A snowboarding contest that runs like a surf heat shouldn’t work this well, but the Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge at Mt Bachelor has become a Bend, Oregon staple for a reason. The stoke is real, the course is custom every year, and the whole thing feels more like a skatepark jam than a rulebook competition. When you add Hawaiian food, reggae on the deck, and a lift line full of groms, pros, and proud “kooks,” you start to understand why people plan their season around it.
We talk with key organizers Jason and Mo Baldessari, plus Ryan Buccola and Anne DosPassos, about how the event gets built, why volunteering is the secret sauce, and how Bend’s outdoor culture makes this community fundraiser possible. You’ll hear how an unlikely connection through Active Skin Repair started a friendship between Jason and Gerry, and how Big Wave becomes a doorway into friendships, local commitment, and a broader “give back” mindset. We also get into what’s new, including a groms division and an adaptive snowboarding category, along with the surf-style jam format that keeps the day fun and fast.
On the back end, we’re joined by snowboarding veterans Curtis Ciszek and Austin Smith to honor Pat Malendoski, one of the most influential terrain builders in the sport. Pat isn’t just known for perfect halfpipes, but for a creative eye that turns snow into something closer to art, and the Big Wave Challenge now raises funds to support him and other beneficiaries. If you care about snowboarding culture, Mt Bachelor, Bend events, or how a community rally turns into real impact, this conversation hits home.
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