It was a battle of the snow pros for our first-ever Snow Battle competition.

Helmets and goggles were required equipment for this combination capture-the-flag/snow ball fight.

It’s set up sort of like a paintball war, but the only ‘guns’ in this competition are on the arms hurling those snowballs through the air!

Here’s the play-by-play of our first Brundage Mountain Snow Battle, inspired by the international hit known as “Yukigassen”.

Teams had five minutes to make all the snowballs they could before the 15 minute match began…

With the artillery in place, the first match up was Ski Patrol versus the gang from Fall Line Tunes…

Ski Patrol showed up with fire in their eyes and got off to an aggressive start…

Fall Line Tunes put up a fight…the referee made a controversial call…but before we could even review the tape…Ski Patrol got a ‘call’ of their own and left to respond to an injury on the hill. (All in the line of duty, of course.)

After that, it was the Fall Line Tunes team versus Ski School. The tune pros caught their breath, snowballs were re-made, and the game was back on!

Players took their positions, providing flying snowball cover so team mates could advance toward the flag on the opposite side. Anyone hit twice by a snowball (above the waist) had to sit out for a minute while their team played on.

Some players were on defense, guarding the flags….

While others strategized a push forward…

At times, the competition was intense!!!

At others, it was downright silliness…

Here, the Ski School team makes an aggressive move for the flag…but didn’t make it back to home base before getting pelted by snowballs.

In the end, it was the player who graciously switched teams who swiped the final flag…

Bolted down the sideline as his teammate took some hits…

Then flew through the air in a dramatic dive for victory, planting the winning flag at home base!

While the Fall Line Tunes team was named 2010 Snow Battle Champions, the Brundage Mountain Ski School was awarded the “Honorable” Mention Yukigassen award. In the Japanese tradition, honor is cherished above all. Ski School was first-rate when it came to offering a player to another team, calling themselves ‘out’ when hit, and competing in the Snow Battle with courage and honor.

Hats off to all of the competitors – a good time was certainly had by all, and we hope to see even more teams joining the fun next year!  – April