Four members of the Husky Snowboard Team plan to travel to the Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort this weekend for the third annual Red Bull Snow Warz competition.

Snow Warz, which was held at The Summit at Snoqualmie last year, is a college ski and snowboard competition that draws teams from more than 20 universities throughout the Western United States. Two other schools from Washington — Western Washington University and Central Washington University — are also registered to compete.

The daylong main event tomorrow will involve both skiers and snowboarders on a progressive-slope-style course. In addition, pro riders will judge the competitors on style, magnitude and difficulty of the tricks, as well as award prizes including a trip to a Red Bull regional event.

“Last year, we had a big team,” said team manager Andrew Hart. “Conditions were a little iffy, but Red Bull knows how to throw a good event. We had a great time and placed pretty well.”

Not as many members were able to go to this year’s competition, mainly because of cost and distance. The group is sending just one four-person team.

Although Snow Warz is a competitive event, social aspects of the competition are equally important to many of the participants.

“We go to snowboard and hang out with fellow college-age snowboarders,” Hart said. “There definitely is a competitive aspect to it, but I think personally — and speaking for most of the riders — it’s just a lot of fun to go ride a nice setup, and now we get to go to a different location.”

During the same weekend, members of the 130-member club who aren’t competing at Snow Warz will participate in a “Gaper Day.”

“A gaper, by definition, is someone who dresses to get looks,” said team president Alex Loddengaard. “So what that means in snowboard speak is that you dress up like a ‘70s or ‘80s person with the most outrageous colors and designs and go up on the mountain. It’s kind of cool that it’s happening this weekend, because it really shows we have this competitive side and this fun, social side.”

Though the snow season more or less ends after this weekend, that doesn’t mean the Husky Snowboard Team will go inactive.

“The team remains active over the summer,” Hart said. “People go to snowboard camps, to Chile and to New Zealand. If you’re looking to get a little summer shredding in too, definitely some of the team is involved.”

[Reach reporter Nick Feldman at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]