Small Mountain, Big Fun at Zeb Powell's Beech Mountain Pop Out
Upon first arrival to the Beech Mountain Resort parking lot around 10 a.m., you wouldn’t know that some of the best snowboarders in the area were hosting a community ride day. You wouldn’t know that when you got to the ticket booth, or when you approached the base of the summit lift, or when you got off of that lift at the top, just below the 5506’ Skybar. Around 10:30, the crew was still inside eating breakfast. Kaden Rusinko didn’t jump off of any roofs this time around.
Then, shortly after 11 a.m., that all changed. The music was pumping through the lower half of the mountain, emanating from the park. Large crowds started to form at the drop-in area.
And there was Zeb Powell, riding up the tow rope with all his friends. Some of the usual suspects made an appearance, including Alex Caccamo, Brantley Mullins and her brother, JK Mullins, Rusinko, Brolin Mawejje, and the rest of the Recess shop team.
It was the third of four stops on Zeb and Cac’s Pop Out Tour. This year, the gang had already stopped at Hatley Pointe and Cataloochee, where Zeb actually learned how to ride. Beech was the third stop, and Appalachian Ski Area is the final location.
It’s a rare event in snowboarding these days: take some of the best pros around, drop them back on these small ski areas, and let them throw 540s while children, adults, and beginners alike get to hit their first features right behind them, or alongside them.
And what does that mean to the crew?
“What does it mean?” Rusinko said. “It means everything.”
For the Mullins siblings, who got to grow up riding at Beech every weekend, it was just as amazing for the kids. Brantley said she was once herself a little kid, watching the Recess team ride, thinking that they were the coolest people around. Now, she has girls coming up to her in-between laps, telling her how much she inspires them.
“I can never take this for granted,” she said. “None of the stops, but especially not here.”
