Olympians, Moguls, and Maine's Finest Athlete
About Bust 'N' Burn
Most people who ski have encountered moguls, even if they've skied around them. They're the mounds of packed snow that build up on steep runs when skiers repeatedly carve turns in the same spots. Most recreational skiers avoid them. Elite freestyle skiers point straight down through them as fast as possible, absorbing each hit with their legs, launching off jumps, and making the whole thing look effortless. It's not.
What is Freestyle Mogul Skiing?
Freestyle mogul skiing is a discipline where competitors ski a steep course of packed snow bumps from top to bottom, launching off two jumps along the way. Athletes are scored on their turns, the quality of their jumps, and their speed, with technical precision counting for the majority of the score. Getting down the course fast matters, but getting down it well matters more.
What is Bust 'N' Burn
Bust 'N' Burn is Sunday River's annual spring mogul competition that returned in 2024, and what makes it special is the mix. Qualifiers run Saturday, with the top finishers advancing to Sunday's head to head dual finals. With $22,000 in prize money on the line, it's a legitimate competition. But it's also one of the best weekends of the ski season. Where else can a junior skier from across New England or a local from Bethel line up in the same bracket as athletes who have represented the U.S. at the Olympics and on the World Cup circuit? That's what Bust 'N' Burn is, and it's why the event keeps growing. This year the course moved to Monday Mourning in the Barker Basin for the first time, and the host, as always, was Donny Pelletier.
Athletes & an MC With a Moxie Habit
Donny is Maine's self-proclaimed Finest Athlete and a Sunday River institution in his own right, with a wicked accent, a Moxie habit, and his own chairback on the Barker 6 to prove it. This year's field was headlined by Troy Murphy, a Bethel native and 2018 Olympian who learned to ski moguls right here at Sunday River, and Dylan Walczyk, a two-time Olympian who competed at both Beijing in 2022 and Milan Cortina this past February, alongside World Cup athletes, former U.S. Ski Team members, and junior skiers from across New England, including some familiar faces from the Bethel area.
Two Olympians Take the Crown
When the finals wrapped up Sunday, Murphy took first in the men's division with Walczyk in second and Camden Lewis in third. On the women's side, Morgan Smith, a 2018 Olympian herself, won for the third straight year, making it a clean sweep since Bust 'N' Burn came back. Dory Michaud finished second and Keaton McCargo placed third.
See You Next Year
Two Olympians on the podium, a field of world-class bump skiers, and a spring afternoon on the mountain that was hard to beat. This is one of the best weekends on the Sunday River calendar, and we can't wait to do it again next April.