THE fourth annual ‘Shred for Chumpy’ day was held on Monday July 8.
Each year close friends, family, colleagues, fans and those showing their respect spend the day celebrating and honouring Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin's life through riding and surfing.
Chumpy represented Australia in 2010, 2014 and 2018 at the Winter Olympics in snowboard cross, becoming a two-time world champion.
Alongside this, he competed in the Winter X Games, the FIS Snowboarding World Championships for many years, and the New Zealand Winter Games.
Aside from snowboarding, Chumpy was remembered by family and friends as a great musician, ocean lover and all around generous human.
After everyone met in the village square on Monday morning, Chumpy’s close friend and former Olympic skier Anton Grimus led the party lap.
“For me, the day is a great time to reflect on Chumpy as a friend, however, also to remember how he lived his life and the way he went about it,” Anton said.
“He was all about always enjoying what you are doing and being in the present moment.
“I had many days of shredding with Chumpy himself, just getting out there and enjoying peoples company and having a good time.”
Anton said Chumpy has had a long-lasting impact on people’s lives.
“They have started charities in his name, shred days like these and so much more that will only continue to grow,” he said.
“His music legacy lives on under the artist name 'Chumpy and the sunsetaroonies' and is a 'must' check it out by all.
“My favourite track is 'colour of your eyes.”
Anton was around four years younger than Chumpy and always looked up to him around Mansfield and Mount Buller.
“I knew him as a mentor and spoke to him every now and again, but when I started doing ski cross and made the national team, he was on the snowboard cross team.
“We trained a lot together, and that’s when he became a close friend.
“I’ve known Chumpy for a long time, but knew about him for even longer.
“There was one training in particular that I was skiing, he was snowboarding and we were on the same track which was quite fun.
“Another good memory is that we used to play Call of Duty together, he loved a good gaming session.
“Those moments last a life time.”
Anton said he caught up with Chumpy on the Gold Coast nine months before he passed.
“He was at home and that was the last time I saw him,” he said.
“It’s probably the moment that hangs in there the most.
"For me this day is all about people coming together and enjoying shredding on the snow alongside each other."
