As Rick snored lying on the sofa under a blanket and using one of the sofa pillows to rest his head on, he suddenly felt his nose being tickled, mumbling, he moved his hand onto his nose, but then felt something very cold on his face and woke up with a yell. 'WAAH!!' COLD!!' Sitting on the sofa in his pyjama's he saw there were ice cubes lying on the ground which he must have throwed on his face, and heard Damien laughing behind the sofa holding a feather in his hand. 'How'd you like my wake-up technique, Rick?' He teased waving the feather around.

'Urghh... good morning, Damien.' Rick grunted as he stood up yawning a bit. 'Where'd you get that prank idea from?'

'From Slash, he did the same to that musclehead Ruby guy earlier this morning.' Damien told him.

'Earlier this morning?' Rick raised a eyebrow before he looked up to a clock on the wall, showing it was 10:00 AM. 'Whoa! Gotta go get some breakfast in fast, then find out where that race's being held!' With that, Rick quickly dressed himself up in the bathroom and ran towards the door, waving to Damien.

As Rick runned down the hallway to the staircase going downwards to get his legs moving this early in the morning, he then approached the restaurant room where breakfast was eaten by the guests.

As he looked around for a open seat, he noticed Slash and Tommy sitting on a table alone eating some eggs with bacon, and headed towards them. 'Good morning, boys!' He smiled to the 2.

'Hey there, Rick! How are ya doin'?' Slash said as he took a gulp from his orange juice. Tommy also greeted him while swallowing down a few sandwiches. 'Hello!' Rick sat down and ordered from a waiter a grilled cheese sandwich with some milk, as he talked up with Slash a bit. 'So, also looking forward to the tournament today?' He questioned Slash who was just done with his breakfast. 'Sure am!' He smirked. 'I can't wait to beat Linda today for what happened on Rookie Mountain! Speaking of which, don't you have a race with Ruby to hold within a hour or so?' He then asked Rick.

'Yeah, but I can thank Damien for waking me up like this...Speaking of which, where are Jam and Ruby, actually?' Rick looked around a bit, seeing the two nowhere around the vicinity.

'Oh, Jam went to Practice Hills just before you came here to work on his stunts, and Ruby went to search for a local barber to get his hair done after what I did to him this morning, he wasn't happy about it, but I managed to get away.'

'Ah. Well, I gotta go and look in the book for the outlay of the map, and then grab my snowboarding gear.' Rick told Slash before he stood up and left the room heading for the staircase once more. 'Good luck, Rick! I'll be there to see how you perform!' Slash yelled as he left.

When Rick came in the boy's room once more, he saw Damien was gone, probably off to do his own stuff, so he grabbed the book once more to study the course's layout and thought back on his practice last night for about 10 minutes, before he saw that it was about 11:00 on the clock once more. 'Ah, it's almost time. If I go now I should make it within 20 minutes of walking.' He told himself as he then grabbed his borrowed Free Style board and putted on a lesser thick blue vest because of the nice weather and headed out for the course he would race on...

After 20 minutes of following the map, he came upon what looked like the entrance to a forest, and nearby was a starting line with a few people there from the tournament organization, all waiting for the entrants to come, and at what he saw of the track outlines were solid plated walls to ensure the contestants would take the correct route and not go off in the wrong direction, with nearby a few watching towers open for public that had a good view over the forest, making it easier for them to see the whole upcoming race.

Walking up to the line, he saw Ruby waiting there already, noticing him. 'Well, so you decided to show up after all, huh? Good luck, kid, 'cause you're gonna need it!' He taunted as he planted his snowboard on the ground already.

Now really furious at his constant teasing on Rick's lack of skill, Rick frowned towards Ruby. 'Okay, that's it. You wanna see me get serious? Then you'll get it!' Ruby merely smirked to him and watched to the crowd in the distance showing off some more. Rick then got the the attention of a man tapping him on the back. 'Excuse me, are you Rick?' 'Yes, I am. I'm here to participate in the first race.' Rick replied to the man, who then checked his list for a second.

'Hmm.. ah, yes. Good luck!' 'Thanks.' Rick said as he then stood ready on his snowboard.

It was 5 minutes before the race would start, and Rick was wondering when the 3rd racer, that girl Kaede would show up. But just as he thought about it, she suddenly appeared out of a tree with a very large scroll in hand, waving to both of them. She was then approached by one of the organization men.

'You're the 3rd contestant, miss...Kaede?' 'Yes, that's me!' She smiled towards him, and was given the item counter. 'OK, and the testing department also already approved of your board, it works according to the rules, like a Free Style board, so you're allowed to race using it. Now please stand ready, the race is about to begin in 2 minutes.'

Kaede runned to the other 2 guys, stood inbetween them, and placed her board in place, smiling to Rick. 'Hope you'll do great!'

'Yeah, I hope so indeed.' Rick said a bit nervously about the race and for her sudden friendlyness towards him. He overheard the conversation she had with the man, knowing her board was like the one he was using, a Free Style one, and looking right of him he saw that Ruby used a Alpine board. Having studied the track's layout, he knew Ruby didn't make a very smart choice with that board considering it has lots of turns. Then a announcer voice came out of few of the speakers setted up near the start:

'Attention, the first race of the Shinehill Valley tournament will soon begin! The course here has lots of turns to navigate and the obstacles are made out of the forest's bushes and tree's. Though there's also a river bank halfway through it near the goal, if you happen to fall in it, one of our robo-lift copters will pick you up and put you back in place immediatly. The track itself is 1100 meters long. May the best racer reach the goal first!' With that being set, the kids all stood ready in jumping position...

'Are you ready? ...GO!'

And with that, all 3 of them jumped off at a good velocity, Rick still remembering what he learned from his practice last night. All of them headed down a fairly low hill in a straight path on the smooth grass entering the forest, though Ruby quickly started to go faster due to his Alpine board...

Though after a few seconds, they soon came to the first blue item box, which Ruby got a rock out of. Rick tried to go for that box as well, but Kaede somehow leaned much more forward and went through it secondly nabbing a fan, and Rick then passed through it in last getting a ghost. Soon they then approached a fairly sharp turn to the right.

Ruby with his lack of much steering control, had to brake off much with leaning to the right from the left side of the track in order to make it. While in the meantime, both Rick and Kaede managed to turn around it at the right side without much effort. Though Rick couldn't help but notice that Kaede didn't lose any speed while turning, while he did slightly, and was in 2nd behind her over a small distance, with Ruby trailing behind not far behind him.

Deciding to use his ghost on her to slow her down knowing she isn't just a average racer, Rick sended it to Kaede, slowing her down slightly which allowed Rick and Ruby to pass. 'Yikes, get away!!!' She yelped while she still managed to maintain control. Through afterwards they came to a few swerving curves with a red box there, and a few tree's in the way acting as obstacles. Rick went through it first, getting slapsticks and managed to curve his way around the tree's without losing much speed. Ruby went in second, getting parachutes. Though he lost a good deal of speed from trying to evade the thick obstacles, at one point he did manage to shoot 2 parachutes towards Rick, who was too focussing on getting past the tree's that he got launched upwards, slowly descending, and dropped a rock while laughing as he passed Rick.

Kaede in the meantime used the fan to counter the ghost, and using her agility, steered around the tree's without losing much speed in the process and got a snowman head trio from the box. As soon as Rick landed, she fired one towards him while he was recovering, and was trapped in a snowman himself, then coming close to Ruby herself...

Rick after a few seconds of struggling managed to break free, and a bit frustrated jumped forward in trying to get some good speed again while dodging the rock Ruby left behind, and thankfully went on a downwards-going hill with a stunt slope afterwards. He could witness how Ruby did a vertical spin, and after landing, shouting: 'I AM, SUPAH MAN!!!' Much to both Rick and Kaede's awkward reactions, not knowing what in the world he was shouting. But Kaede jumped and did 2 horizontal spins, and in the process fired another snowman to Ruby, who was so impressed with his own stunting, didn't notice it and then got trapped in a snowman himself as well, while they were approaching another blue item box, and Kaede managed to get a invisibility item, smiling she then took the swift left curve, while Ruby crashed against the wall, breaking free in the process.

Rick in the meantime did a diagonal spin, landing correctly and seeing the item box, went for it and got a fan, and then immediatly pulled to the left taking in the turn and in the process fired a slapstick towards Ruby, still busy with trying to pick up speed, who now tripped and Rick now chuckled as he passed by. Though he still had a long way to go and catch up to Kaede...

The next area after the woods was in a slightly more open plain, with a river bank to the left of them, which meant the finish was not too far away anymore with alot of swerving between left and right arcs on the right side of the river, but before they would get to it, they would have to jump over another slope, and a huge one at that. Kaede pulled off one of her special flips which involved spinning horizontally while doing a full vertical flip. Rick himself attempted for once a special trick of his own which he developed in his training, and did a triple horizontal spin while grabbing his board sideways with his left hand, managing to land perfectly on that one, though felt slightly dizzy from it. Ruby passed not long after Rick and did no stunt, instead focussing with slight anger in his eyes about catching up again using the slope to his advantage to gain speed...

Kaede passed by the next blue item box, while swerving left careful not to hit the sandy hill wall to the right, not wanting to get another item for her invisibility, and continued on. Rick in the meantime after he recovered from his dizzyness wanted to prepare to use the fan and pass through the blue item box with his steering, but he heard Ruby shooting another parachute in his direction. Though this time, not wanting to get hit twice by the same item, Rick focussed on the shot coming closer, and just at the right timing jumped over the shot, though he had to miss out on the blue item box and took a sharp left turn as he landed as he was about to hit the wall. Ruby in the meantime also focussed on getting the blue item while cornering, but this time he got a pan, and used it immediatly to avoid Rick getting a chance to hit him while he lost some speed in the process. Rick was hit and stunned for a few seconds before he got up.

Kaede at that time used her invisibility to avoid getting panned and was still at a large lead, smiling as she would finally be of good help to her brother. She passed by the next red item box and got a set of bombs, as she continued to swerve right... Ruby about 6 seconds later went through it and got a set of ice shots, waiting for Kaede to stay on a straight piece of road...

Rick in the meantime after he recovered immediatly used the fan, and using his steering skills to his advantage to cut off the turns the most with his board and ignoring the red box, he then saw Ruby again. Holding a quiet profile as the muscled kid was way too focussed on trying to aim on Kaede, he then throwed his second slapstick to Ruby, who then to his surpise got hit and at the sharp right curve rolled off the cliff into the river bank. 'Graaghh!!' Rick passed by steering to the right, but in the open sight saw that Kaede was very far ahead of them now by roughly 6 seconds in time, and it didn't take long for her to reach the finish, which was only a few right and left curves away in open sight...

Meanwhile Kaede approached another blue item box, dropping her rock in front of it and got a ghost as her last item. Feeling there wasn't anybody trailing her, she didn't use it yet, plus she had bombs for the worst occasion. She continued for awhile to get onto the last stunting slope, and did a diagonal spin this time giggling as she landed.

Rick was trying to catch up to Kaede, focussing on taking turns as sharply as possible being very close to the edge of the cliff, with Ruby trailing behind him though knowing he would soon use a ice shot on him. As he passed by the blue item box, he did notice the rock dropped on front and jumped over it, gaining a unknown item to him as he jumped through it, a rocket. Ruby was preparing another shot at Rick when he jumped, but he didn't notice the rock and tripped on it past the shop, gaining a ghost as his sole item left. Grumbling, he stood up and tried to gain speed to catch up to Rick once more...

Rick in the meantime was worried. Kaede was but a mere few meters away from the finish, her going over a bridge over the river to the left first before she would turn to the right sharply, and then left again on the straight piece of road before the finish where the river before the road has arched to the right already. Plus he didn't knew what his item did, though knew it couldn't be a shoot item, so he thought it was used to launch him forward at an incredible speed. Approaching the last stunting slope himself, he heard ice shots launched his way, and was now panicking inside his head...

Until he noticed the slope in it's trajectory was on the same line as the road to the finish, him suddenly getting a idea in his head. It was probably stupid, but it was his only choice left if he wanted to win. Waiting a bit until he approached the stunting slope closely with the ice shots also closing in on him...

Then all of a sudden, Rick used the rocket item, a rocket then appearing behind his board, and using the brief boost, then jumped as high as he could into the air, boosting his way all over the river bank, skipping a large piece of track, and by a mere few inches, landed in front of Kaede on the road straight to the finish, the spectating audience all amazed by this sudden display of smart shortcut using. She prepared to use the ghost on him but couldn't use bombs at this close distance at it would also hit her, instead planning on passing Rick by default to the finish but she then suddenly noticed she was ghosted herself from Ruby while Rick was in the air, plus she looked back and saw the ice shots meant for Rick now all hitted her, freezing her in the process, but not before she used her ghost on Rick, who now was slowly heading to the finish...

'Come on... just a little bit further...!' Rick thought to himself as the ghost dwelled around him but with few inches away to the finish, finally crossing it as he saw Kaede approaching up close after she broke out of the ice. Kaede then finished 2nd, and after awhile Ruby then crossed 3rd all grumbling.

'FINISH!!' The announcer then shouted through the speakers near the end. 'And the winner of this race is Rick Pellegrino!'

Standing all amazed when he then realized he won his first actual race, he raised his fist in the air and shouted: 'YEAAHHH!!' Some of the nearby spectators even cheering on him for that amazing shortcut finish.

Kaede stood by and smiled for Rick's victory a bit, but she then noticed that from a nearby tree a familiar ninja was watching her, and crossed a brief glare at her. 'Oh-oh...brother's not gonna be happy with this...' She muttered and she then left quickly jumping after Shinobin who also left the area...

Rick in the meantime crossed eyes with Ruby, who took off his board and stomped his feet in the ground, all angry about the loss. Rick on the other hand was glad he finally showed up to that guy. 'Hey, Ruby! Not bad for a rookie, eh?' He taunted to him with a grinning expression. Ruby in response turned his head around and growled. 'Bah, you just got lucky there, kid! Next time we race I'll beat you in style!'

After having said his bluffing excuse, Ruby stepped up and was leaving. Rick followed up close as well, but he noticed Kaede wasn't around anymore, scratching his head in suprise. 'I guess they're really as mysterious as the guys made them out to be...'

After a bit of walking towards the starting line, he noticed Slash and the others standing there, all excited about the race they witnessed. As Rick was approaching them, he asked with a bit of a shy look: 'So, did I do well this time?'

Pamela smiled towards him. 'Well? You did great there, Rick!'

'Yeah dude! Stylish finish with that shortcut as well!' Jam added to it.

Linda also nodded along. 'You did very well there with a Free Style board.'

'Aww, thanks for the compliments, guys, but it was mere luck on my side that I won there.' Rick scratched his head a bit in friendlyness overblown by the compliments. 'Rick, you're a very good snowboarder as you showed there, it wasn't just luck!' Wendy pointed out to Rick.

Rick thought about that, and he felt Wendy was right, he did have skills, and for a first winning race, he performed quite well.

As they all walked back to the hotel for now, Rick spotted that Damien wasn't around, which dissapointed him slightly, he really wanted to know if he saw the race and showed off what he learned back last night, walking over to Slash who was chatting up with Jam. 'Hey Slash, you've seen Damien around here?'

Slash shrugged and lifted his shoulders up. 'Beats me, as long as he isn't causing trouble.' 'Yeah, I hope so too...' Rick nodded along, but he then remembered something. 'Hey, Slash, don't you have your race with Linda and Nicole in about 2 hours from now as well?'

'Aw, man, forgot about that! I still have to practice up a bit before that! Thanks for reminding me, Rick!' He then ran off on a quicker pace towards the hotel. At that same time, Nicole approached Linda, whispering to her: 'You better practice up yourself as well for kissing him, Linda!' quietly grinning at her teasing remark. 'Oh, really funny, Couch!' I don't need to practice up for the race because I know I'll win!' She bragged.

As the rest arrived at the hotel, they all went their seperate ways to do stuff, while Rick and Jam headed for their rooms, chatting up a bit between themselves. 'So, I've heard from Slash this morning you've been practicing on Practice Hills as well?' He questioned with a interesting look.

'Sure am, dude!' Jam grinned. 'I've been perfecting my stunt moves in order to show the audience what the Trick Master can do!'

Suddenly their chat was interrupted as one of the hotel managers runned towards them, stopping in front panting a bit and was covered in cake cream a bit.

'Sorry to interrupt you, but have you seen some green-colored kid passing by? Me and the other hotel staff members were celebrating the 30th birthday of a colleague of us and that boy blew up the birthday cake and runned off with a piece of the cake as well.'

Rick and Jam immediatly knew who he was talking about, but neither of them knew where he was, Rick just shrugging. 'Eh, sorry, no. But we'll keep a lookout for him.' 'Thanks, no if you would excuse me...' He then ran off further down the hallway searching around. Rick and Jam headed for their room and opened up the door, but as they headed for the sofa to relax a bit before the next race would start, they saw Damien sitting there munching off a piece of strawberry-flavoured cake while watching TV.

'Huh? Damien?! Don't tell me you stole that cake and blew up the rest of it!' Rick shouted to him a bit upset at his behaviour. Damien looked around and responded after he swallowed a piece. 'How'd you know about it?' 'One of the hotel managers was looking for you while we were returning from the race I just had.' Damien shrugged his head a bit and continued to munch. 'Oh, that guy. I was just very hungry and he wouldn't let me eat off the cake when I asked him to, so if I can't have cake, they won't as well! Heheheh!!' Both Rick and Jam shrugged at it looking a bit down, before Jam tapped him on the shoulder. 'Hey, I'm going down for some food and then go see Slash and practice up with him a bit. You coming along?'

'No thanks, I'm not hungry right now, but good luck on the training. I'll be there to watch the next race as well, though!' Rick smiled back.

'OK, seeya there!' Jam runned off with his snowboard in hand.

Rick then sat down next to Damien, sighing a bit about what he did, but Damien then turned his head to him. 'So, Slash's race is up next, huh?' 'Yeah, but where were you when I was going to race? I was hoping you were there to witness how I won there!' Damien then swallowed his last piece and looked to him with slight amazement in his eyes. 'You won there? Congrats on that! And sorry, but I went to the toilet after you left the room this morning and was starving from hunger afterwards, then I came back here to sleep some more after eating.' Rick lightened up a bit towards Damien. 'Well, thanks for complimenting me on my victory there, but I couldn't have done it without your practice last night! But please don't do anything mischievous around here anymore or we'll be kicked out!' Rick warned Damien as politely as possible.

'Yeah, yeah, sorry about that... hey, there's some cartoons coming up next, you wanna sit back and kill the time until we head off for that race spiky boy's gonna have?' Rick headed to the door. 'Sure, but I'll be right back, gonna get some afternoon lunch in first.'

The rest of the kids were all doing their own thing for the next hour. Rick and Damien were on their room enjoying some TV, Slash and Jam were practicing up a bit for the next race, Tommy was eating in the lunch room, Ruby doing some muscle training to vent his frustration from the loss, and Linda and Nicole were on their rooms studying the course they would race on, with Pamela, Nancy and Wendy talking up a bit about how the previous race went.