Bluebird at Baker. Skylar Thornton gets some. Photo: Chris Wellhausen
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington
Western Washington University is as close to Canada as you can get without applying for citizenship. It’s right on the water, twenty minutes to the border and about an hour and a half to the legendary Mount Baker. The claim to fame? Snow, and lots of it. Baker holds the world record for snowfall-1,140 inches in 1998/1999. While the Baker Hardcore crew (think Mike Ranquet, Craig Kelly) is a thing of the past, there’s a new life in hardcore locals like Lucas DeBari, Pat McCarthy, Blair Habenicht, Mark Landvik, Jake Blauvelt and many more who fuel the scene and call this place home. There’s backcountry for days, accessible right off the lifts and enough drizzly, down days to finish your homework before it’s really on.
Nearest resort(s): Mount Baker (52 miles), Mount Seymour (63 miles), Grouse Mountain (60 miles), Whistler/Blackcomb (128 miles), Summit at Snoqualmie (140 miles)
Website: wwu.edu
Snowboard club/team: WWU Snowboard Club
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