Half-Pipe Prize Read online

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1: Winterfall

  CHAPTER 2: Reunion

  CHAPTER 3: Left Out

  CHAPTER 4: Quick Run

  CHAPTER 5: Lunch

  CHAPTER 6: Sitting Out

  CHAPTER 7: Sign Up

  CHAPTER 8: Downhill Race

  CHAPTER 9: The Pipe

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Glossary

  More About Snowboarding Gear

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  Other Books By Jake Maddox

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  Chapter 1

  WINTERFALL

  For the last fifty miles, I don’t think I stopped smiling for even one second. That’s because my mom and dad and I were driving up to Winterfall.

  “How much longer?” I asked my dad.

  He smiled. “Didn’t you just ask me that, Tess?” he said.

  “That was a long time ago,” I replied. “At least ten minutes.”

  “We’ve still got a while to go,” Dad said. “At least another hour.”

  “I hope we don’t hit any traffic,” my mom added.

  We live down in River City, but we’re not from there. To us, River City is too crowded, too busy, and too dirty. I guess that’s because until this past summer, my family lived in Winterfall.

  Winterfall is a tiny town. It only has one diner and one grocery store. It’s pretty cold all year round. The first snow is usually in October. My dad says that’s why it’s called Winterfall, because winter starts in fall!

  In fact, there’s only one reason most people ever go to Winterfall. That reason is Grizzly Mountain, the best skiing and snowboarding mountain in the state.

  Growing up in Winterfall, I learned to snowboard almost before I could walk. Snowboarding is my favorite thing in the world.

  My best friends Sofie and Ana and I used to snowboard every day. After school, we’d go straight to the mountain and ride all afternoon right until dinner. Some weekends we hardly did anything other than snowboard!

  The best part is we all got to ride for free. All of us had a parent working at Grizzly Mountain Resort, so our ski lift tickets were always free.

  This past summer, though, both of my parents got new jobs down in River City. So we had to move. It was really hard for me to leave Winterfall.

  I made my parents promise to take me back to Winterfall every winter for a week.

  Now we were almost there. I couldn’t wait to see my best friends and hit the slopes.

  Chapter 2

  REUNION

  My dad pulled our station wagon into a parking space at the resort. “Finally!” I said. He had hardly stopped the car before I opened my door.

  Right away, I grabbed my board and boots from the back of the car. Then I headed toward the lodge to change into my snowboarding clothes.

  “Don’t go too far!” my mom called out. “And be careful!”

  “Meet us back at the lodge for lunch at one!” my dad added.

  “Okay!” I called back with a smile.

  For a moment, I glanced around the lodge, looking for Sofie and Ana. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket, but there was no signal.

  I shook my head. “Stupid mountain,” I said to myself. “Always blocks my signal.”

  After one more look around, I sat down on a bench to put my boots on. In a few minutes, I was all set.

  I put my board under my arm. Then I headed toward the ski lifts.

  I was sad I hadn’t seen Sofie and Ana. But they didn’t know I would be there. I was planning to surprise them.

  Every winter, Grizzly Mountain Resort has a snowboarding competition called the GMR Cup. Anyone can enter the Cup in their age group, but one of the employees’ kids always wins.

  It makes sense. Kids from the city just don’t get to practice nearly as much as kids who live in Winterfall.

  I don’t like to brag, but I won four years in a row. Sofie came in second every time.

  This winter, I made sure my parents planned our week in Winterfall so I could compete again. I wanted to be the first kid from River City to win — even if I hadn’t lived there very long.

  I got in line for the lift to the top of the mountain. Just then, I heard my name.

  “Tess?” a voice said. “Is that you?”

  I turned around and saw Sofie and Ana coming out of the lodge.

  “It is her!” Ana said.

  Ana was smiling like crazy, but Sofie wasn’t looking at me. She was looking down at the ground.

  “Hi!” I called back, waving. I gave up my place in line to run over to my friends.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” Ana said. She glanced over at Sofie.

  “Hi, Tess,” Sofie said. She tried to smile, but I could tell she wasn’t really happy. She still wouldn’t look me in the eye.

  “Hi, you two,” I replied.

  My good mood was starting to fade. To be honest, I was expecting a happier reunion than this.

  “I’m here for the whole week,” I went on. “That means I can compete in the Cup!”

  Ana looked at Sofie again. “That’s great, Tess,” Sofie said. “Really.”

  Then she turned around and went back into the lodge without saying another word.

  Chapter 3

  LEFT OUT

  “What was that all about?” I asked Ana.

  “I’m not sure,” Ana replied. She tried to smile. “I’ll go and check on her.”

  Ana quickly chased after Sofie. I picked up my board and tried to keep up. By the time I got through a small crowd and into the lodge, I couldn’t see them anywhere.

  I sat down on a bench near the door and looked at a nearby clock.

  It was already 11:30. I didn’t have much time before lunch with my parents.

  After a few minutes, Sofie and Ana walked over. I stood up.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked. It was weird to feel so out of touch with my friends. Something was obviously going on, but they didn’t want to tell me about it.

  “Yes,” Sofie said. “I just had to, um, go to the bathroom.”

  “Well, should we go for a few runs?” I asked.

  “For sure,” Ana replied. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. At least Ana seemed happy I was back in Winterfall.

  Soon we were on the three-person lift up to the top of Grizzly Mountain. I felt the cold mountain wind blow across my face.

  The air got even colder as we glided higher and higher up the mountain.

  “I have missed this so much,” I said, smiling.

  “You’ve only been away for like five months,” Sofie said. “It’s not like you’ve been gone for five years or something like that.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I looked at my hands. “I just missed it,” I said quietly.

  The ride to the top of Grizzly Mountain is pretty long. But when your best friend is giving you the cold shoulder, it feels like it takes about a million years to get to the top.

  Finally, I saw the peak. “Here it comes,” Ana said.

  I turned and smiled at her. I was glad she sat between Sofie and me on the lift. It would have been even harder otherwise.

  As the lift reached the drop-off spot, I stood up and let my board take me off the lift. The three of us glided a few feet. Then we stopped in a place where we wouldn’t get in the way of other skiers or boarders.

  From the top of the mountain, you can choose a few different routes. Some are fast and steep, and others are a little slower.

  “Which way should we go?” I asked.

  Sofie shrugged. “Doesn’t matter,” she said without looking at me.

  Ana looked at Sofie, then at me. She sm
iled and said, “Yeah, you should choose, Tess. You’ve been away, after all.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  I looked up at the trails sign. I wasn’t sure which one to choose.

  “She can’t even remember the different choices,” Sofie said. I frowned. She was acting like I couldn’t even hear her.

  “You know, I’m standing right here,” I said.

  “Whatever,” Sofie said. “Just pick a trail so we don’t freeze to death.”

  I stared at Sofie. She didn’t look back. I felt myself starting to get very upset. Instead of getting into a fight with Sofie, I just picked a trail.

  Without a word, I pushed off and glided to the top of Maple Run. I clipped my back foot into the board and started down. I didn’t even care if Sofie and Ana were behind me or not.

  Chapter 4

  QUICK RUN

  I had a good run, but it wasn’t as fun as I’d hoped it would be. I wasn’t even thinking about snowboarding. Instead, I was too busy feeling sad about Sofie.

  I had no idea why she was so mad at me. I hadn’t seen her since July. I couldn’t have done anything wrong.

  When I reached the bottom, I turned to look for my friends. They weren’t in line for the lift.

  After a few minutes watching people reach the bottom of the run, I still didn’t spot my two friends. I kept looking for a while, but I didn’t see them anywhere.

  The big clock over the lift line said 12:30. I was supposed to meet my parents in half an hour.

  I guess I have time for one more run, I thought.

  I got back in the lift line. Soon I was soaring over the trees on my way back to the peak.

  About halfway up the mountain, I spotted Ana and Sofie below me. They were on Hairpins and Needles, one of my favorite trails.

  They took a different trail, I thought. Probably so they could talk about me.

  When I reached the top, I realized I only had about ten minutes before I was supposed to meet my parents at the lodge. They hated it when I was late for things.

  “Guess I better take Straight Shooter,” I said to myself. That trail was the quickest way down.

  Soon I was flying down the slope. It’s pretty much a straight line from the top to the bottom.

  Of course, you can’t just go straight down the whole way. Your speed would be way too high!

  Instead, you have to cut back and forth the whole time. But you still go pretty fast.

  I got to the bottom in good time. When I stopped, a spray of snow shot out in front of my board.

  Even though my friends were being weird, I couldn’t help smiling and feeling good. I was back in Winterfall on my board!

  I quickly took off my board and ran into the lodge. It was 12:55.

  “And I even have five minutes to spare,” I said to myself. Then I spotted Ana and Sofie eating lunch.

  I walked over to my friends. Right away, I turned to Sofie. It was time to get to the bottom of this.

  “Hi, Sofie,” I said.

  She didn’t reply. She just kept looking down.

  “Look,” I went on, “obviously you’re mad at me about something.”

  “No,” Ana said. “She’s not. Don’t worry, Tess.”

  Just then, my parents walked over to us.

  “Hi, sweetie,” my mom said. “Hi, girls.”

  Ana said hello, but Sofie just sat there. Now she was just being plain rude. “Hello, Sofie?” I said.

  Finally she turned and looked at me. “Just go back to River City, Tess,” she shouted. “Okay?” Then Sofie got to her feet and stormed off.

  Chapter 5

  LUNCH

  My favorite food in the entire world is the macaroni and cheese at Grizzly Mountain Resort’s café. But that day, I barely touched it. I just poked at it with my fork and leaned on my fist.

  “You’re pretty mad at Sofie, huh?” my dad said.

  I just shrugged.

  “Try not to let her ruin this week for you, sweetie,” my mom added.

  “I won’t,” I said. “I don’t even care, really.”

  “You don’t, huh?” my dad asked.

  “No, I don’t,” I replied. “I only wanted to come up so I could compete in the Cup anyway.”

  “Hmm,” my mom said. “If I remember right, you haven’t even mentioned the Cup.”

  “That’s right,” my dad added. “You only talked about Ana and Sofie for the last month, since we started planning this trip.”

  Maybe that was true, but I didn’t care anymore. For the rest of the week, I planned to just snowboard and think about the Cup.

  My appetite started coming back. The mac and cheese was as great as ever.

  “Remember, honey,” Dad finally said after a few minutes of silent eating. “Sofie was your best friend for years.”

  “I know,” I said. “So what?”

  “So,” Mom replied. My parents always talk as a team like that. They like to finish each other’s sentences. “So maybe she’s a little angry at you for leaving Winterfall.”

  “It wasn’t my choice to leave!” I replied. “That’s dumb.”

  “Maybe,” Dad said. “But sometimes people get upset over dumb things.”

  I looked down at my food. I wasn’t hungry anymore.

  Chapter 6

  SITTING OUT

  Sometimes, I’m happy when I’m right and my parents are wrong. This time, I wasn’t happy.

  The next morning, I found Sofie and Ana at breakfast.

  The café has a great buffet breakfast. Piles of fresh fruit, eggs any way you want them, and all kinds of yummy sausage and bacon and stuff. It’s a great breakfast before a long day on the slopes.

  “Hi, Ana,” I said. I joined them in line for the buffet. “Hi, Sofie,” I added quickly.

  “Good morning, Tess,” Ana replied. Sofie, of course, didn’t say anything.

  “Sofie,” I went on, “I know why you’re mad at me.”

  She spun and faced me. “Oh, do you?” she asked. “Why am I mad at you?”

  “Because I moved to River City,” I said. “But I didn’t want to move. I would rather have stayed in Winterfall with you two forever.”

  Sofie just glared at me. Then she dropped her tray and stomped off toward the bathroom.

  “I guess my parents were wrong,” I said to Ana. “They said she was hurt because I moved away.”

  “Nah,” Ana said. “We know you had to move because of your parents’ new jobs.”

  “Then what is it, Ana?” I said. I felt desperate. “Why is Sofie so mad at me?”

  Ana glanced at the bathroom door to make sure Sofie wasn’t coming back. She wasn’t, so Ana turned toward me. “You know how you win the Cup every year?” Ana asked.

  I nodded. “Of course,” I replied.

  “And Sofie always came in second every year?” Ana asked.

  Again, I nodded. “Yes,” I said.

  “Well,” Ana went on, “when you left, of course we knew we would miss you. But Sofie also realized she had a great chance of winning the Cup this year.”

  Then I realized what was going on. “So, with me here this week,” I said, “Sofie thinks I’ll win again.”

  Ana nodded. “She pretty much thinks you came back this week just so she couldn’t win,” Ana said.

  “That’s crazy!” I said. “I would never do that!”

  “I know you didn’t do it on purpose,” Ana said. “But Sofie isn’t so sure.”

  That’s when Sofie walked over. “Are you talking about me?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said. “Sofie, I didn’t come back to take the Cup from you.”

  Sofie looked at me. Her eyes were soft, like she’d been crying. “You didn’t?” she asked.

  “Of course not,” I said. “I thought it would be fun to be in the Cup with you two again, that’s all.”

  “Well, it will be, I guess,” Sofie replied.

  No one said anything. We were probably really holding up the line for the buffet.

  “L
isten,” I said finally, “I won’t even enter the Cup.”

  “What?” Ana said.

  “You won’t?” Sofie asked.

  I shook my head and reached for the bacon. “Nope,” I replied. “I’m going to sit this one out and cheer for my friends Sofie and Ana.”

  I moved down the line and filled my plate. The next thing I knew, Sofie threw her arms around my neck.

  “Thank you, Tess!” Sofie said. “I really appreciate it.”

  Well, we were friends again. We ate breakfast together and spent the rest of the day making run after run on our snowboards.

  I watched my friends as they shot down the slopes. Sofie had really gotten better with her jumps and tricks. She even pulled off a perfect 360.

  It was nice that no one was angry at anyone else. But by the end of the day, I felt sort of empty inside.

  The truth is, I really wanted to enter the Cup.

  Chapter 7

  SIGN UP

  After a few days, I was starting to feel pretty sad. I mean, I was happy to see my friends again. I was especially happy that Sofie wasn’t angry at me anymore. That had been the worst feeling.

  But it seemed like we had just switched places. Sofie was having a great time now. She was smiling all the time and having a lot of fun on the slopes. It was nice to see her so happy.

  Meanwhile, I was hardly trying at all on my snowboard. My tricks were lame, my speed was slow, and I wasn’t really having fun.

  Early on Friday morning, the day before the competition, we headed over to the half-pipe. That’s a long ditch on the slope for doing tricks.

  Ana and I sat on the edge. We watched Sofie take a run through the pipe.

  “Sofie has been practicing on the pipe a lot, huh?” I asked. I could tell from her tricks that she’d been working hard. She was landing much better than she used to. She seemed much more confident.

  “Constantly,” Ana replied with a nod. “She spends all afternoon on the pipe, after school is out.”