[juicebox gallery_id=”15″]

words: Chad Otterstrom

The Academy gathering started quite a few years back, I think around 2003 at Copper Mountain. Matt Peterson, a fully certified pro at the time, along with Jeff Baughn the guy running the show at Academy Snowboards had all the riders get together at the end of the season for a team bonding, eat cheese burgers, drink beverages and snowboard type of event. They invited everyone involved with Academy to come hang out, whether they rode for them or not. Academy riders would show up from around the globe to come tailgate with this crew.

I remember riding for Forum at the time and was more than welcome to hang out due to the fact I grew up shredding with Matt P. Still to this day I’m invited back every year. For the last two years I’ve been the official photographer for the shoot under the company SemiProProductions. I have all the sweet camera gear, mostly for the street cred. I could go way more into detail about what goes on at The Gathering but I won’t. I’ll just say it’s about snowboarding with your friends, getting some shots for the catalog, among other things, and having a good time.

Check out the gallery above for a preview of good time shredding in Tahoe.