The 37th Legendary Banked Slalom runs February 19, 20 and 21, 2027 at Mt. Baker Ski Area: qualifiers Friday and Saturday, finals Sunday. It’s the rescheduled 2026 race, postponed in January when the Natural Halfpipe never filled in. Watching it is not a walk-up event. You have to ski or ride to the course, and that means buying a lift ticket like everyone else.
Here’s what we tell guests who book that weekend with us.
When is the Legendary Banked Slalom in 2027?
February 19–21, 2027 — Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The official race site lists the 37th LBS as Feb. 19-20-21, 2027. That’s one weekend after Presidents’ Day, which falls on Monday, February 15, 2027, and it sits later in February than the race has historically run.
The date shift is deliberate and, according to the mountain, permanent. After the 2026 cancellation, then-CEO Gwyn Howat told Cascadia Daily News that the race would be moved later in February in future years to give the snowpack more time to build a workable pipe. If you have this race pencilled into a calendar as “first weekend of February,” update it.
Why was the 2026 Legendary Banked Slalom canceled?
Snow — or rather, the shape of it. Organizers pulled the plug on January 22, 2026 because the Natural Halfpipe was unworkable: icy, chunky snow with rock and dirt showing through the banks after a warm, rainy stretch. The mountain still had over 100 inches of base at the summit. The pipe itself just wasn’t there.
That distinction matters if you’re trying to read this coming winter’s odds. The Banked Slalom doesn’t need a big season; it needs the right snow in one specific gully. A December storm cycle followed by a February rain-on-snow event can leave a mountain deep and a course unrideable at the same time.
Every racer who held a spot in the canceled 2026 field is eligible to ride in 2027.
What is the Legendary Banked Slalom, exactly?
A snowboard race down a natural halfpipe at Mt. Baker, first run in 1985 by Bob Barci and Tom Sims for 14 riders on a 500-foot course with 15 gates. It grew into one of snowboarding’s most important annual gatherings — and the trophy is still a roll of duct tape.
Winners get that duct tape and an embroidered Carhartt jacket. No prize purse spectacle, no manufactured hype. Terje Håkonsen is the winningest man with seven titles between 1995 and 2012; Craig Kelly won in 1988, 1991 and 1993; Maëlle Ricker took seven straight women’s titles from 2007 to 2013.
The race now runs roughly 385 racers per day across 15 categories, from Next Gen (ages 8–12) through Pro Legends, plus Gender Non-Conforming / Non-Binary and Para-Snowboard divisions. It has been called off before — 2005, 2015 and 2021 — so the 2026 postponement, while painful, isn’t unprecedented.
Can you just show up and watch the Banked Slalom?
Only if you ski or snowboard. The course sits in the Natural Halfpipe near the top of Chair 5 and cannot be seen from the day lodge. LBS states it plainly on its spectator page: non-riding spectators are not allowed, and that includes hiking, snowshoeing or skinning up to the course.
If you’re riding, the access is straightforward:
- Start at the White Salmon base area and ride Chair 7, then continue on Chair 5 or Chair 8.
- Watch from the east edge of the natural halfpipe, next to the start.
- To see finishes, follow the flagged perimeter down the east side of the course.
- Do not enter the course at any point, and do not approach from Sam’s Ridge on the west side.
This is the single biggest surprise for first-timers, and it’s worth planning around. If someone in your group doesn’t ride, they are not going to see this race. Give them a valley day instead — Glacier, the river, a long afternoon at the cabin — and meet up after the awards.
Do you need a lift ticket, and what does it cost?
Yes, and so do the racers. LBS is blunt about it: “Your bib is NOT a lift ticket.” Mt. Baker sells tickets only at the ski area, on the day you ride. There’s no online advance sale, no reservation system, and they don’t sell out. February 19–21 is Friday through Sunday, so all three days price as peak.
Posted daily lift ticket rates for the 2026–27 season, before Washington’s 8.3% sales tax:
| Ticket | Peak (Fri–Sun & holidays) | Off-peak (Mon–Thu) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (16–59) | $115.42 | $98.80 |
| Youth (11–15) | $71.10 | $60.94 |
| Child (7–10) | $49.86 | $41.55 |
| Senior (60–69) | $97.88 | $83.10 |
| Super Senior (70+) | $68.33 | $58.17 |
| Ages 6 and under | Free | Free |
Mt. Baker is independent — not on Epic, not on Ikon — so there’s no multi-mountain pass that gets you in the gate. More on how the mountain works in our Mt. Baker ski area guide.
What does race weekend actually look like, day by day?
The 2027 times aren’t posted yet. The 2026 schedule is the working template and it changes very little year to year: qualifiers Friday and Saturday mornings, finals Sunday at 9:15am, awards at 4:00pm in the White Salmon Day Lodge, and a bonfire and salmon barbecue Saturday afternoon.
2026 schedule (use as a shape, not a promise):
| Day | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | 8:15–9:00am | Racer check-in, White Salmon Day Lodge top floor |
| Friday | 9:00–10:00am | Course inspection (side-slip only, no linked turns) |
| Friday | 10:15am | Qualifier race start |
| Friday | 1:30pm | Music and fire pit at White Salmon Day Lodge |
| Friday | 4:00pm | Results posted at the Racer Info Booth |
| Saturday | 8:00–8:45am | Lift ticket purchase / season pass check |
| Saturday | 9:30am | Qualifier race start |
| Saturday | 2:00–5:30pm | Bonfire, salmon barbecue, music |
| Saturday | 4:00pm | Finals roster announced |
| Sunday | 9:15am | Finals start — two runs, best run counts |
| Sunday | 4:00pm | Prizes and awards, main level of the day lodge |
Sources: the LBS Friday, Saturday and Sunday pages. LBS notes the schedule can change without notice; the start shack and the Race Info Booth in the White Salmon Day Lodge are the authoritative boards on race day.
How do you get an entry into the race?
You don’t sign up. Spots come through six routes: reserved slots for roughly the top 25% of finishers in each category from the previous year, the Locals+ Qualifier (about 50 spots), a lottery (about 70 spots, age 16+), results from other banked slaloms around the world, sponsor allocations, and discretionary invitations.
The full breakdown lives on the LBS entry methods page. As of today, August 14, 2026, the 2027-specific lottery deadlines were not yet published — the lottery page still reflects the 2026 cycle, which closed September 30, 2025 with drawn racers required to register and pay by October 15, 2025. Watch lbs.mtbaker.us for the 2027 dates.
One honest caveat: because the entire canceled 2026 field carries over, there is less room than usual in 2027. Plan on spectating unless you already hold a spot.
Where do you stay for Banked Slalom weekend?
In the valley. The ski area says it directly on its getting here page: “There are no accommodations available at the ski area.” The nearest beds are down the Mt. Baker Highway in Glacier and Maple Falls. Overnight parking exists in small numbers at Heather Meadows and White Salmon, and reservations are required.
| Base camp | To the ski area | To Glacier | To Bellingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| The A-Frame (Glacier) | ~40 min | 10 min | 30 min |
| The Red Cabin (Maple Falls) | 45 min | 15 min | 35 min |
Two things worth knowing about this particular weekend. First, race weekend now lands the weekend right after Presidents’ Day, so the valley gets two of its busiest weekends inside seven days. Second, everyone staying up-valley is trying to be in the same parking lot at the same time — LBS advises being at the ski area by 8:00am even if your category doesn’t run until the afternoon, and spectators are competing for those same spaces.
If you’re still deciding between towns, our where to stay near Mt. Baker comparison covers Glacier vs. Maple Falls vs. Deming honestly, and our Mt. Baker lodging guide covers the wider set of options. We also keep a running list of cabins with hot tubs, which is what most people actually want after three days in a February halfpipe.
What should you know about the drive up?
Leave early and carry chains. SR-542 climbs hard for the last stretch, chain requirements are routine in February, and Washington law requires you to carry them in posted zones. Check the WSDOT Mt. Baker Highway pass report before you leave the cabin, not after you’ve lost cell service.
- No gas in Glacier. Last fuel is Maple Falls. Details in our corridor services guide.
- Cell service dies around Kendall, with pockets in Glacier. Download maps, the LBS schedule, and anything else you need before you go.
- Check NWAC if you’re riding anywhere outside the ropes that weekend.
- Our road conditions page keeps the live links in one place, and we go deeper on tires, chains and traction law in driving to Mt. Baker in winter.
Where we’d put you for race weekend
Both of our cabins solve the same problem: you’re going to come off that hill cold, and probably wet. Our A-frame sits near Glacier, about 40 minutes from the lifts and 10 minutes from Glacier’s restaurants. Our red cabin is in Maple Falls, 45 minutes out and 15 minutes below Glacier.
The A-frame is the one built for a race crew. It’s a 3-bedroom cabin sleeping 6 — a king and two queens, two full baths — with a cedar barrel sauna set back in the woods, a hot tub, an outdoor shower, a gas fire pit and free parking for up to six vehicles. The free espresso and cocoa bar matters more than it sounds like it should when you’re trying to leave for an 8:00am parking spot. It has 59 five-star reviews.
The red cabin is the smaller, quieter option: a renovated 2-bedroom sleeping 4, two queen beds, a private hot tub under the trees that runs year-round, a fireplace and a full kitchen, with parking for three vehicles. It has 291 five-star reviews.
Both cabins are strictly no pets. Booking on this site is our best rate, direct from the owners.
If you’re building the rest of the trip around the race, our 3-day Mt. Baker ski weekend itinerary is the version we hand guests, and cabins near Mt. Baker lays out the drive-time tradeoffs between every town in the corridor.
Dates, prices and schedules above were checked against official sources on August 14, 2026. The 2027 race schedule and entry deadlines are not yet published; lbs.mtbaker.us is the source of truth when they are.