Article written by Travis Stewart

2020 sure has been a wild ride. Global pandemic, travel bans, lives turned upside down. This truly is a world no one saw coming back in January. Even among the countless contests being canceled, travel bans across the world, and the general unrest everywhere, there was a little beacon of hope dug into the hills of southern California. For the 3rd year in a row, come hell or high water, Mammoth Camp & Blade was going to happen. The annual gathering of skaters from across the country took place September 4th and was planned through the 7th.

Countless skaters came from all corners of the state and country to partake in the long weeks planned activities. Camping, skating, more skating, hiking, skating, hot springs, hill bombing, skating again. Couple that with some of the most picturesque back drops the southern Californian hills has to offer, it seems like paradise. The annual weekend has three major skateparks they stop at along with an early morning hill bomb to get the blood pumping after a long night of campfire chats and drinking.

In true 2020 fashion, the weather changed, fires descended into the hills, and the weekend was smoked out before it could finish. Before all was lost though, Cody Norman was on hand to film the madness and smiles abound, and both Erick Esquivias and Nathan Smith were able to snap us some choice moments looking back at the short time they did have at both Mammoth Lakes and Crowley Lake Skatepark. If you’re looking for an adventure next year and want to have an amazing time, make sure to give Mammoth Camp & Blade a follow on Facebook and Instagram. Ted Harder’s 3rd annual gathering in the southern hills looked like just the thing we all needed to escape this year.