The goal of the Dirksen Derby is to bring the snowboard and sit-ski communities together for an incredibly fun and memorable weekend filled with fast race times, strong friendships, and lasting memories.
The first Dirksen Derby Snowboard Rally Race was held at Mt. Bachelor in Oregon on December 1, 2007. The event had three divisions, 58 racers, and raised $1,160 for local snowboarder Tyler Eklund, who had been seriously injured while competing eight months earlier at the USASA Snowboard Nationals in California.
With only 12 inches of snow on the ground that first year, the Dirksen Derby 1 course consisted of a single 30-second run down a dirt halfpipe, with metal fencing poking out of the berms and hay bales to ollie over before hitting a jump at the finish line. The manual stopwatch/radio timing system started between two large trees at the top and ended when the rider landed the final hay bale jump.
The event has come a long way since then. Our 100% hand-dug Parallel Banked Slalom courses challenge racers with a slow but technical format that rewards consistency and penalizes even the smallest mistakes. Our world-class timing system (run by CJ Timing) combines riders’ times from the Red Course (more difficult) and the Green Course (more approachable) into a final combined time at the end of the weekend. The fastest combined time wins.
As of 2025 The Dirksen Derby has, hosted over 17 races (Snowboard, Sit-Ski, and Splitboard), "Dropped-in" over 5000 competitors, and donated over $320,000 to Non-Profits and Individuals in our community.
The Dirksen Derby is not a Non-Profit 501(c)(3) organization. We are a small LLC business that enjoys organizing an annual race that donates a bunch of the money to charity.
Thank you to everyone who has raced, participated, worked, volunteered, helped-out or hung-out at the event over the years.
Dirksen Derby Credits
Josh Dirksen: Founder of the Dirksen Derby
Brad Steward: Sparked the original idea for our snowboard event in spring 2006
Mt. Bachelor: The Oregon ski resort that supported our idea from the beginning
Tyler Eklund: Our original inspiration and motivation at the Derby.
Shroder Baker: Skier buddy who came up with the name "Dirksen Derby"
Pat Malendoski: The man responsible for our unique Course Design & Berm Building techniques.
Adam Haynes: The original Artist of the Derby and creator of our overall style and designs
Salomon Snowboards: Our longest running sponsor. They have been involved in the Derby since it began in 2007.
