Summer Melt, High Stakes, and Hot Laps: Inside the Armada Snowboards Mt. Hood Shakedown

It hits right around mid-June. The summer heat settles in, the asphalt starts to sizzle, and suddenly, everyone in the snow community gets that collective itch. While most of us can’t just pack up and chase winter down to the Southern Hemisphere, there’s one sacred place that calls to every rider this time of year: Mt. Hood, Oregon.

There’s a deep nostalgia to summer laps at Timberline. It’s a rite of passage, a summer camp for grown-ups, and the ultimate testing ground.

This June, the newly minted Armada Snowboards team loaded up the vans and set off for a week of heavy boarding, product testing, and hanging with the local Oregon shops. With team captain Danimals, Egan Wint, and Jubes Pelchat leading the charge alongside a hungry crew of Armada employees, the energy was electric. We weren't just there to ride; we were there to usher in a new era for the brand.

Here is what went down during a week of high stakes, prototype testing, and perfect summer vibes.

The Car Lot Hype & Astronomical Bets

If you want to get a crew of snowboarders fired up after months off snow, you start throwing down some cash.

As soon as we touched down, I started dishing out way too many bets to count. I wanted to inject that day-one excitement right out of the gate. It started simple:

"First person to go upside down, I got twenty bucks on it."

But as the morning sun hit the volcano, the numbers got a little astronomical for a crew that hadn't strapped in since April:

"First person to lands a switch back nine, I got a hundred dollars with your name on it."

Suiting up in the Timberline parking lot felt like a movie. The mornings kicked off with an aggressive lot session—tailgates dropped, music bumping, and binding discs spinning. Watching a whole brand set up gear in the dirt is like watching the NBA All-Stars lace up before a game.

What made it even cooler? Much of the crew was dialling in brand-new Armada Prototype boards, already dreaming about and building the future of the brand.

Low Snow, High Output at Timberline

Let's be real: the snowpack was lower than most of us had seen in years past. But a patchy glacier wasn't about to stop this crew from getting after it.

We headed straight for Timberline’s public park, and right off the bat, the team reminded everyone why they earned their spots on the roster. It was a masterclass in adapting to the conditions:

• Danimals was gliding through the park with effortless style, riding with the kind of ease that made you think he was on his board just yesterday.

• Egan Wint was absolute poetry in motion, hitting features like she was warm-up looping for the Heavy Metal rail jam.

• Jubes Pelchat brought that elite, effortless precision, riding like she was on a casual cool-down lap straight from the Olympics.

Watching them tear apart a summer park in variable conditions was nothing short of inspiring. They didn’t care if the snow was heavy or the lanes were short—they just wanted to ride.

Photo by: Ryan Harris

Crossing Off a Hood Rite of Passage: Tom Meets Cobra Dogs

You can’t talk about a pilgrimage to Mt. Hood without talking about the culture that surrounds it, which brought us to a major team milestone.

Enter Tom Kingsnorth, our Armada Snowboards European Marketing Manager. Tom made the massive trek all the way from England to test product and link up with the crew. Not only was this Tom’s very first time experiencing the magic of Mt. Hood, but it also meant he had never experienced a Cobra Dog.

For the uninitiated, Cobra Dogs is an absolute staple of the snowboard community—a legendary hot dog shack at the base of the wave that feeds hungry riders and fuels the culture. Watching Tom cross the pond, shred the glacier, and finally bite into his first-ever Cobra Dog was a beautiful cultural exchange. Consider the initiation complete, Tom.

Building Armada Snowboards Our Way

This trip was a milestone for us. Testing these products in real-time with the team has everyone incredibly hyped for our first full season of bringing Armada Snowboards to market.

When you get the riders, the designers, and the builders all on the same chairlift, something magical happens. Seeing the passion, hard work, and raw dedication everyone is pouring into this project gave us all a shared realization: We aren't just doing this the right way; we're doing it our way.

Beyond the product testing, the trip quickly evolved past cashing bets and taking names. It became entirely about the good vibes and high fives. The weather was absolute money, and Mt. Hood provided that classic, slower pace of living that forces you to unplug and just enjoy the turns.

The Corporate MVP: Turning the Volume Up

While everyone on the trip put down an MVP-worthy performance, you always have to give a shoutout to the ultimate standout of the week. That title goes to Trevor Brady, Armada’s Global Sales Manager.

Now, most of us normal humans like to "surf the earth" at a somewhat leisurely pace. When you’ve been glued to a desk for two months, you don't usually wake up raring to throw 540s into summer slush.

Trev didn't care. He had one speed all week: Go. It didn’t take long for him to turn the volume all the way up, showing the team that the corporate side of the brand goes just as hard as the riders.

The Future is Coming to a Shop Near You

We left Oregon with sunburns, sore legs, and a fleet of thoroughly tested, certified-fresh snowboards. We are building something special here at Armada, and we are just getting started.

WE CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU TO SEE THESE BOARDS IN STORES AND TO RIDE WITH YOU THIS UPCOMING SEASON!

Keep your eyes peeled—the winter shift is coming.

See you on the hill, — Max Raymer & The Armada Crew