Special to the Sun
More than 25,000 spectators packed Boston City Hall Plaza on Saturday for the return of Red Bull Heavy Metal, one of the top contests in modern street snowboarding. Energized by the largest crowd in street snowboarding’s history, LJ Henriquez and Telma Särkipaju claimed overall titles in the men’s and women’s category.
Overnight snow and light flurries helped set the stage as the world’s best riders took on three zones built into Boston City Hall Plaza’s natural terrain, using the city’s rails, stairs, gaps and brick walls to put street riding on full display in front of a live audience.
LJ Henriquez, a Northeast native from Little Falls, New Jersey, described the win a milestone moment.
“This is the pinnacle event in the world for street snowboarding right now,” Henriquez said. “To win here, close to home, in front of my friends and family is such a surreal feeling. Everyone here is the best, so I had to go as hard as possible at all times to come away with the win.”
Särkipaju, a first-time Red Bull Heavy Metal competitor who recently returned to riding after a back injury, said the win felt like a defining moment in her comeback.
“I had no expectations coming in and was just hoping to make finals, so to actually win something this big means a lot,” Särkipaju said. “I saw videos from last year and thought it was next level, but being here and feeling that crowd was unlike anything I’ve experienced. Their energy definitely made the difference.”
The single-day finals unfolded across three distinct zones integrated into City Hall Plaza’s renovated architecture, with the Loon Mountain Terrain Park Team trucking in roughly 150 tons of snow to shape the competition zones. Riders competed for individual zone wins and overall titles as the field mixed contest standouts with video part heavy hitters, including Lucas Magoon, Egan Wint, Halldor Helgason, Jess Perlmutter and Zeb Powell.
Powell, one of the sport’s most recognizable riders and a fixture at Red Bull Heavy Metal, said the event’s second year in Boston raised the bar.
“This was another one for the books for Boston,” Powell said. “Same energy just leveled up. The production was bigger, the features were cleaner and more playful, and it was more dialed in for everyone. Seeing the Northeast snowboard community show out in record numbers meant everything to me. I can’t wait to see where we take Red Bull Heavy Metal from here.”
Red Bull Heavy Metal’s legacy is rooted in video part riding and rail innovation, led by generations of riders who built street snowboarding into what it is today. The 2026 season honored that history by providing a platform designed to elevate the next generation of talent and introduce more people to the sport.
For the latest Red Bull Heavy Metal action and event updates, follow @redbullusa and @redbullsnow and visit redbull.com/heavymetal.