LJ Henriquez and Telma Särkipaju crowned Red Bull Heavy Metal Champions at City Hall Plaza
Upwards of 25,000 spectators packed into City Hall Plaza this past weekend to catch Red Bull Heavy Metal, the leading showcase in street snowboarding.
Before the largest crowd in the event’s history, Northeast native LJ Henriquez and Finland’s Telma Särkipaju were named champions of the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively.
“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, hot on the heels of her victory at the Rockstar Energy Open Parkstyle in Breckenridge, Colorado, said she came to Boston just hoping to place. “To actually win something this big means a lot,” she 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.”
Spectators filled the plaza, with a few onlookers posting up in Government Center Station, the neighboring Sam Adams Downtown Boston Taproom, and just about any elevated surface in sight – including the venue’s scattered trees and light fixtures. Up Congress Street, through Faneuil Hall, and even down the notorious Cop Slide, the mulleted and mustachioed fans brought out the best of extreme winter sporting.
Henriquez and Särkipaju took on three courses built into City Hall’s brutal architecture – a 40- foot downbar, a wall ride feature, and a massive jump down the Congress Street stairs. Snowbanks from around the downtown area formed the foundation of the tracks, with 150 tons of snow imported from New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain layered on top to create a cleaner, more consistent boarding experience.
“It’s just the perfect urban setting,” Event Producer Oren Tanzer told Caught In. “It’s got everything that we need, incredible rails, the spectator experience is incredible, and the history right here in the heart of Boston. It’s the most incredible venue for something like this.”
This year marked the event’s second year at City Hall, and third since returning from a 20-year hiatus. Henriquez and Särkipaju joined Jessica Pealmutter and Benny Milam, the 2025 champions, heavy-hitters Lucas Magoon, Egan Wint, Halldor Helgason, and Zeb Powell, one of the sport’s most recognizable riders.
Powell called this year’s event one for the books. “The production was bigger, the features were cleaner and more playful, and it was more dialed in for everyone, ” he said. “Seeing the Northeast snowboard community show out in record numbers meant everything to me.”
