpipe competition on Saturday and the snowboardercross on Sunday.

Todd Miller, coordinator for the series, said the event has grown from a grass roots, single-weekend event that started in 1995 to what it is: a nine-event national series with a $90,000 cash purse.

The Sugarloaf event will offer $9,800 in price money and draw those who hope to compete internationally, like Rumford’s Eric Breton and Vance Billings, who ride for Sunday River.

Last week a group of Olympic hopefuls from Japan made a surprise visit to Sugarloaf when conditions around Quebec forced them to go in search of harder terrain.

Tom Matsuoka, director of the ski team, said the group found Sugarloaf’s conditions similar to those at the Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Matsuoka said some of his skiers, who range in age from 15 to 22, served as forerunners at the Nagano Games.

“Monday it was warm and windy, some of the snow melted away. On Tuesday, it was a great day,” Matsuoka said in an interview. “There was packed snow. For my kids, the skiing was satisfaction. … It’s a good mountain to [train.] They know about racing.”

Today at Sugarloaf the Eastern Cup women’s Super G will be held. It’s sanctioned by the U.S. Ski Association and draws amateur skiers on an Olympic track.