VERNON, New Jersey ??” It’s that time of year again, when Mountain Creek gets everyone out of the shops and onto the snow. The original East Coast shop competition, now it its 6th year, returns to Mountain Creek on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 with registration kicking off at 7:30am in the Hex Bar and the rail jam running through 7:30pm. Immediately following the rail jam, the karaoke competition, slide show and awards ceremony will be held in the Hex Bar.

We know shop employees are sick of always working the cool events and never getting to participate, so Mountain Creek and Ride have teamed up again for the event that lets retail shop employees strut their stuff and compete for the title in the East Coast Shop Championship, and take home the coveted Tour de Creek Championship Cup. As you will remember from years past, all entrants must be employees of a valid shop and have proof (ie. pay stub, letter from shop owner on letterhead, etc.) in order to compete.

There are two categories for this snowboard comp, the four-person shop team and the sponsored rider session. Riders will battle it out in Mountain Creek’s Tylenol Main Park on Vernon Peak and compete in a slopestyle jam. The winning team riders will win a trip to Whistler Blackcomb in BC! Second and Third place teams will receive awesome product from Ride.

Plus don’t forget about the photography contest. Photographers, both amateur and pro, can get in on the action with a chance to show their on-hill picture-taking talents. All of the day’s photos will be displayed at the after-party slideshow in the Hex Bar & Grill, where everyone will vote for the day’s best photo. The winning photographer and the rider pictured in the winning photo will each go home with a brand-new Ride snowboard.

The event is free to enter however competitors will need to purchase a $5 Park Pass if they don’t already have one (which will be available at registration), and there is a $10 refundable bib deposit. Advance registration is recommended by contacting Chrissy Herrmann at 973-864-8093 or [email]cherrmann@mountaincreek.com[/email], but on-site registration is also possible on the day of the event.