WHO DID THE CRACK FIRST ??? – ALL THE DETAILS INSIDE
Who did ‘The Crack” first?
“The Crack” looks like an insanely intimidating and alluring feature when you think about riding it. Pro skier Cody Townsend rode The Crack and ended up winning Powder Magazine’s ‘Line Of The Year’ award and ‘Best Male Performance‘, it was said that his ski line was the ‘most insane ever.’
However, it was actually Travis Rice who made the first descent on a couloir feature he and Eric Jackson dubbed “The Crack” last season, but why are they now getting any of the credit? At first, this did not sit well with Travis but then he came to his senses, and in his own words “put my (his) ego in check and remembered the simple amazement of getting the chance to ride that thing with Eric Jackson…”. Travis decided to give Cody Townsend a call so they could chat about the line and what really went down.
Left Image: Cody Townsend – by: Christopher D. Thompson
Right Image: Travis Rice – photo: Tim Zimmerman
The whole conversation is a great read. You can tell after the first few lines how much respect each rider has for the other and in the end they were both just as stoked as the other to have even ridden the insane line that it is. They even talk about what a spotty season it was and Cody compares it to going on a surf trip for 3 weeks and getting absolutely skunked until the last day “and then all of the sudden there’s 100-footer comes through…and you catch it. One wave. Cool. One wave… but it was the wave of my life. So I’m good.” Which seemed to be a perfect analogy for both of them.
One of the last things to be said is Travis saying… “Where do we go from here? I think we both know there is ONE more to be done. But it might be 2020 material because it makes that one look friendly. I’ve looked at it… but it’s always, Yeah…no.” The two discuss it for a sec but it left me thinking, what the heck is more gnarly than something like The Crack?!? Let’s hope we find out sooner than later.
All-in-all, it’s great to see both of these riders talking about what they love to do and letting bygons be bygons. Even if Travis (and E-Jack) did ride it first.
CHECK OUT T.RICE’S “CRACK” BELOW