U.S. Snowboarding Team News

U.S. Snowboarding Announces Grand Prix Schedule

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (July 1) - Olympic dreams will be made and broken during the 2010 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix as the tour makes three stops in its 14th season. A total of five Olympic qualification competitions will take place at Copper Mountain in Colorado's Summit County and Mammoth Mountain in the Mammoth Lakes region of California. The tour will make its final stop at Park City Mountain Resort, the venue for the 2002 Olympics, to announce the 2010 Olympic halfpipe team.

The Grand Prix series, which will feature 22-foot halfpipes at each of its venues, will narrow down the competition for Olympic spots through its first two tour stops and solidify the 2010 team at the final event in Park City.

"Copper, Mammoth and Park City are all classic Grand Prix sites and will provide a most fitting stage on which to name the Olympic halfpipe team for 2010," said Grand Prix Tour Director Eric Webster. "Copper, Mammoth and Park City all have a proven track record in hosting world class snowboard events, which lends confidence to the riders and coaches in a season with so much on the line."

The competition will heat up as Olympic gold medalists Kelly Clark (Snow Mountain, VT), Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT), and Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA), along with fellow Olympic medalists Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), JJ Thomas (Golden, CO) and Danny Kass (Portland, OR) all look for another shot at Olympic glory. Joining them in the hunt will be Grand Prix overall champions Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO) and Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) as well as Grand Prix podium performers Ellery Hollingsworth (Stratton, VT), Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO) Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA) and Olympian Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA).

NBC, the Olympic network, and Versus will broadcast the competitions. Go211.com will webcast the Grand Prix live from each stop.

Copper Gets Things Started
For the second straight year Copper Mountain, which is known as one of the top resorts for snowboarding in the U.S., will play host to the first stop of the Grand Prix Dec. 11-12. Copper, which is at the epicenter of snowboarding development with variable terrain and more than 19,000 sq ft of park and pipe progression tools in the new Woodward at Copper Barn, has a longstanding history with the Grand Prix tour, having hosted events in 1998 and 1999.

"I'm really excited to have the Grand Prix at Copper once again because I personally love having my family and friends close, as well as having the support of my home mountain," Copper local Clair Bidez said. "I know that Copper is really going to put their all into making the Grand Prix a great event."

Copper Mountain, which lies a convenient 75 miles from the Denver area, is known for traditionally having the first superpipe open in the U.S. and continually providing the best conditions for riders to compete in. Another great feature of Copper’s superpipe is the location - it will provide a very entertaining and intimate experience for spectators because it is located just steps away from the Village at Copper and Burning Stones Plaza.

Look for the action in Copper to continue when the sun goes down as the mountain hosts a Paul Mitchell Progression Session under the lights.

"Copper delivered an outstanding Grand Prix for us last year with an amazing pipe. It brings an incredible snowmaking capacity, and an ability and commitment to build an early season pipe," said USSA Vice President of Events Calum Clark. "This year Copper has committed to having a 22-foot pipe, which pushes the envelope even further. We will have an Olympic quality pipe ready for competition in early December."

Mammoth Mountain Returns to Grand Prix
The hosting the first Olympic snowboard team announcement in 1998, Mammoth Mountain is back on the Grand Prix tour as the second of three stops and will host two full-field halfpipe competitions Jan. 8-10.

"Mammoth has been a tremendous partner of ours for years. It has been a hotbed for growing a tremendous amount of talent out of their parks and pipes," Clark said. To be going back to a longstanding partner, someone who's really grown with the snowboard industry as it has expanded in the U.S., it's fitting and exciting."

In addition to hosting the halfpipe competitions, Mammoth will also hold a slopestyle event where athletes have the chance to show off their style on the kickers and course features.

"Mammoth is a great place to hold the Grand Prix. The park staff and night crew will make the terrain perfect for competition," Mammoth rider Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA) said."I think a lot of people will come up to watch the competition and the local crowd at Mammoth will make the event super exciting. It's a great place to go for Olympic qualifications."

Known for being the only resort in North America to offer three different-sized halfpipes, Mammoth's 22-foot super pipe will give athletes their last two competitions in which they can qualify for a spot in the reduced field at the final tour stop where the Olympic team will be named.

"It is so exciting to be a part of this history making Grand Prix series," Mammoth Mountain Youth Action Sports Marketing Director Oren Tanzer said. "I can't wait to see the progression of snowboarding and to be a part of naming the U.S. Team for the upcoming Olympics. It doesn't get any better than this!"

Park City's Olympic Pipe Rides Again
The historic pipe where U.S. athletes swept the men's podium and won gold in the women's event during the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 will entertain the masses with Olympians again. The Grand Prix makes its final stop at Park City Mountain Resort for back to back night competitions, after which the winners will be crowned and the 2010 Olympic halfpipe team will be named.

Among the athletes stoked to hit the Park City pipe is White who, after having dinner with PCMR owner John Cummings, took to his Twitter page to spread the good news.

"Had dinner with John Cummings," White wrote. "Super nice guy, he told me Park City is having Olympic qualis mid Jan! booyeah!"

A reduced field comprised of the highest scoring athletes from previous tour stops will throw down the best tricks in their bag in an attempt to be one of the few named to the Olympic halfpipe team when the event is over.

"It's the perfect place to close the story of the Olympic team selection," Clark said. "The pipe has the tradition of being one of the best in North America. They put a tremendous amount of pride and energy into their venue. They are very excited to have this here."

In addition to hosting the Olympic halfpipe competition in 2002, Park City also held a Grand Prix the following December in which the Olympic medalists all returned for competition in their glory stomping ground.

With well over 100 national athletes expected to compete for a shot at the Olympic team, the 2010 Grand Prix series will be the hottest series of halfpipe competitions across the U.S.

2010 U.S. SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX SCHEDULE:

Dec. 11-12, 2009, Copper Mountain
Jan. 6-10, 2010, Mammoth Mountain
Jan. 22-23, 2010, Park City Mountain Resort

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Watanabe Facebooks From Afghanistan

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (June 25) - In the midst of his goodwill tour to Afghanistan, Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) was able to find a moment to update his Facebook friends on what things are like over there. Read on to see what Watanabe had to say.

For those unaware, I'm currently touring Afghanistan to visit some of our troops stationed here over the last few years. While I'll never be able to truly comprehend what they experience and sacrifice, I'm learning to appreciate what little I do understand much more than I ever have. If you know anyone serving, who served in the past, or just see someone on the streets serving at home, give 'em a high five, hug, salute or whatever embodies the gratitude they deserve. While we may not always agree with the reasoning behind the wars in which we're involved, these men and women didn't make the choice to be there. They selflessly agreed to protect our freedoms and lifestyles. They fight far away from home, often for years at a time, so that the fight may not be fought on our soil. So, cheers, troops! Thanks for your service and hospitality!

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Watanabe Ships Off To Afghanistan

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (June 18) - U.S. Snowboarding's Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) may be have spent the last week on a glacier in Oregon, but the X Games silver medalist trades the snow for sand on Saturday as he makes his way to Afghanistan for a goodwill tour to visit U.S. troops.

"I feel like this is a big opportunity for me, but at the same time I feel like hopefully it will be a reciprocal thing," Watanabe said of visiting the troops.

Watanabe is a 2006 Olympian who, in his young career, has amassed three World Cup wins. Watanabe also threw down against the top international competitors in the field last season to take silver in the winter X Games SBX competition. He was also named the 2009 U.S. SBX Champion. He will spend one week in Afghanistan and, according to Watanabe, he hopes to be able to provide the troops with a connection to the U.S. while they are abroad.

"I feel like I am getting more out of this visit than they are because they are making a bigger sacrifice than I. But, I hope that it's a big deal for them. I hope it's something where I'm giving back rather than just gaining from it," Watanabe said. "Ultimately I hope I just provide some kind of connection for them to home or any kind of uplift that they need."

Last summer Watanabe's teammate Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), who will be going to Iraq this year, had the opportunity to visit troops in Afghanistan on the same tour Watanabe will be on this year. But, while he has an insider's perspective through Holland, Watanabe said he still has no idea what to expect.

"I've heard some of the activities that he did. But I am still going in relatively blind in that I don’t know what to expect," Watanabe said." I'm hoping that we're able to make a personal connection and really let the troupes do the guiding and show us what they think is important."

Watanabe said that he's had relatively no experience with military personnel and hopes to be able to learn more about what the troops do day to day.

"Whether it's war or just the military in general, it's all a very surreal idea to me. For me personally it's a good opportunity to see what it's all about," Watanabe said. "This is an opportunity to get some education as to who the people are over there and their reason for being there. While I have an appreciation already for the people who do go over there.

"I appreciate without knowing really what kind of sacrifices they are making as individuals."

As for being concerned about entering a country like Afghanistan, Watanabe said he's not certain how he should feel.

"It's very surreal to me. I honestly don't know if there is anything I should be concerned about, so I'm not concerned. If there is, though, I'm in the best possible company I can be in," Watanabe said.

Watanabe leaves Saturday for Afghanistan and will return June 28. For Watanabe's thoughts on his trip visit www.grahamwatanabe.com and www.ussnowboarding.com after June 28.

Telluride To Host Visa Snowboardcross Cup

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (June 16) - Colorado's Telluride Resort will be the new home of international snowboarding competition in the U.S. as the 2010 Visa U.S. Snowboardcross Cup hits the Rocky Mountains Dec. 17-20. Telluride will be the sole U.S. stop of the LG FIS Snowboard World Cup and will feature an SBX and PGS competition during what will be the second in a series of five Olympic qualification events for the two sports.

"It's very exciting to be able to bring an event of this scale to a resort as great as Telluride where the enthusiasm and drive to make this World Cup a success is so strong," said USSA Vice President of Events Calum Clark. "It's been a really exciting process to go work with Telluride. It's more than a resort wanting an event. It's a community taking on an event as a part of their program."

In its debut as a host to an elite level snowboarding competition, Telluride is excited to forge a long lasting relationship with the snowboarding World Cup event community as well as kick things off on the cusp of the Olympic year with a first-class event.

"We're thrilled to bring the World Cup to Telluride," said Telluride Ski & Golf CEO Dave Riley. "Following the great success last season with the U.S. team training, we're ready to have the national and international snowboard communities focused on Telluride in the run-up to the Olympics. Our entire destination has come together to make this event happen, and we look forward to becoming a regular stop on the World Cup tour."

"The Telluride Ski Area and the towns of Mountain Village and Telluride are excited to be hosting the upcoming Snowboard World Cup beginning on December 17, 2009," added Frank Bell, Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee. "These challenging and crowd pleasing events, which will be the Telluride area's first World Cup competition, will showcase things to come at the Vancouver Olympics in February of 2010. We hope the world will join us either in person or through the media coverage in introducing the best snowboarders in the world to the great terrain, spectacular mountain setting, and two great ski towns that embrace the 2009 Snowboard World Cup."

The idea to have Telluride host the World Cup was sparked by an early season snowboardcross camp held there last season.

"The athletes and the coaches came out of that camp blown away with the level of service they received. It was like an event," Clark said. "Telluride took the spark of having the U.S. athletes there and thought, 'We could really make something of this.'"

According to U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley, Telluride Resort will make a perfect home in the west for an early-season World Cup stop.

"We are very excited to be having our World Cup at Telluride. The hill they have is so good and the snowmaking system is perfect for that time of year. No place in the world can get those kinds of courses done at that time of year," Foley said. "We almost hate to share it with the rest of the world, but I think everyone is going to be amazed at the level of quality. I think it's going to be one of the, if not the best World Cup of the year and we're going to be able to do it before Christmas."

The heat will be on in the snowboardcross as heats of four athletes race through rollers, jumps and bank turns in an attempt to be the last man standing.

The pressure will be on the U.S. Snowboarding's men's SBX roster as Olympic champion Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME), five-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), World Championship bronze medalist Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI),World Cup winner Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID), World Cup podium performer Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, MA) Olympic halfpipe gold medalist Ross Powers (Londonderry, VT), snowboarding legend Shaun Palmer (South Lake Tahoe, CA) and the rest of the domestic riders battle it out to solidify their spot in the up to four spots open on the men's Olympic team.

Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) will also be on hand looking to dominate the women's field.

Parallel giant slalom athletes will also be in the hunt for their Olympic team nominations. Michelle Gorgone (Boston), who took to the podium of two World Cups last season, will be aiming to take the stand again in the U.S.

On the men's side Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) will be back in the race after an injury kept him from competition last season. Joining him will be Adam Smith (Bend, OR) who finished second in a World Cup last season.

Capping things off in Telluride will be a team SBX exhibition competition. Team SBX pairs two riders from the same country on a team. One races the course against three to five other competitors and when that competitor crosses the finish line, the gate at the start triggers for the next teammate to begin racing.

"The World Cup at Telluride will be filled with intense competitions, and the setting provided by the resort provides us with the perfect opportunity to showcase the sport in the U.S. before it hits the world's stage at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver," Clark said.

The Visa U.S. Snowboardcross Cup Schedule:
Thursday, December 17 - PGS qualifications and finals
Friday, December 18 - SBX qualifications
Saturday, December 19 - SBX finals
Sunday, December 20 - Team SBX

NBC, the Olympic network, and the cable network Versus will broadcast the event. TV schedule details to follow.

SBX Hits The Snow in Hood

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 00:00:00 MST

MT. HOOD, OR (June 5) With the first of five Olympic qualification events only three months away, U.S. Snowboarding's snowboardcross athletes head to Timberline at Mt. Hood this week to lay the foundation for success in 2010.

"The first Olympic qualifying event will be in September and when we get there, everyone needs to be on their game," U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley said. "With this camp we're hoping to be able to up the level of everyone's skills. We want them to get really familiar with all the movements, the jumps and timing so that when they go to the qualifying event they feel like they have some stuff under their belt and confidence in what they are doing."

With up to four spots open on the men's Olympic team and the most talented men's lineup in U.S. SBX history, the likes of Olympic champion Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME), five-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), World Championship bronze medalist Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI),World Cup winner Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID), World Cup podium performer Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, MA) Olympic halfpipe gold medalist Ross Powers (Londonderry, VT) and snowboarding legend Shaun Palmer (South Lake Tahoe, CA) will all be preparing themselves for the battle of their lives to reach their Olympic dreams.

Adding to the pack is Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), who will be gearing up for the long haul to Vancouver.

According to Watanabe, who has been training at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association's newly opened Center of Excellence, he's looking to put in some time getting accustomed to being back on a board following his summer break.

"It's a foundation. I'm not looking to reach goals, I'm just looking to get my board legs under me and reach some of those muscles that you can't really train unless your ride. I want to get those firing and get some time on the board," Watanabe said.

For the camp, the crew at Timberline has played an integral role in providing the athletes with a set up tailored for their preparation as the resort has carved out prime real estate for the SBX course to be constructed.

"Timberline has been super helpful. The place where we are putting the course is right down the main run and it is ideal terrain. It's sweet that they are letting us build a course there," Foley said.

For Foley, the key to preparing the athletes for the season ahead is building a setup that provides them with the ability to fine tune the skills before working in the speed.

"We're trying to build some start sequences that are similar to what Jeff Ihaksi, the Olympic course builder, has been building," Foley said. "There's also a bunch of terrain, but we're keeping the speeds down so the athletes can really concentrate on working the terrain and the different skills involved in that. It's good to focus on how to execute the features really well without having to lay everything on the line."

It won't be all on-snow work, though, as the athletes will spend time dryland training, working out the details of their summer training program, and having a little fun on wheels and in the water.

"We're going to be doing a lot of mountain biking and a lot of dryland stuff. We want to get people situated with their programs. We want to get everyone lined up down to the details. We'll also try to get some fun stuff in like kite surfing," Foley said.

One athlete in particular is looking to his time on a mountain bike for the benefits it will provide his riding.

"For me that type of training is really big. One of my goals for the past few years has been to scare myself on a regular basis and pushing my limits on a bike is great for that," Watanabe said. "I've been doing more dirt jumping. I feel like it helps my SBX because it's a similar element of matching transitions and understanding what speeds you have."

The crew heads to Mt. Hood on the 7th for two weeks of on-snow preparation before launching into summer-long fitness programs in the lead up to the 2010 season.

U.S. Snowboarding Mourns Ruby Death

Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, Utah (May 30) - U.S. Snowboarding officials and athletes mourned the death of French Olympic champion Karine Ruby, 31, who was killed May 29 in a climbing accident on Mont Blanc near Chamonix, France. Ruby, one of the great pioneers of snowboarding's move into the Olympics, was the gold medalist in giant slalom at Nagano in 1998, and took parallel giant slalom silver in 2002 before making her third Olympic team in 2006, but in snowboardcross.

"She will be remembered in history as a snowboarding pioneer and one of the most decorated athletes in the history of our sport," said U.S. Snowboarding Director Jeremy Forster. "It is a great tragedy for our sport and our thoughts are with her family and the many athletes who came to know her so well."

In a career spanning more than a decade, she won 67 World Cups along with six World Championships. At the 2001 World Championships in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, she swept to three golds in parallel slalom and giant slalom, plus snowboardcross.

"She was an incredible competitor and had such an insane amount of talent," said U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley, who knew Ruby from the time she started competing on the World Cup at the age of 16. "She was so friendly and super fun to be around and really lightened the mood in the start area."

Ruby, who recently had become a mountain guide, was leading two climbers in the Tour de Ronde area of Mont Blanc, when the three fell into a crevasse. All three died.

Other Links
ESPN.com Blog by Tracy Anderson

Ramps and Tramps Ready for Air

Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (May 26) - Having an X Games skate park set up in the backyard is a dream for most. But dreams are a reality for U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding athletes who have a skate and trampoline area on which to train in the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association's new Center of Excellence. The ramps and tramps area is a unique training venue for athletes.

The competitors will have free reign of the area, which features a roller pump track complete with bank turn, a kicker into the foam pit, a ski cross and snowboardcross start gate, a skate bowl, and two Olympic regulation trampolines.

"What we have is a unique facility that is completely tailored to meet our athletes' needs," U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Coach Ricky Bower said. "I think it's going to really help progress basic skills for our riders for the future. No other countries have anything like what we have."

The Center was built with the trampoline area as a starting point. The amount of air generation needed to train on the tramps was used as a reverence for how tall the building needed to be and everything was added on from that point.

"It's a huge benefit to have the trampolines. The biggest downfall we've had is not having a decent gym set up. We could go to a gymnastics gym, but the set ups are pay to use. There are also trampolines at the sports park, but it can get windy being outdoors. But now we have the best trampolines in the world, which were handmade in Toronto," U.S. Aerials Head Coach Matt Christensen said. "We're stoked. We've been bouncing at the Center of Excellence every day. This is awesome not only for our top athletes, but for the athletes coming up. They're learning their skills in a more efficient way on the tramp."

The area is comprised of a modular scaffolding base understructure and a wood decking system, which provided areas for the trampolines to be installed and also includes the wooden bowl that's stick framed. Everything is topped with a material made out of plastic and synthetic resin to provide athletes using skateboards or inline skates a smooth and durable surface on which they can generate speed.

"It's really interesting because it's a permanent installation, so we're able to make everything dead on. We can spend a lot more time really dialing in the details of this type of facility," said Jon Mammele, who supervised the construction for Murphy Productions project manager for the Center. "This is a lot more rewarding because you get to focus on the details. It's the most fun project I've worked on in the past two years."

The area will allow athletes to work on new maneuvers, as well as build speed and strength together. There is also an added benefit for alpine athletes as they will use straight jump to simulate jumps encountered during downhill runs.

"The pump track is great for fitness and simulation of the kind of movements that ski and snowboardcross athletes use," U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley said. "The foam pit allows the athletes to try tricks that we would normally have to try out on snow without getting hurt. Having a start gate to practice with means we can get a huge volume of practice time in on starting. Not only from a fitness standpoint, but also a skills and coordination standpoint we have an area to develop things that we wouldn't otherwise."

In their training, the snowboarders will use skateboards and skiers will use inline skates to simulate their on-snow movements throughout the installment's features.

"It's all complimentary. If you're able to train in a bowl on wheels you really go through a lot of the fundamentally similar motions that you would on snow," Mammele said.

Athletes will also be able to train air packages on the Olympic trampolines in order to eventually transfer their moves to the snow.

"Until now there has been a limited amount of acrobatic work they can do, but on a trampoline we can dramatically increase the amount of acrobatic time. The philosophy is that we can fix things and perfect things on the trampoline and then carry them over to the water ramps and then to snow. The trampolines are the really crucial part of the acrobatic training," U.S. Freestyle Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen said. "It will be really great for us to have our own area to train."

According to Bower, a former U.S. Snowboarding rider who won gold in halfpipe at the 1999 World Championships, having the ramps and tramps in the Center will only allow for improvement for the athletes who are now able to use it consistently.

"The concept is following the basic model of a Woodward skate and gymnastic camp that we used to go to when I was on the team. To be able to have similar facilities right in our training center is going to be a huge benefit," Bower said.

The skate and trampoline area was under physical construction since mid-March and is now in use by the athletes.

Future of Snowboarding Ready For Project Gold

Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (May 21) - U.S. Snowboarding Rookie Coach Bud Keene will continue to mold the rider youth of America into the best adult athletes in the world as he spends the next month at two different resorts coaching athletes ages 9-19 in each of the snowboarding disciplines.

All athletes participating in the camps qualified for a spot under Keene's tutelage through the U.S. Snowboarding Revolution tour overall standings and USASA Nationals results.

"This is a camp we have every year where the most promising junior riders from the U.S. are invited to interact with the U.S. coaching staff and select coaches from across the nation," Keene said. "It's a really powerful camp and the atmosphere of friendly one-upsmanship, the relationship with the coaches and the perfect terrain all combine to push the progression."

Keene who started things off at Mammoth Mountain in CA on May 16 is pushing halfpipers to work on fundamental skills that they can take with them and work on at competitions throughout the season.

"We're here for progression so that these kids turn around and go to other riding sessions with another trick or two under their belts," Keene said.

While in Mammoth Keene will also coach a Junior Gold camp for athletes ages 9-14.

"It's just a younger version of Project Gold with a younger crew and a full-time dedicated staff. We have the time and man power to reach down younger and help these riders with talent earlier on," Keene said.

From Mammoth, Project Gold moves on to Mt. Hood in OR June 9-19 for separate alpine and snowboardcross camps.

"There is a strong riding group there and they will be pushing each other and it will all make for a lot of growth," Keene said. "We're also really excited about the Project Gold SBX camp. It's tough to get a snowboardcross course and we've been successful in securing good tracks at hood. We're really excited and fortunate to have that."

For Keene, the most important thing about the Project Gold camp series is giving the athletes the tools they need to succeed and be the future of their sport.

"All of these athletes at these camps get a glimpse of what it's going to be like in the future and that's all they need to do is see it and then they'll do it," Keene said. "What we're doing here is formalizing, strengthening and deepening our pipeline."

Project Gold Schedule:
May 16-23 Project Gold, Mammoth (15-19 year olds)
May 23-30 Project Junior Gold, Mammoth (10-14 year olds)
June 9-15 Project Gold, Mt. Hood for Alpine (15-19 year olds)
June 12-19 Project Gold, Mt. Hood for SBX (15-19 year olds)

Jewell: Six Things About the Center of Excellence

Tue, 19 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (May 19) - One of the first athletes to begin spending time in his new home at the Center of Excellence was U.S. Snowboarding's Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO). While taking a quick break from his fitness routine Jewell took a moment to talk about his six favorite things about the new building.

The Trainers
"The most important thing is the whole crew here. That's what makes this place tick and that is why I am here," Jewell said.

With four USSA Sport Science strength and conditioning coaches crafting specialty fitness programs annually for individual athletes in every sport, it's no wonder that trainers made the top of Jewell's list. In addition to working with them daily, trainers test athletes on a yearly basis. Based on the outcome of the athlete's fitness level, a trainer creates a regiment for athletes to follow as they prepare for the season ahead.

The Equipment
On the gym floor athletes have access to seven treadmills, 30 bikes, 11 weight lifting platforms, an athletics track that is double the thickness of the track athletes ran on in the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, 27 machine weights, two complete sets of dumbbells, two stair masters, one giant treadmill and two testing bikes. With the staggering amount of training equipment available anytime an athlete stops by, it's no wonder Jewell said, "Having all this nice equipment is truly the icing on the cake."

Skate Park
"This looks so cool. I was talking to Ricky Bower [U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Coach] and asked him to give me lessons. He can rip it," Jewell said.

Jewell isn't kidding about Bower. The coach, a former halfpipe World Champion himself, was instrumental in planning the ramps and tramps area of the Center. The area features a roller pump track complete with bank turn, a kicker into the foam pit, a ski and snowboardcross start gate, a skate bowl, and Olympic regulation trampolines. It will be a crucial tool for snowboarders and aerialists to use when practicing new air maneuvers, as well as training for snowboard and ski cross. It's a dreamed-up playground just waiting for athletes to drop in and train.

Physical Therapy Area
Complete with a rehabilitation pool, hot and cold plunges, multiple therapy tables and numerous stretching and strengthening devices, the Center's Physical Therapy Center is a haven for injured athletes looking to make a safe and speedy return to their sport. Jewell knows first-hand what a vital tool the physical therapy area will be to him.

"This is going to be an amazing tool for me to utilize because I am just coming back from an injury," Jewell said.

The Sun
With numerous windows throughout the entire Center, it's safe to say that the natural light is ample. The natural light plays a role in the Center's focus on being environmentally friendly by using the natural light resources. But, when summer hits and athletes are looking outside as they work out on the stationary bikes, they may want to take a cue from Jewell.

"I love how it just comes in through the windows. We could get all Venice Beach and put our bikes outside in the summer," Jewell said.

The History
As athletes work out in their new home, they're watched over by leaders of the sport. The gym features a "Ring of Champions," which circles the walls and includes each of the U.S. Olympic medalists. The facility is also home to photo plaques recognizing each of the U.S. Olympic and World Championship medalists, and larger than life banners featuring action shots of today's champions. Jewell is amazed by the history presented on the walls.

"I like seeing the history and looking at how both skiing and snowboarding has progressed. Looking at a picture of Ross Powers from 1998 to 2002, it's cool how much things have changed. Hopefully I can be a part of it someday," Jewell said.

Now Jewell, along with the rest of the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding family, will prepare for the upcoming Olympic season by training this summer in outdoor camps around the globe, as well as at their home base - the Center of Excellence.

Champion Q&A: Ellery Hollingsworth

Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 MST

Ellery Hollingsworth (Stratton, VT) might only be a senior in high school, but she's one of the best female riders on the scene. From making finals at the X Games, to finishing third at the Burton U.S. Open this year, Hollingsworth's got it going on. The rider took a time out to answer some questions. Check out her thoughts on being roommates with fellow rider Steve Fisher, puppies and smiling.

What do you do when you aren't snowboarding?
I do a lot of school work because I am trying to graduate. I also spend a lot of time with my family. My mom and I like to cook and we make soup.

What grade are you in?
I'm a senior at Stratton Mountain School and in the winter I have a tutor.

So when you make soup with your mom, what kind do you make?
We have a soup book and we choose a different one every time. I like one that's chicken noodle soup but is made with butternut squash, rice and apples.

You seem like a really fashion conscious athlete. What role does fashion play in your life?
I ride for B by Burton and the outerwear is edgy and more fitted for women. We have a lot of say on what prints they use and how they fit. Style is pretty important to me.

What is something about you a lot of people wouldn't know?
I love animals. It's hard being a snowboarder because it's going to be difficult for me to have a dog when I get my own place. I'm kind of bumming on that because I want to get a puppy.

So what will you do?
I want to get a roommate and then I will get a dog.

What kind of dog do you want?
A Newfoundland because growing up we had one. They're cuddly and endearing. And I like big furry dogs.

When you're riding the pipe and you fall do you ever get embarrassed?
No. I don't really get embarrassed. That's how you learn.

What do you think about being a U.S. Snowboarding athlete?
I'm fortunate to be on the U.S. team. Right now there's a great group of women on it. I get to travel with Gretchen, Kelly and Hannah all season and it's just really fun.

Do you learn a lot from the women on the team?
I learn a lot from Gretchen. Whenever I stay with her I learn something. I would never make my bed before I was with U.S. Snowboarding. On one of my first trips I roomed with Gretchen and she was always making her bed so I started making my bed.

So, teammate Steve Fisher has agreed to rent you a room in his house, correct?
Yes. He's eating a sandwich right next to the sink right now.

What is the most entertaining part about living with him?
His dog is the most entertaining thing. When he gets hungry he dances around and barks. He's very verbal.

And what is the best part about being housemates with him?
It's cool to live with a fellow snowboarder because we're dealing with the same stuff. If I have a question, I can just ask him because he's been in the game loner than me. He's got good advice.

Any last words for this Q&A?
Smile as much as you can because when you smile everyone feels better and they want to smile too. Try to be happy and thankful for what you have because it's easy to lose sight of that. We're really fortunate for everything we have.

U.S. Snowboarders Inspire Adaptive Athletes

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 MST

On a snowy Friday afternoon in late February, the small building that houses Maine Handicapped Skiing (MHS), Maine’s largest year-round adaptive recreation organization, was bursting at the seams with adaptive athletes young and old awaiting a special appearance from some people visiting their mountain at Sunday River Resort.

U.S. Snowboarding's SBX athletes took some time out of their busy competition schedule on Feb. 27th to spend some time with and sign autographs for people who spent the day skiing and snowboarding with MHS.

"It's just a unique program that gets adaptive people in Maine out on the slopes," Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME) said of the program that enables anywhere from 20 to 25 athletes a day, seven days a week, to ski or snowboard with MHS volunteer guides.

Wescott, along with Pat Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, MA) and Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) spent time with the people at MHS the day before their World Cup race at the resort.

According to 11-year-old Gage Murphy, seeing the athletes was a neat way to be introduced to the MHS program.

"This is my first time here. I am very excited," said Murphy, who, after his first day of skiing with MHS, decided he wants to be a snowboarder thanks, in part, to the athletes he met.

"It's really inspiring for the athletes to come over and visit with our folks who are either just learning to ski or snowboard, or who have been doing it for years," said Betsy Doyon, executive director of Maine Handicap Skiing.

According to Doyon, even an hour-long visit, like the one from U.S. Snowboarding, can have a huge impact on the way the athletes at MHS look at their sport.

"It's a real motivation. Any time an athlete visits, whether it's someone we know or just a person who is a really good rider or skier, it just motivates our athletes to get out there and aspire to a higher level," Doyon said.

When all was said and done, Wescott, who hosts MHS at his restaurant in Maine every Sunday afternoon, said the visit was something special to him.

"It was just cool. The kids were super psyched and all the adults were psyched too," Wescott said. "I just know how much it means to all of them, having been involved with other people who work for the organization and I am just happy to be able to give back."

For more information on MHS visit http://www.skimhs.org/.

Athletes Train in Buttermilk Superpipe

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 00:00:00 MST

ASPEN/SNOWMASS, CO (April 7) - U.S. Snowboarding's halfpipe athletes aren't done riding 22-foot walls just yet as they head to Aspen/Snowmass to spend some time Buttermilk Mountain's renowned X Games superpipe for a spring training camp April 7- 20 to prepare for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Buttermilk's pipe, which is one of only five 22-foot pipes in North America and was recently chosen as the Number 1 pipe in Transworld Snowboarding’s readers poll.

"This is definitely the cornerstone camp of our program. It's going to be amazing," U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski said. "We're going to be getting after it and riding a perfect 22-foot pipe in Aspen at Buttermilk."

U.S. Snowboarding's Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO) a local and rider at Buttermilk is excited for her teammates to be able to practice in the halfpipe that holds one of snowboarding's biggest annual competitions - the ESPN Winter X Games.

"It will be great having our team camp in my hometown of Aspen," said Bleiler. "The buttermilk pipe, built for X Games, is one of the best in the world and it should be a progressive couple of weeks."

2002 Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT), 2006 Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT) and U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix joint overall champions Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO) and Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) will be on hand, along with a majority of the U.S. Snowboarding roster, to perfect their skills as they build momentum into the 2010 season.

"We've got a season's worth of competition and training under our belt. Everyone is coming out on the top of their game for this spring camp and it's a good time to get out there and build on what they've already got going for the season," Jankowski said.

Also dropping in will be U.S. Snowboarding rookies Ross Baker (Reno, NV), Dylan Bidez (Minturn, CO), Matt Ladley (Steamboat Springs, CO), Broc Waring (Edwards, CO), Zack Black (Breckenridge, CO), Kaitlyn Farrington (Sun Valley, ID) and Maddy Schaffrick (Steamboat Springs, CO).

"This is going to be one of the best and most unbelievable training opportunities that U.S. Snowboarding has ever been able to provide for its riders," U.S. Snowboarding Freestyle Development Coach Bud Keene said. "Just having everyone there riding together is going to push the level and with the Buttermilk pipe being so perfect, it's really going to allow an unobstructed learning curve. There's going to be serious stuff going down and it's going to be awesome."

U.S. Snowboarding hits the pipe Tuesday and will ride at Buttermilk for two weeks.

"Everyone is rearing to go," Jankowski added. "Buttermilk is setting up a really amazing training venue for us and it's going to make a positive impact on our team and U.S. Snowboarding as a whole."

U.S. Awards Titles in Canada

Wed, 1 Apr 2009 00:00:00 MST

MT. TREMBLANT, Quebec (April 1) - Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) Lindsay Lloyd (Centerville, UT), Josh Wylie (Londonderry, VT) and Lynn Ott (Bend, OR) wrapped up the alpine snowboarding season by taking U.S. titles in parallel giant slalom and parallel slalom.

The riders competed at Canadian National Champions Tuesday and Wednesday. The top U.S. finisher was awarded the U.S. title.

Klug and Lloyd kicked things off in the parallel giant slalom Tuesday where both took third and the U.S. titles.

"I'm stoked. It was a good race today and it wasn't easy. Spring racing on the east coast can be challenging, but I'm happy," Klug said.

A 10-time U.S. champion in the sport, Klug said that while he did feel himself getting stronger in each race, mistakes kept him from winning the competition outright.

"I had some really good runs. I qualified third and felt like I was getting stronger throughout the rounds," Klug said. "Matt Morrison [Canada] and I met in the semi finals. I had a solid first run against him in the red course, which was causing problems for a lot of people all day. On my second run against him on the blue course I made a few mistakes. In parallel racing it takes 10 good runs to win a race and today I had nine good runs."

Jasey Jay Anderson and Matt Morrison of Canada finished first and second in the race.

For Klug, despite not winning the event outright, having another U.S. title was a great way to finish out the season.

"I worked really hard this winter and I was happy to come and finish out strong in parallel giant slalom. I'll really build on that this spring and summer going into next season," Klug said.

In the women's race, Lloyd's title marked only her second U.S. title and enstilled in the rider some confidence for the year.

"It was a good field, so that was awesome for me because I haven't been riding that great all year against the World Cup field, but it was nice to do well in a World Cup level field," Lloyd said.

Canadians Alexa Loo and Caroline Calve finished first and second, respectively.

Wednesday, Wylie and Ott took on the parallel slalom and each also took third as well as the U.S. title in some challenging conditions.

"It's great to have the coveted slalom title. The weather wasn't the greatest today, but we just pushed through and the event went off smoothly," Wylie said.

Jasey Jay Anderson again took the men's win for Canada followed by Patrick Farrell in second.

According to Wylie, who went up against parallel giant slalom U.S. champion Chris Klug (Aspen) for third place, said that his final round was the most challenging and exciting of the day.

"The first couple rounds I had a couple guys go down and it wasn't until I raced Klug for the third place spot and the national title that it really was a fight. When it came to facing Klug I had to go for it," Wylie said. "After the first run I had the maximum time against him and I tried to stay with him in the second run knowing that I had that differential. I got the win and it was awesome."

Ott also had to race against one of her teammates, Erica Mueller (Steamboat Springs, CO) in order to secure her title.

Alexa Loo took her second win in as many days during the event followed by Kimiko Zakreski, both of Canada.

For complete results from the Canadian Nationals click here.

Kober Takes PGS Win, Title

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:00:00 MST

VALMALENCO, Italy (March 22) - Canadian Jasey Jay Anderson and Amelie Kober of Germany took to the top of the podium during a parallel giant slalom in Italy. The competition marked the final World Cup snowboarding event of the 2009 season.

In addition to winning the race, Kober also finished first in the women's World Cup alpine snowboarding standings.

Austrians Siegfried Grabner and Doris Guenther's third-place finishes Sunday placed them atop the World Cup overall standings and had Grabner in first and Guenther in second for the alpine snowboarding standings.

Michelle Gorgone (Boston) and Chris Klug (Aspen) led the U.S. finishing 28th and 22nd, respectively.

"Lots of things happened that probably shouldn't have happened. We felt very prepared for this race coming into it, but it just fell apart," U.S. Snowboarding Alpine Head Coach Steve Persons said. "We had some great training coming into the race. Probably one of the best preparation blocks we've ever had."

According to Persons, flawless race terrain meant that riders had to have zero mistakes in order to advance.

"I just think a lot of the times were really tight because conditions were perfect. A lot of racers were riding fast," Persons said.

With the season now wrapped up, Persons looks ahead to the summer preparation period where the athletes will build their strength for 2010.

"Our plan is to have a couple camps in the spring and depending on how the World Cup schedule goes for us, more training in November and leading into December," Persons said. "We look forward to getting into next season with a strong crew and take the momentum we have here into summer training and build confidence."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
LG FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP
Valmalenco, Italy - March 22, 2009
Parallel Giant Slalom

Men
1. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
2. Benjamin Karl, Austria
3. Siegfried Grabner, Austria
4. Andreas Prommegger, Austria
5. Matthew Morison, Canada
-
22. Chris Klug, Aspen, CO
37. Ben Fairchild, Kirkland, WA

Women
1. Amelie Kober, Germany
2. Caroline Calve, Canada
3. Doris Guenther, Austria
4. Claudia Riegler, Austria
5. Nicolien Sauerbreij, Netherlands
-
28. Michelle Gorgone, Boston
42. Andi Jo Stump, East Wenatchee, WA
# # #

Kass Wins Fifth Burton Open of Career

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:00:00 MST

STRATTON MOUNTAIN, VT (March 21) - Two time Olympic silver medalist Danny Kass (Portland, OR) took to the pipe in Stratton Saturday to rally the fifth US Open win of his career. Australia's Torah Bright locked down her second win in a row to lead the women's field.

"There's something about East Coast pipe and weather like this. I hurt my shoulder last year so I'm psyched to come back to the US Open and win," Kass said. "It's incredible. I grew up on the East Coast, so I would always come here and watch my favorite riders."

"Danny getting his fifth US Open win, we're obviously proud of him as a U.S. rider. He's showing he's got what it takes and is making a push to get back to his third Olympics," U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski said.

Finland's Peetu Piiroinen followed Kass, finishing second, and Luke Mitrani (Mammoth Lakes, CA) was third.

In the women's competition Bright overtook Clark for the win, but the 2002 Olympic gold medalist was satisfied with the season's final event.

"It was a great day. There was a lot of really good snowboarding. Torah rode amazingly and I got to try my nine again. It was awesome," Clark said.

"Kelly was able to get up there with second place. She obviously came to win, but she can't be disappointed with a podium performance," Jankowski added.

Following Clark for the first Burton US Open podium of her career was Stratton Mountain School student and U.S. Snowboarding athlete Ellery Hollingsworth (Stratton, VT).

"For Ellery, she had a stand out performance for her first US Open podium. It was a strong field and she's really proven herself as a top notch professional at a young age," Jankowski said.

With the season's final competition wrapped athletes now turn to summer training in the lead up to 2010.

"From here we'll have some spring training and really just push things into high gear for Vancouver," Jankowski said. "We're right on track and everything is in place for more great things to happen this year."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2009 BURTON US OPEN
Stratton Mountain, VT - March 21, 2009
Halfpipe

Men
1. Danny Kass, Portland, OR, 93.50
2. Peetu Piiroinen, Finlane, 91.83
3. Luke Mitrani, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 89.83
4. Charles Reid, Canada, 82.50
5. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, CO, 82.00
-
7. Elijah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 81.50
8. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 81.17
11. Matt Ladley, Steamboat Springs, CO, 75.17
13. Zack Black, Breckenridge, CO, 62.00
15. Scotty Lago, Seabrook, NH, 40.50

Women
1. Torah Bright, Australia, 96.00
2. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 93.33
3. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 87.00
4. Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas, Norway, 84.67
5. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 82.00
-
6. Lizzy Beerman, Weston, VT, 63.17
7. Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID, 59.67
8. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 12.33
# # #

For complete results click here.

Liu Takes HP World Cup Title

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:00:00 MST

VALMALENCO, Italy (March 21) Gary Zebrowski of France and Jiayu Liu of China wrapped up the World Cup halfpipe season Saturday as they each took wins in Italy. Liu finished the World Cup season up first in the halfpipe standings while Zebrowski's win solidified his spot in third.

No U.S. athletes competed in Italy.

Baumgartner 2nd in Italy SBX

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 MST

VALMALENCO, Italy (March 20) - U.S. Snowboarding's Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) finished things out atop the podium as he took second on Friday during the final World Cup snowboardcross of the season in Italy. It was his second podium of the year.

"It feels good to get that second today and to secure the third in the SBX standings. It is great momentum headed in to the Olympic year," Baumgartner said.

Baumgartner said that, although he did not win, the chase for the podium was an exciting one thanks to winner Michal Novotny of the Czech Republic.

"I had a really good pull and then on one of the first features Michal Novotny went right by me and he closed the door everywhere I tried to pass, so it was fun to take second," Baumgartner said.

For Baumgartner, the finish meant more than just a podium - it was a key ingredient to the pursuit of his Olympic dream.

"I knew how important it was to have a great year this year to set myself up for making the Olympic team because we have such depth," Baumgartner said.

Just behind Baumgartner was Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, MA), who recently made it to his first World Cup podium with a second in Stoneham. Cheever was on his way to what could have been a win when some course contact sent him crashing and landed him in fifth place.

"I was super impressed with Cheever today. He was by far the fastest guy on the hill, no question," U.S. Snowboarding Snowboardcross Coach Jeff Archibald said. "Unfortunately he got clipped from behind and had his feet taken out from under him, otherwise he would have won today. But I was excited to see him ride that strong."

Friday's second place finish bumped Baumgartner up in the SBX World Cup standings to third, just behind teammate Seth Wescott, who is second. Markus Schairer of Austria took the lead.

"I wanted to get that third so bad, so I was just doing what I could. The closest I've been was fifth in the past so it was good to be up there. I got a pretty sweet glass medal," Baumgartner said.

In addition to the placing by Wescott and Baumgartner, Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), who chose not to race in Friday's final due to a fall in qualifications, took home the first place and the globe in the women's SBX standings.

Throughout the course of SBX World Cup history the U.S. has never had more than two athletes within the top three of the final SBX standings. The U.S. has also never had two men in the top three together.

"It was great being right there with Seth, but we want all three of them next season," Baumgartner said.

According to Archibald, the team put everything on the line to finish so well for the season.

"They dug deep and everyone did everything they could to finish strong, which was cool to see," Archibald said.

Now, it's time off for the snowboardcross athletes before summer training begins in the lead up to the 2010 Games.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
LG FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP
Valmalenco, Italy - March 20, 2009
Snowboarddcross

Men
1. Michal Novotny, Czech Republic
2. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI
3. David Speiser, Germany
4. Paul-Henri De Le Rue
5. Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, MA
-
7. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA
11. Pat Holland, Squaw Valley, CA
12. Seth Wescott, Sugarloaf, ME
23. Jason Smith, Basalt, CO
27. Shaun Palmer, South Lake Tahoe, CA
29. Jayson Hale, Sierraville, CA
34. Ross Powers, Londonderry, VT
40. Robert Minghini, South Lake Tahoe, CA

Women
1. Maelle Ricker, Canada
2. Dominique Maltais, Canada
3. Zoe Gillings, Great Britain
4. Raffaella Brutto, Italy
5. Alexandra Jekova, Bulgaria
- (following did not compete in finals)
16. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT
# # #

For complete results click here.

Paul Mitchell Progression Session Closes Grand Prix

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:00:00 MST

KILLINGTON, VT (March 15) - It was all bluebird skies and big air Sunday as the Paul Mitchell Progression Session went off at Killington resort to cap off the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, presented by Sprint. Sam Hulbert (Peterborough, NH) and Mary Sallah (Toledo, OH) took the top honors.

Hulbert, a product of the Waterville Valley program, threw a backside 180 board slide 270 on the first box, half cab 50/50 on 180 off the rail, switchback 9, front seven, back nine and a spin on the barrel feature to take the men's win.

"I am so excited. I've never really won any contest this big. I think it's awesome," Hulbert said. "The riding was good. It was intense and I didn't expect to win, and I did, so I'm so happy right now."

Following Hulbert for the men was FLOW rider Tim Humphreys (Basking Ridge, NJ) in second and Stratton Mountain School's Jeremy Thompson (Elka Park, NY) was third.

In the women's competition Sallah, a Stratton Mountain School alum, had a switch front board to front blunt on the down rail and a cab five, back three, front three on the jumps for her win.

"This feels pretty awesome and I'm really excited," Sallah said. "I pretty much grew up in Vermont. I was excited to come back. It turned so nice and the course was perfect and very well put together."

Allyson Carroll (Truckee, CA) took second for the women's competition and Madison Blackley (Park City, UT) was third.

The Paul Mitchell Progression Session closed out an incredible 2009 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix season. Stay tuned next year for five halfpipe competitions where the riders will battle it out for a spot on the 2010 Olympic halfpipe team.

Gorgone Third in La Molina

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:00:00 MST

LA MOLINA, Spain (March 15) - Michelle Gorgone (Boston) made it two World Cup podium finishes for the season Sunday as she took third during a parallel giant slalom in Spain.

"This is for sure a happy day. I am super excited to be on the podium I would have loved to have won it, but it's great," Gorgone said.

The course in Spain met athletes with a challenge of 10 steep gates and 12 flat gates. Conditions early on in the competition were steep and hard for the qualifiers but softened up for the finals.

"The race probably started out more challenging than it ended up. It was super hard in the morning and in my first qualifier I was a little tentative. I did a little better in the second run and made my way into the finals," said Gorgone who qualified fourth. "In the finals I was winning runs all day today, but crashed against Marion Kreiner [Austria] to end up in the small final for third."

But all was not lost as Gorgone picked up something extra from finishing third on the podium.

"And I won a ham," Gorgone said. "I brought home the bacon, so it was great."

In the men's race, Jasey Jay Anderson of Canada won. No U.S. men made finals.

For Gorgone, who started out the year second in a parallel slalom in Switzerland, Sunday's finish rounds out the 2009 season.

"I feel like I've been riding well all season. Maybe there was a little bit of a slump in the middle of the season where I wasn't getting the results I could have," Gorgone said. "So, it's good to be back on the podium where I started out the season. It's kind of come full circle."

Gorgone's podium wraps up the World Cup in Spain where U.S. athletes were on the podium in each event with Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) second and Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO) and Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA) third in halfpipe, and Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) first and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) second in snowboardcross.

Athletes now head to Valmalenco, Italy March 19-22 where they will compete in the final World Cup of the season.

"I'm excited to get to Italy," Gorgone said. "I did well there last year and I like the hill. Hopefully it's another sunny race."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
LG FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP
La Molina, Spain - March 15, 2009
Parallel Giant Slalom

Men
1. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
2. Benjamin Karl, Austria
3. Andreas Prommegger, Austria
4. Simon Schoch, Switzerland
5. Daniel Biveson, Sweden
-
26. Benjamin Fairchild, Kirkland, WA
41. Zac Kay, Mount Shasta, CA

Women
1. Amelie Kober, Germany
2. Marion Keriner, Austria
3. Michelle Gorgone, Boston
4. Ina Meschik, Austria
5. Nicolien Sauerbreij, Netherlands
-
40. Andi Jo Stump, East Wenatchee, WA
# # #

Xbox Junior Jam Hits Killington

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:00:00 MST

KILLINGTON, VT (March 14) - Young shredders from across the map threw down their best freestyle for a panel of Olympic and World Championship judges Saturday night as the Xbox Junior Jam played out before the crowd following halfpipe at the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix.

2002 Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark, 2006 silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler and 1999 halfpipe World Champion and U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Coach Ricky Bower were on hand to score the youngsters as they threw their best on a series of freestyle features.

"It's really fun to be on this side of the contest. It's a lot of work and it definitely gives you a lot of perspective," said Clark who won the halfpipe competition and the overall Grand Prix title earlier in the day.

Taking the win for the men was 12 year old Jack Herald who rides for the Waterville Valley Black and Blue Trail Smashers.

"I feel like this was a fun event. The rails were fun and good for learning, too," Herald said. "It's crazy to be judged by people like Gretchen and Kelly. I just wanted to do good in front of them."

On the top of the women's podium was Makayla Tierney, a 13 year old from the Stratton Mountain School, who is happy to be able to have an Xbox in her possession.

"It feels great to win tonight. It's an honor to be judged by pro athletes and I'm really excited about this Xbox 360," Tierney said. "I'm stoked to play the video games and I heard it plays music so I'm going to play some music on it too."

When it was all said and done the judges were impressed by the future of the sport and said the prized were more than earned.

"I think there was a lot of good shredding tonight and winning an Xbox was well deserved," Clark said.