U.S. Snowboarding Team News

Jewell 9th in Italy

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

VALMALENCO, Italy (March 13) - Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) led the way for the U.S. Saturday, finishing ninth in a World Cup parallel giant slalom in Italy.

It was the season's second to last event in which PGS World Cup leaders Nicolien Sauerbreij of the Netherlands and Benjamin Karl of Austria won, clinching the discipline title for Karl.

Jewell was followed for U.S. results by Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) in 13th, Vic Wild (White Salmon, WA) in 23rd and Justin Reiter (Steamboat Springs, CO) in 24th.

Karl defeated Slovenia’s Rok Flander in the final, with Jasey Jay Anderson of Canada rounding out the podium in third.

In the women's race Lindsay Lloyd (Centerville, UT) represented the U.S., finishing 25th.

It was Sauerbreij's second win of the season as she beat out French athlete Nathalie Desmares with a lead of only 0.07 seconds. In third, Doris Guenther of Austria crossed the finish line ahead of Claudia Riegler, also of Austria.

In the women's race for the PGS title, with only one race to go at the World Cup finals in La Molina, Guenther, at 4,310 points could still beat out Sauerbreij, who has 4,800 points.

Parallel giant slalom now moves on to Spain for the last World Cup of its season March 21.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 LG FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP
Valmalenco, Italy - March 13, 2010
PGS

Men
1. Benjamin Karl, Austria
2. Rok Flander, Slovenia
3. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
4. Simon Schoch, Switzerland
5. Nevin Galmarini, Switzerland
-
9. Tyler Jewell, Steamboat Springs, CO
13. Chris Klug, Aspen, CO
23. Vic Wild, White Salmon, WA
24. Justin Reiter, Steamboat Springs, CO

Women
1. Nicolien Sauerbreij, Netherlands
2. Nathalie Desmares, France
3. Doris Guenther, Austria
4. Claudia Riegler, Austria
5. Marion Kreiner, Austria
-
25. Lindsay Lloyd, Centerville, UT
# # #

Jacobellis Wins in Valmalenco

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

VALMALENCO, Italy (March 12) - It was redemption for Vancouver as far as she was concerned as Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) risked a late pass to win the World Cup SBX race in Italy on Friday.

The heavily decorated snowboardcross racer was looking for the gold at the 2010 Games when she clipped a gate in the semifinals of the race, which disqualified her and put her in the small final where she took fifth.

For Jacobellis, to be able to come back in her next race and win helped make up for the disappointment of Vancouver.

"I'm pretty stoked. I went into the race wanting to really win as redemption from Vancouver," Jacobellis said. "It's not what I wanted from Vancouver, but it turned out how it did. It's nice right away to be able to get back on the course and see that I do still have it."

The race was a hard-fought one for Jacobellis as she found herself sitting in second for the entirety of the final until she took a risk on getting the lead in a dicey bank turn.

"I was in second place during most of the finals and I thought 'here it is. Either I am going to pass and crash, or I'm going to pass and succeed. I'm not just going to hang in second place,'" Jacobellis said. "I passed in the first bank turn which is normally way up near the start of the course, but this was very close to the end. Probably 20 seconds out from the finish."

Conditions in Italy also appeared to be reminiscent of Vancouver's Cypress Mountain when Jacobellis and the rest of the U.S. team went through time trials.

"In time trials we had similar conditions to Cypress where it was super foggy and snowy. It was hard to see and you had to just rely on the blue dye of the course to get down," Jacobellis said. "But today it was a lot nicer. It was clear."

On the men's side of the race Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) led the U.S., finishing fifth after a semifinal tangle up relegated him to the small final.

In the end, being able to return to the World Cup successfully has Jacobellis feeling satisfied, and she's excited to be able to have yet another race to compete in when snowboardcross has its World Cup final in La Molina on March 9.

"I feel like I have accomplished a lot coming over here. Normally we have only one set of races after the Olympics, so I feel like it's a bonus that I can even try to do well again at another race," Jacobellis said.

Farrington Takes Big Win In France

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

TIGNES, France (March 11) – U.S. Snowboarding rookie rider Kaitlyn Farrington (Sun Valley, ID) kicked off the inaugural Winter X Games Europe in a big way Thursday, beating out Olympic gold medalist Torah Bright of Australia for the first X Games win of her young career.

Farrington, a three time Winter X Games competitor in the states led a field of six women, four of whom were Olympians, in which she went head-to-head for the title with Bright.

"I was already psyched after all my runs because I knew, regardless, I was going to be on the podium with Torah," Farrington said of watching Torah take her last run that would decide the champion.

In the lead after her first run, Farrington had to bump up her difficulty with a backside 900 in run two when Torah Bright took the lead. Bright’s third run was her best with a combination of tricks that included a backside and frontside 540, backside air and frontside 720.

"X Games is such a huge event to action sports and to have it in France only enhances the culture of action sports on a whole," Bright said of Winter Games coming to Europe. "That is why I am here to support the first ever Winter X Games Europe – it is history in the making."

Men's halfpipe will go off Friday in France.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 Winter X Games Europe
Tignes, France - March 11, 2010
Women's Halfpipe

1. Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID, 97.00
2. Torah Bright, Australia, 95.00
3. Sophie Rodriguez, France, 87.00
4. Mercedes Nicoll, Canada, 82.33
5. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 79.00
6. Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas, Norway, 78.66

Ryan, Sobieralski Top the Slopes

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

BOREAL, CA (Mar. 7) - The Rev Tour hit the slopes in Boreal on Sunday wrapping up the event with the slopestyle competition. Sean Ryan (Sandy Cook, UT) and Kyla Sobieralski (Carbondale, CO) won the men's and women's competition.

The men's podium was a mix of athletes from coast to coast, representing Connecticut, Colorado, and Minnesota. Ryan stood tall on top with Wylie Adams (Carbondale, CO) in second and Brady Lem (Chanhassen, MN) in third.

The women's podium was topped by Sobieralski, followed by to Californians, Jamie Madrid (Fontana, CA) and Caty O'Connor (Auburn, CA).

The Revolution Tour's next stop is scheduled for Mount Hood, OR, Mar. 16 - 21.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Revolution Tour
Boreal, CA
March 7, 2010
Slopestyle

Men

1. Sean Ryan, Sandy Cook, CT
2. Wylie Adams, Carbondale, CO
3. Brady Lem, Chanhassen, MN

Women

1. Kyla Sobieralski, Carbondale, CO
2. Jamie Madrid, Fontana, CA
3. Caty O'Connor, Auburn, CA
# # #

Brichta, Fenton Fly Above Field

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

BOREAL, CA (Mar. 6) – The Rev Tour soared into the sky on Saturday in Boreal with the men’s and women’s halfpipe competition. Paul Brichta (Burnsville, MN) and Summer Fenton (San Francisco, CA) won the event.

Joining Brichta on the men’s podium was Trevor Jacob (Mammoth Lakes, CA) in second and new Zealand’s Ben Stewart in third.

Fenton topped the podium throwing down big airs and spins. Trailing Smalley in the scores were Allyson Carroll (Truckee, CA) in second and Serena Shaw (Bantam, CT) in third.

“I landed both runs, my second run scored me the highest,” explained Fenton. “I was just going big with amplitude on all my spins and straight airs.”

The Rev Tour will pick up again at Boreal on Sunday for the slopestyle competition.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Revolution Tour
Boreal, CA
March 6, 2010
Halfpipe

Men

1. Paul Brichta, Burnsville, MN
2. Trevor Jacob, Mammoth Lakes, CA
3. Ben Stewart, New Zealand

Women

1. Summer Fenton, San Francisco, CA
2. Allyson Carroll, Truckee, CA
3. Serena Shaw, Bantam, CT
# # #

Reiter 13th in Moscow

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

MOSCOW, Russia (March 6) - Justin Reiter (Steamboat Springs, CO) marked another solid season finish Saturday, racing to 13th during the parallel slalom World Cup in Moscow.

The race marked Reiter's best parallel slalom finish and third best alpine snowboarding finish, of 2010.

Italy's Aaron March won the race, followed in second by Benjamin Karl of Austria and Italy's Roland Fischnaller in third. For March, it was the first World Cup win of his career.

"It was pretty hard for me in the beginning. But I got into it better and better with every run I did," March said. "I’m pretty surprised that I was able to win."

In the women's race Doris Guenther led an Austrian sweep of the podium with Heidi Neururer was second and Julia Dujmovits was third.

"It was so much fun to compete in front of so many spectators. I could do more of races like this one," Guenter said.

No U.S. women competed.

Alpine snowboarding continues March 13 in Valmalenco, Italy.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 LG FIS Snowboard World Cup
Moscow, Russia - March 6, 2010
Parallel Slalom

Men's
1. Aaron March, Italy
2. Benjamin Karl, Austria
3. Roland Fischnaller, Italy
4. Kaspar Fluetsch, Switzerland
5. Simon Schooch, Switzerland
-
13. Justin Reiter, Steamboat Springs, CO
33. Vic Wild, White Salmon, WA

Women's
1. Doris Guenther, Austria
2. Heidi Neururer, Austria
3. Julia Dujmovits, Austria
4. Alena Zavarzina, Russia
5. Ekaterina Ilyukhina, Russia
# # #

Hale, Gulini Top Rev Tour SBX

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

BOREAL, CA (Mar. 5) - Jayson Hale (Sierraville, CA) and Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, UT) topped the snowboardcross Rev Tour field on Friday, winning their respective final heat. Both Hale and Gulini forced their way to the front of the pack to clinch the win.

joinging Hale on the men's podium were Alex Beibold (Boulder, CO) and Pat Holland (Squaw Valley, CA). After an even start out of the gate, Hale was able to make the winning pass coming out of the second turn, beating the other finals competitiors to the finish line.

"All four of us came out of the start pretty close going into trun one. It was pretty much a full on cluster, we all almost crashed," said Hale. "I came out of turn two, got by Deibold and held the lead from there."

Gulini stood on the top step of the podium with Jenna Feldman (Linwood, NJ) and Kristen Harvey (Truckee, CA) on either side. Gulini waited until the absoulte last second to pass, making it a photo finish.

"My boards were running super fast, the course was fun, and Itt was sunny, beautfiul," described Gulini. "It was just a happy environment, everyone was having fun, which definitely took off a lot of pressure. Everyone was just going for it."

The Revolution Tour is back in Boreal on Saturday.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Revolution Tour
Boreal, CA
March 5, 2010
Snowboardcross

Men

1. Jayson Hale, SIerraville, CA
2. Alex Deibold, Boulder, CO
3. Pat Holland, Squaw Valley, CA

Women

1. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City, UT
2. Jenna Feldman, Linwood, NJ
3. Kristen Harvey, Truckee, CA
# # #

Anderson Nets Canada PGS Gold

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 27) – Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) missed a gate as he pursued bronze medalist Mathieu Bozzetto in the quarterfinals of Saturday's parallel giant slalom. Canada's Jasey Jay Anderson beat Austria's Benjamin Karl in the final for gold.

Foggy, wet conditions met riders as Klug grabbed the final spot in qualifying, then beat top qualifier Andreas Prommegger of Austria to advance to the quarterfinals.

"I was really proud of a few of the runs today," Klug said. "To get through that first round and have a shot at potentially medaling today, I was proud of that. I put myself in a good position."

In his third Winter Olympics, 20th year of competitive riding and 27th snowboarding, Klug took the early lead in his second run and rode somewhat conservatively until Bozzetto passed, then missed a gate near the bottom of the course to drop out. He beat Slovenia's Rok Flander in the consolation final after Flander did not start.

"A bit of a tough pill for me to swallow, being so close to advancing into the semifinals and possibly a medal and then coming up short, that's tough."

Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) was ousted in the first round by Anderson of Canada. Jewell qualified in seventh, making Anderson a tough-luck draw.

"Jasey's a stud, what can I say?" Jewell said. "He got me by seven tenths or something (in the first run). Second run, I knew what I had to do, and I did it. I caught him, and then I had to go for it a little bit more and took too tight a line on that pitch and just chattered out a little bit."

"I'm a lucky guy. I've got my family here, that's all I can ask for. I snowboard for a living right now. I don't make a lot of money, but I sure love it."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain, BC – Feb. 27
Men's Parallel Giant Slalom

Gold – Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
Silver – Benjamin Karl, Austria
Bronze – Mathieu Bozzetto, France
4. Stanislav Detkov, Russia
5. Simon Schoch, Austria
-
7. Chris Klug, Aspen, CO
13. Tyler Jewell, Steamboat Springs, CO
###

Netherlands Takes Home PGS Gold

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 26) – The Netherlands' Nicolien Sauerbreij won gold in ladies parallel giant slalom Friday, beating Russia's Ekaterina Ilyukhina in the final. Michelle Gorgone (Boston) finished 14th after losing in the first round on a late charge from Ilyukhina.

As rain pelted the course and workers tried to combat the problem by salting it between rounds, bumpy conditions met the riders as early as qualification, in which Gorgone rode first and laid down the field's fastest time in 40.19.

She struggled on her second qualifying run – switching courses and finishing 13th – and got a difficult draw for the first round. Still, she nearly made the quarterfinals against Ilyukhina.

"My gate opened four-tenths slower than hers," said Gorgone, who had lost that margin in the first of two runs against Ilyukhina. "I had to make up that time. I think I did that kind of in the middle, but I made another mistake. Seemed to catch up, and it seemed like maybe I was going to pull it off coming over this last hill."

But on the last hill Gorgone was forced wide and Ilyukhina made a last-second move to cross the finish line ahead of the American.

"It was just one of those things where you know she's there, and you're trying not to make any mistakes," she said. "And sometimes, when you're thinking yourself, 'Don't make any mistakes, she's right there,' of course you make a mistake."

Gorgone improved on her finish in Torino, where she was 22nd.

Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) and Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) will race in the men's competition Saturday, with the first round starting at 10 a.m. PT.

"There's no sport really like it," Gorgone said. "This is where snowboarding started. It's fun to watch when it's not pouring rain and gnarly conditions."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain, BC – Feb. 26
Women's Parallel Giant Slalom

Gold – Nicolien Sauerbreij, Netherlands
Silver – Ekaterina, Ilyukhina, Russia
Bronze – Marion Kreiner, Austria
4. Selina Joerg, Germany
5. Anke Karstens, Germany
-
14. Michelle Gorgone, Boston
###

Join the U.S. Ski Team Fan Club
Want to show your support for the U.S. Ski Team? Check out the new U.S. Ski Team Fan Club.

Text Your Support
Fans of the U.S. Ski Team can now show their support through a text message donation through GFFan Live. Simply text the word USA to 20222 on your mobile phone to make a $10.00 donation, which will appear on your mobile phone bill. Click here to learn more.

PGS Team Arrives at Cypress

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 24) – The U.S. Olympic Snowboarding Parallel Giant Slalom Team touched down at Cypress Mountain ahead of events Friday and Saturday with a simple mission.

"We're here to try and win medals," said three-time Olympian and 2002 bronze medalist Chris Klug (Aspen, CO). "To do that, you're going to have to go for it - ride really aggressively, take some chances, and absolutely go for it. I think that's what all three of us are here to do, and we're all capable of that."

Klug is joined by 2006 Olympian Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) on the men's side, while Michelle Gorgone (Boston) will represent the USA for the women.

They trained at Mount Washington on Vancouver Island, attempting to get used to the conditions in the Pacific Northwest as teams from Germany, Sweden and Switzerland joined the U.S. for trial races.

"We had an awesome training session," Klug said. "It was like a full-on spring break out there. We showed up and the sun came out, and it was just epic conditions."

Klug has two top-eight results in World Cups this season, including fifth – one spot behind Jewell – in Krieschberg, Austria. His first Olympic experience came 1998 in Nagano.

He has two top-eights in his last three World Cups and ten podiums in his career, but even more powerful is his experience off the slopes, where he overcame a liver transplant in 2000.

"I'm healthier and I'm stronger than I was before my transplant," said Klug, who started the Chris Klug Foundation to help spread awareness for donations.

"For me, first and foremost, I love doing the sport and that's why I'm here," he said. "But a huge motivating factor for me to continue snowboarding and pursue a third Olympic bid was the opportunity to share a message that's really important to me, and that is the life-saving message of organ and tissue donation. I'm here to do because of it."

Jewell topped the team selection process and was the ninth-ranked World Cup rider in 2008. He said his experience working with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team at its Center of Excellence in Park City, UT, has raised his game to a new level.

"Every year I've been at this, I've been able to kind of add another piece to the puzzle," he said. "It's just so clear to me now. I was there at the doors waiting for the grand opening (of the Center of Excellence)."

Gorgone has seven World Cup podiums, with the last coming a year ago in Spain. She said her previous Olympic experience prepared her better for these Games.

"I definitely think I learned a lot from Torino," said Gorgone, who was 22nd. "It's kind of a circus here, so any experience that you can get and kind of process is good."

Gorgone will race first on Friday, with qualifications beginning at 10 a.m. PT. Finals are set to begin at 1:31 p.m. The men will have the same schedule for their competition Saturday.

Teter Silver, Clark Bronze in Pipe

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 18) – Olympic gold medalists Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT) and Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow) added silver and bronze to their respective trophy cases, while Australia's Torah Bright brought the gold medal Down Under with a final run 45.0 in Thursday night's women's halfpipe.

Though they fell just short of snowboarding's highest honor, the dynamic U.S. riders now know intimately what it means to land on the podium in multiple Olympics.

"Medals are a really funny thing, because when you see them, they're prestigious and you can stand in awe of an Olympic medal, but I think to the person who receives them, they mean so much more," Clark said. "All the hard work, and all the days, weeks, months and years and people who were believing in me and having the courage to get up and pursue the Olympics after finishing out of the medals in Torino … I see so much more in this medal than I did in Salt Lake because I know how hard I had to work to get here."

For the second consecutive night in the pipe, the U.S. qualified its full roster for the finals, with Teter, Clark and 2006 silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO) advancing straight to finals and Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA) marching through the semis.

"This is just one of the biggest events in the world, so it's an honor to come and just be able to ride here and to be able to represent USA," Teter said.

"I fell every practice run and hit my butt super hard three times, and I was happy to get that out of the way before finals," she said. "It definitely takes a lot of positive thought to yourself to really get back in the zone after falling. It's easy to lose focus."

The second woman to win successive Olympic medals in snowboard, Teter gained the top spot after the first round of finals with a 42.4, landing a clean run as many of the other riders struggled to stay upright on the pipe. Bright, for her part, fell and received the round's lowest score, a 5.9. Bleiler and Hight also fell their first times down.

Clark, the 2002 Olympic champion, came out amped up and singing to the music but fell on the final hit of her difficult first run. She delivered a better performance in run No. 2, ending with a huge 900 for a 42.2, just .2 behind Teter - whose solid second run was not counted.

"It's never what you’re looking to do to fall first run, a lot of us found ourselves in that position tonight," Clark said. "But it's a position I personally have been in many times before through years of competition. Stick to the plan, regardless of what your circumstances are."

Kicking off the second round, Bright (who lives in Salt Lake City) threw down a high-risk session that included a Switch Backside 7, setting a benchmark that nobody else could challenge.

Bleiler fell on an inverted 720 – one of the sport's most difficult tricks – in the first run, and then missed her third hit on the second to drop out of medal contention. Hight also went down in both medal rounds.

The two medals bring the U.S. mark to 14 of 24 total podium spots since the sport's inclusion in the Olympics in 1998. Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA) won gold and Scott Lago (Seabrook, NH) got the bronze in the men's competition Wednesday night.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain, BC – Feb. 18
Women's Halfpipe

Gold – Torah Bright, Australia, 45.0
Silver – Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT, 42.4
Bronze – Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 42.2
4. Jiayu Liu, China, 39.3
5. Sophie Rodriguez, France, 34.4
-
10. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 24.6
11. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 14.7

White Repeats Halfpipe Gold

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN (Feb. 17) – Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA) had already secured his second straight Olympic gold medal, but that didn't stop him from stomping one last epic run for the fans Wednesday night in the Cypress Mountain halfpipe - including his patented Double McTwist 1260. U.S. teammate Scott Lago (Seabrook, NH) took home the bronze.

"That was the best victory run of my life," White said. "On this world stage, why not deliver something spectacular? I feel like I came all the way to Canada, I talked about this trick so much, (poured) blood sweat and tears to land it, and there it was."

Owner of two golds at just 23 years old, White said he was torn between a conservative run and his full bag of tricks, and changed his mind "probably 20 times" between the wax room and the top of the pipe. His choice was immediately obvious, as he soared to unimaginable heights off the 22-foot halfpipe wall and stuck his toughest tricks on a daring, stylish victory lap

"I can't even describe it," White said. "It's one of those things where I can't even tell you or begin to describe how many times I've gone over this run in my mind, gone over this competition in my head, imagined what it would be like … I can finally go to sleep now."

White said he missed three straight attempts at a Double McTwist 1260 before the Games and decided he had to leave the pipe to preserve his positive vibrations. Somehow, on Wednesday, he managed to pull the stunt off at half speed and without a moment to spare before the finish.

"It was everything I had dreamed of," White said after his astronomical score of 48.4. "Honestly, the dreams I've had matched this."

Finland's Peetu Piiroinen won silver with a 45.0 but came up well short of White's first-round score, a 46.8 after a clean run with two consecutive double corks.

Lago, who did not earn a spot on the Team until his qualification in the final Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, fell in the finale but was dialed on a bronze-winning first run.

"It means the world," Lago said. "This year's been the most competitive year in snowboarding ever to go down, and super progressive. Coming into it, we all had our work cut out just in making the U.S. Team.

"It didn't really feel that tangible to be honest. I knew I could do it, and I was confident in my runs, but it's like, 'Olympic medal? Come on, really?'

"But I did it."

All four U.S. team members reached the finals, with Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) placing fifth and Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA) falling twice to 12th.

"I'm stoked for Shaun and Scotty," Vito said. "I wish I would have been up there, but it is what it is. I'll just get ready for the next one. I'm young, and I'll be ready to go."

The U.S. has won 12 of 21 halfpipe medals in the sport's four Olympics appearances. White is the third U.S. male to defend an Olympic gold, joining figure skater Dick Button (1948 and 1952) and speed skater Shani Davis (who replicated his long track title Wednesday).

"Riding with Shaun, he's just an amazing guy," Bretz said. "He's got cat-like reflexes, always lands on his feet. I'm honored to be on the same team as him."

Despite a number of falls, athletes reported that halfpipe conditions were impeccable following a week's worth of bad weather, and they were not unappreciative of the effort put in by organizers and course workers.

"The pipe was sick," Vito said. "They did a great job maintaining it. Considering every curveball this grew got, they put together a really good pipe and they had a really good contest because of it."

The U.S. women will try to improve that incredible U.S. Olympic Team record when they take to the pipe for qualifications beginning at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, with a final slated for 4 p.m.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain, BC – Feb. 17
Men's Halfpipe

Gold – Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 48.4
Silver – Peetu Piiroinen, Finland, 45.0
Bronze – Scott Lago, Seabrook, NH, 42.8
4. Iouri Podladtchikov, Switzerland, 42.4
5. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 39.4
-
12. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 18.3

U.S. Halfpipe Men All Advance

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN (Feb. 17) – Defending gold medalist Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA) and Olympic rookie Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) qualified straight to finals for Wednesday's men's halfpipe, while both Scott Lago (Seabrook, NH) and Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA) reached the semifinal round, which begins at 5:15 p.m. PT. The finals begin at 7:15 p.m.

Jacobellis Gets Hard-Luck Fifth

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 16) – In an instant, Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) saw her hopes of gold slip away. The 2006 silver medalist was kicked off course in a banked turn to pave the way for Canada's Maelle Ricker, who nearly didn't qualify for finals in Tuesday's women's snowboardcross competition.

Jacobellis, winner of silver in Torino, was disqualified, while France's Deborah Anthonioz took home silver, and Switzerland's Olivia Nobs got bronze.

"I went into the first bank turn and I was just trying to recover," said Jacobellis. "But when you're going that fast into a bank turn, you hit the G's, and my board just finally caught up, and threw me in a direction through the panels. So it's just like 'Whoa!' Nothing you can do about it now."

Jacobellis had the early lead in the semifinals and yielded to Ricker. The Canadian took a low line through the banked turn, while Jacobellis rode high until the forces suddenly kicked her down – nearly into Ricker – and through a blue control gate, clearly out of the course.

"Maelle and I were just pretty close, but I don't think we made contact," said Jacobellis. "Going off into the first banked turn, I just got a little off balance, and when you're not completely centered on your board, it's hard to go 100 percent into a feature."

It was a bitter disappointment for the athlete who has dominated her sport for so many years.

"I feel OK though," she said. "Sometimes, you can't control the things that you want to, and that's just how it goes in boardercross sometimes. I've had a great career in it, and I've been really dominant in it. Then sometimes I fall into funks where things like that happen."

Following a delayed start because of foggy, rainy weather, Jacobellis qualified second fastest and went into the top 16 with U.S. teammate Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City), who got bounced out in 12th in the quarterfinals.

Jacobellis won her quarterfinal heat, as did Ricker, but met the same fate as top qualifier Mellie Francon (Switzerland) in the semis, going off course.

"The conditions were OK," Jacobellis said. "The visual aspect was a little rough this morning because all of a sudden it would come in and out. Sometimes you could see a jump, and sometimes you couldn't, despite all the dye that the course workers put down. But they did a great job. It felt pretty smooth when you were riding it by yourself, and you didn't have a lot going on around you, but then when you throw three other people in the mix, things can get a little crazy."

The 24-year-old could have moped across the finish, but the two-time World Champion and six-time X Games gold medalist rose to her feet, carved her way down and threw a Truck Driver grab off the final jump to prove that snowboarding's about enjoying yourself.

"I was just having fun," she said. "I knew, since everybody was waiting for me to come down, they'd be watching, so I figured I'd have some fun and show them that I still have a deep passion for the sport, and that if you haven't snowboarded before, maybe you should, because it's pretty fun."

Jacobellis said she's still only 24 years old, and is comfortable with the mark she's already made on the sport – from winning World Championships to pushing the U.S. men in practice sessions.

"It's definitely not the end of the world for me. I do so many competitions a year, it's unfortunate that the rest of the world only sees this race, and then four years ago, so I guess I don't have a great track record for the general public. I know myself that (there's) so many things that I've accomplished. When people think of boardercross, they think of me as one of the top women athletes, and I feel that's a great accomplishment."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain, BC – Feb. 16
Women's Snowboardcross

Gold – Maelle Ricker, Canada
Silver – Deborah Anthonioz, France
Bronze – Olivia Nobs, Switzerland
4. Helene Olafsen, Norway
5. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT
-
12. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City, UT
21. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK

Wescott Charges to 2nd Straight Gold

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 15) – Adding a little congruity to a sport known for chaos, Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME) ripped his way through the final heat to score a dramatic, second consecutive Olympic snowboardcross gold medal on Monday.

Wescott, who becomes the first American skier or snowboarder since Andrea Mead Lawrence in 1952 to win two golds, overtook Canadian Mike Robertson late in a thrilling charge to the finish, then dropped to his knees and cloaked himself in his grandfather's World War II American service flag.

"I knew that if I could stay with them to lower parts and try to execute those turns a bit better, that I could probably generate speed to that final straightaway, and it worked," Wescott said after starting from fourth position to give the U.S. Olympic Team its second gold of these Games.

Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), a five-time X Games gold medalist who edged Wescott less than two weeks ago in Aspen, CO, spun out early and seemingly gifted the race to Robertson.

"I was going toe-to-toe with Robertson for a gold medal," Holland said. "Coaches told me that Robertson was getting great starts, but I'm faster on the course, so just be patient.

"I knew I was riding really well on the course and I like to battle. I was happy to do that. I was actually setting him up for that next straightaway - that's where I was going to pull a pass. You know, it just didn't work out. A snow snake got me, and what can you do?"

His teammate and friend seized on the opportunity, with Wescott taking riskier lines than the other riders and soon finding himself on Robertson's tail before executing an expertly timed right-hand pass for the lead.

Finding the strength to maintain his advantage was no problem for the 33-year-old who injured his leg and pelvis competing in Telluride in December and couldn't walk for two weeks.

"It hurt bad for a while and it took about six weeks to loosen up," Wescott said. "Once I got through X Games 12 days ago, that was the first time really since December that my body felt good."

Another issue for Wescott had been staying amped when he was already so accomplished, and injuries continued to be such a struggle - a problem that a return to the Olympics helped him clear up.

"It's hard for me to be super motivated week in and week out on the World Cup," he said. "I've just been at it too long. You need something like this or the X Games or the World Championships to get motivated. That gives you a level of energy that you don't have week in and week out.

"It was amazing to do it the first time," Wescott said of his win in Torino. "My focus really had changed from February of '03, when we found out that snowboardcross was going to be in the Olympics, I quit riding halfpipe and focused solely on it. To have had the ups and downs in the last four years – from shattering my arm to not necessarily having the best motivation all the time – it's amazing to come and stand on this stage again and to do it."

Wescott had instructed a friend to keep his grandfather's flag in a safe place at the finish line, where his father had it for him in Torino.

"It's a powerful thing for me," said Wescott, who started 17th of 32 riders after qualifcations. "We rarely as snowboard athletes get to compete in front of our families, and to have something like that that's a memento from my grandfather is a powerful thing to be able to show to the world."

Meanwhile, a still-chipper Holland said he's resigned to accept his fate as one half of his home nation's grip on the premier international snowboardcross events.

"I'm so fired up for Wescott," Holland said. "To double gold in the 'Olys,' to repeat in the 'Olys,' that's pretty amazing. I guess I'll just let him have the 'Olys,' and I'll take control of the X Games, and together as teammates we'll just control the two biggest snowboard races in the world."

The U.S. Snowboarding Team qualified all four of its riders, with Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) recording the second fastest time only to lose a photo finish that would have advanced him to the second round. Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) slid off course after a mistake.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park – Feb. 15
Men's Snowboardcross

Gold – Seth Wescott, Sugarloaf, ME
Silver – Mike Robertson, Canada
Bronze – Tony Ramoin, France
4. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA
5. Robert Fagan, Canada
-
17. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID
20. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI

SBX Men Not Daunted by Rain

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 12) – The 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Snowboardcross Team encountered wet weather in training again on Friday, but the rain didn't dampen their spirits.

"It's snowboarding," said five-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland. "We work in this stuff all the time. Super cold, icy conditions … wet, rainy fog … it's all a part of it. I grew up in this stuff over in Idaho (on home resort Schweitzer), so I'm pretty comfortable."

Holland said the conditions won't change the playing field, so there's no reason to worry about them.

"It's a race, someone's gotta win it," Holland said. "Like I said before, I've done a lot of work to get here, I'm pretty fired up on it. I'm just going to lay my heart down on the course and see where I end up."

Two-time Olympian Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) said his only concern is getting one or two runs on the course on race day, in order to get a feel for the snow.

"It is pretty wet, so as it compacts, it's going to form ripples in the snow, especially in the turny sections," he said. "Being stable on the board is going to be more difficult than on a smooth course."

On the day of Opening Ceremonies, Watanabe said he had no expectations after qualifying in his final opportunity with second place at the World Cup event in Stoneham on Jan. 21.

"Basically, that was just a relief," he said. "I knew I was on the team. But it was definitely a challenging day emotionally because it was bittersweet. Shaun Palmer (South Lake Tahoe, CA) and Ross Powers (Bennington, VT) were both one placing away from qualifying. When you're this close with your teammates, it's hard to celebrate when you've suffered a loss as a group."

Watanabe's remaining teammates include reigning Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME) and World Championship Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI), and that crew will vie for more podium finishes Monday, with qualification beginning at 1:30 p.m. PT.

Trailblazing U.S. Halfpipe Team Meets Press

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

VANCOUVER, BC (Feb. 11) – The sport of halfpipe snowboarding has come a long way since its inclusion in the Olympics in 1998, and no group of athletes has been more instrumental in its recent evolution than the 2010 U.S. Olympic Halfpipe Team, which met the press for its arrival conference in Vancouver on Thursday afternoon.

"I think women's snowboarding has progressed so much in the last five years," said 2006 Olympian Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA), the first woman to land a 900 in competition seven years ago. "We have gone from doing small spins to bigger spins, and the amplitude has just increased. Everything about women's snowboarding is progressing at such a fast level, it's exciting to be a part of the main movement, which I think is in the U.S."

Olympic gold medalist Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA) sparked a movement all his own this season when he brought the double cork into the halfpipe, ratcheting up the benchmark for medal contenders with the Double McTwist 1260.

"For me, every single season I kind of look at what I've done on the previous one and think of how I can beat it," White said. "Usually it just comes from within. I have to get inspired, I have to get motivated, and I really have to have a game plan.

"It's been an amazing finisher for my run," White said of the Double McTwist 1260. "It's something that I'm proud to say is the best trick I've ever done."

When asked if he considered giving his invention a new name, White said he's been contemplating the "Tomahawk," after a steak he ate in Aspen, or the "Double Eagle."

"Those sound equally delicious," he joked.

Besides helping to progress the sport in the pipe, 2002 gold medalist and possible favorite Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT) did a little growing of her own since winning gold in 2002, taking a disappointing fourth in Torino and finding that, to her surprise, it wasn't the end of the world.

"Having made it through both of those Olympic experiences and knowing that either way, I'm just fine, I think it's great heading into my third Olympics because it creates a lot of freedom," Clark said.

She'll face stiff competition from U.S. teammates Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT), the defending Olympic champion, and Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), who is hoping to improve on silver in 2006 by parlaying her hometown X Games victory last weekend into Olympic glory.

"It was the first competition this season where I actually rode to my potential," Bleiler said. "It felt really good, and now I have even better confidence heading into Cypress. I know what I'm capable of, and I know that I'm capable of more."

Joining White on the men's squad are three more athletes capable of previously unimaginable tricks - Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA), Scotty Lago (Seabrook, NH) and Louie Vito (Sandy, UT), who expanded the profile of the sport last year with an appearance on ABC's "Dances with the Stars."

Vito said the TV gig more than prepared him for the Olympic spotlight.

"Going out every week and having to do a dance I had no confidence in, wearing the clothes that I probably wouldn't even wear on Halloween, and doing it in front of a live audience and in front of 22 million viewers… you go into snowboarding, which I am comfortable doing, I'm comfortable wearing what I'm wearing and doing something that I know I'm actually pretty good at, it makes it a lot easier," he said.

Training in the pipe begins this Sunday at Cypress Mountain. The men's halfpipe event will take place at Cypress Mountain next Wednesday, with the finals scheduled for 7:15 PT. The women follow on Thursday with the medal round set to begin at 4 p.m. local time.

Link, Tamposi Fly Above Rev Tour

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO (Feb. 10) – The Revolution Tour wrapped up its final day of competition at Copper Mountain with the slope style competition. Spencer Link (Corona, CA) and Lauren Tamposi (Hollis, NH) won the event.

Link topped a strong field on Wednesday, winning the competition. Spencer Shaw (Litchfield, CT) threw down a switchback nine in efforts of taking the crown, but the impressive trick was not enough to bump Link out of first. Placing behind Shaw in third was Jake Larue (Ward, CO).

Tamposi won the women’s competition. Laying down a solid run, Tamposi threw a big backside five to clinch the win. Mikaela Casey (Mound, MN) and Emily Blewitt (Madison, WI) trailed Tamposi in second and third.

The next stop for the Revolution Tour is for March 5-7 in Boreal, CA.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Revolution Tour
Copper Mountain, CO
February 10, 2010
Slope Style

Men

1. Spencer Link, Corona, CA
2. Spencer Shaw, Litchfield, CT
3. Jake Larue, Ward, CO

Women

1. Lauren Tamposi, Hollis, NH – backside 5
2. Mikaela Casey, Mound, MN
3. Emily Blewitt, Madison, WI
# # #

SBX Team Ready for All Comers

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

VANCOUVER, BC (Feb. 10) – After a gold and silver in Torino, the U.S. Olympic Snowboardcross Team might well have a target on its back at Cypress Mountain. But so does everybody else in the daring sport that pits four boarders against each other on an obstacle-laden battle to the bottom.

"I don't think it really matters," reigning Olympic men's champion Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME) said at an arrival press conference Wednesday. "We race head-to-head every time we compete."

Wescott, fully recovered from an injury sustained after overshooting a jump in Telluride last December, was nipping at the heels of Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) at the X Games in Aspen last week before his American teammate claimed his fifth X Games gold medal.

"It just adds a little fire to me," Holland said. "I'm super fired up to be at my second Olympics and to have a big result two weeks prior is definitely motivating.

"When I step into the gate and I look around and see these guys, I know that these guys are definitely going to give me a run for my money as much, if not better, than any other teams out there."

Holland fell during Wescott's star turn in 2006, but he's feeling good strong into Vancouver.

"I'm just going to get out there on the course and lay it down as hard as I can and leave my heart out on the course and see where I end up," Holland said.

2006 silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) knows firsthand how unpredictable the sport of snowboardcross can be, so she's keeping a level head despite the glare of the big lights.

"I pretty much approach every race the same way. I bring the same amount of passion and energy into every race," Jacobellis said. "I want to go out there and win every time. I know that doesn't happen, but I know I have the ability and I'm just going to try my best. It's a new year, it's a new day, and it's going to be my mom's birthday, so hopefully I'll get her a good present.

Jacobellis is joined by two Olympic newcomers in serious contention: 17-year-old Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City) and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK), the first native Alaskan in the Olympic Games.

"It's also nice having girls on the team now," said Jacobellis. "Four years ago, when I made the team, I was all by myself. I was just chilling up at the top. Everyone's doing their pep talks, and I'm just kicking the snow, looking at my snowboard."

Speaking of snow, Wescott heard a course report from one of the Canadian coaches who conducted test runs Tuesday night, and he was very encouraged.

"It seems like VANOC and the IOC are going out of their way to pull it off," he said. "We've all been in other parts of the country and seen the news reports that they're trucking and flying snow in, so it's good to hear from people on our side of the sport that the venue's coming together well."

Wescott and Holland will have to endure stiff competition from their own teammates.

World Championship bronze medalist Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) is stoked for his first Olympic experience, which he'll share with his son.

"To see how proud my son is, it's overwhelming, and it's great," said the single father. "To be able to be here for the first time with these guys, I couldn't ask for anything better."

X Games silver medalist Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) returns to the Olympics after a surprise shot in 2006, and he explained the experience in a way that only Watanabe can.

"It's feeling a lot more like this is my first Olympics," he said, before regaling the crowd with his Watanabe-brand humor. "Try to imagine Pegasus mating with a unicorn, and the creature that they birth, I somehow tame it, and ride it into the sky into the clouds and sunshine and rainbows, that's what it feels like."

"I don't quite know how to follow that," Baumgartner deadpanned.

Training starts this weekend with the men competing on Monday starting with qualifications at 1:30 p.m. PT, and the women kick things off at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Pogue Tops Rev Tour

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO (Feb. 8) – Rainey Pogue (Jackson, WY) topped the Revolution Tour women’s halfpipe. New Zealand’s Ben Stewart won the men’s competition.

Tyler Anderson (Chanhassen, MN) laid down a killer run, throwing an inverted 1080. Unfortunately, the trick wasn’t enough to overtake Stewart. Trailing in third behind Anderson was Cody Weselis (Park City, UT).

Pogue was crowned the winner on Monday. Jenna Dramise (Henderson, NV) and Shelby Simpson (Bondville, VT) threw down solid runs to join Pogue on the podium in second and third.

The Revolution Tour will pick back up on Wednesday for the slopestyle competition.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Revolution Tour
Copper Mountain, CO
February 8, 2010
Halfpipe

Men

1. Ben Stewart, New Zealand
2. Tyler Anderson, Chanhassen, MN
3. Cody Weselis, Park City, UT

Women

1. Rainey Pogue, Jackson, WY
2. Jenna Dramise, Henderson, NV
3. Shelby Simpson, Bondville, VT
# # #