U.S. Snowboarding Team News

Rookie Riders Wrap It Up in New Zealand

Wed, 1 Sep 2010 00:00:00 MST

WANAKA, NEW ZEALND (Sept. 1) – The 2010-11 U.S. Snowboarding Rookie crew wrapped up its nearly month long stay in New Zealand. During their time in the Southern Hemisphere, the rookies competed in two contests, the Burton New Zealand Open and the 2010 FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships, and managed to get some quality riding time in between the events at Cardrona and Snow Park.

"Around the FIS Junior Worlds, the Rookie Team been making the most of every minute with riding time on hill at Cardrona and Snow Park," said Rookie Coach Spencer Tamblyn. "Both resorts have great jumps, rails and box features that we have been working hard on to relearn and polish sloestyle tricks that had been left behind during the highly halfpipe focused Olympic season."

Although the block down under has been jam-packed with events, camp attendees have incorporated freeride time and fun into their schedules.

"All the rookies are killing it in the halfpipe," said Tamblyn. "They also get to enjoy more freeride time in the park and across the mountain, relighting that passion and fire that brought them so far in the first place."

With the 2010 FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships having wrapped up Tuesday, with the Big Air contest, the rookies worked hard on progressing their tricks.

"In the past two days the boys have moved into the realm of double flips and double corks off of the step up jump and into the airbag at Snow Park," said Tabmblyn. "Kelly [Marren, Hillsborough, CA] and Ellery [Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT] have been destroying jumps and rails alike from top to bottom. Pro Teamer Ellery has been lending a hand coaching Kelly who has learned back flips off of jumps and many different rail and box variations."

As the Rookie Team moves out of New Zealand, the Pro Team moves in. U.S. Snowboarding coaches Mike Jankowski and Rick Bower will be leading the U.S. Snowboarding Pro Team down under for their three week stay.

Minnesota Rider Graham Leads USA

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

SNOW PARK, New Zealand (Aug. 27) – Meghan Graham (Minnetonka, MN) qualified sixth and led the USA in 13th in the parallel slalom at the 2010 FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships Friday in New Zealand. Cassie Wagar (Steamboat Springs, CO), who led the USA in the parallel GS a day earlier, also made finals, finishing 16th.

Russia Dmitriy Bazanov took the men's title with Sabine Schoeffman of Austria taking women's gold.

"Meghan qualifying sixth was amazing," said U.S. team leader Abbi Nyberg. "She showed some real talent today."

Hunter Murphy (Deephaven, MN) led the U.S. men finishing 19th. Mack Joyce (Laconia, NH), was 28th.

The PSL ended the week of competition for the U.S. riders at an innovative World Junior Championships that combined freestyle skiing and snowboarding for the first time. Skiing competition will wrapup with skicross on Saturday and ski halfpipe Sunday.

The U.S. Snowboarding team came up with three medals over the week - all in snowboardcross. Rober Carver (Placerville, CA) and Alex Tuttle (Stratton, ME) took silver and bronze for the men, while Olympian Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City) won silver for women.

"This has been a great week of competition in New Zealand - a pioneering event for snowboarding," said Nyberg. "We're proud of our athletes."

"It was a good day and I had a lot of fun," said Wagar. "While I wish I could have advanced further, overall it was a great experience here in New Zealand."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 Snowboard Junior World Championships
Snow Park, New Zealand
August 27, 2010

Men's PGS
1. Dmitriy Bazanov, Russia
2. Edwin Coratti, Italy
3. Johann Stefaner, Austria
4. Darren Gardner, Canada
5. Ivan Rantchev, Bulgaria
-
19. Hunter Murphy, Deephaven, MN
28. Mack Joyce, Laconia, NH

Women's PGS
1. Sabine Schoeffman, Austria
2. Julie Zogg, Switzerland
3. Ekaterina Khatomchenkova, Russia
4. Maria Sitzenfrei, Austria
5. Stefanie Mueller, Switzerland
-
13. Meghan Graham, Minnetonka, MN
16. Cassie Wagar, Steamboat Springs, CO
# # #

Wagar Leads U.S in Junior World PGS

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

SNOW PARK, New Zealand (Aug. 26) – Cassie Wagar (Steamboat Springs, CO) finished first for the U.S. just shy of the top 15 in 16th at the 2010 Snowboard Junior World Championship PGS race. Italy's Edwin Coratti and Ukraine's Annamari Chundak took home gold.

Mack Joyce (Laconia, NH) was the top U.S. male finisher in 22nd, three spots ahead of fellow Junior Worlds teammate Hunter Murphy (Deephaven, MN) in 25th. Coratti beat the field, clinching victory. Russia's Konstantin Shipilov and Germany's Stefan Baumeister joined Coratti on the podium in second and third.

In the women's race Wagar was out in front for the U.S. in 16th and Meghan Graham (Minnetonka, MN) finished in 22nd. Chundak led the race, claiming the win. Switzerland's Julie Zogg and Austria's Ina Meschik scored silver and bronze.

The 2010 Snowboard Junior World Championships continue Thursday with the parallel slalom at Snow Park.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 Snowboard Junior World Championships
Snow Park, New Zealand
August 26, 2010
Men's PGS

1. Edwin Coratti, Italy
2. Konstantin Shipilov, Russia
3. Stefan Baumeister, Germany
4. Johann Stefaner, Austria
5. Lukas Mathies, Austria
-
22. Mack Joyce, Laconia, NH
25. Hunter Murphy, Deephaven, MN

Women's PGS

1. Annamari Chundak, Ukraine
2. Julie Zogg, Switzerland
3. Ina Meschik, Austria
4. Stefanie Mueller, Switzerland
5. Sabine Schoeffman, Austria
-
16. Cassie Wagar, Steamboat Springs, CO
22. Meghan Graham, Minnetonka, MN
# # #

Farrow, Marren Front U.S. at Junior Worlds Halfpipe

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

CARDRONA, New Zealand (Aug. 25) – Benji Farrow (Mt. Holly, VT) and Kelly Marren (Hillsborough, CA) led the U.S. halfpipe crew, both finishing in sixth in the 2010 Snowboard Junior World Championships. Taku Hiraoka of Japan and Slovenia's Cilka Sadar won gold.

"It wasn't our day, the athletes rode really well, but didn't land their runs," said Snowboarding and Freeride Manager Abbi Nyberg. "I am so proud of all the hard work and effort everyone showed this past week. It was a great halfpipe team and I look forward to working with them in the future".

Farrow landed first for the U.S men scoring 36.70 in sixth ahead of Paul Brichta (Burnsville, MN) in eighth. Hiraoka stole the show, clinching victory with a score of 44.20. Australia's Nathan Johnstone and Italy's Manuel Pietropoli rounded out the podium with silver and bronze.

Marren, just shy of the top five, ended the day in sixth. Sadar was crowned champion, scoring a 37.80, six points ahead of silver medalist New Zealand's Rebecca Sinclair. Japan squeezed into third with Haruna Matsumoto taking bronze.

The 2010 Snowboard Junior World Championships will continue Thursday with the men's and women's parallel slalom.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 Snowboard Junior World Championships
Cardrona, New Zealand
August 25, 2010
Men's Halfpipe

1. Taku Hiraoka, Japan, 44.20
2. Nathan Johnstone, Australia, 42.20
3. Manuel Pietropoli, Italy, 39.80
4. Masakaze Yoshida, Japan, 38.60
5. De Dimi Jong, Netherlands, 38.40
-
6. Benji Farrow, Mt. Holly, VT, 36.70
8. Paul Brichta, Burnsville, MN, 34.90

Women's Halfpipe

1. Cilka Sadar, Slovenia, 37.80
2. Rebecca Sinclair, New Zealand, 31.70
3. Haruna Matsumoto, Japan, 31.40
4. Rana Okada, Japan, 30.90
5. Palmer Taylor, Canada, 28.90
6. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA, 24.80
# # #

U.S. Takes 3 Podiums at JW SBX

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

CARDRONA, New Zealand (Aug. 22) – The USA representation was fierce at the 2010 FIS Junior Worlds snowboardcross event. All U.S. riders made it through the qualifications round into the finals with three podiums, Roger Carver (Placerville, CA) and Alex Tuttle (Stratton, ME) in second and third and Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City) in second for the women. Russia's Nikolay Olyunin and Czech Republic's Eva Samkova took home gold.

The USA crew was charging the course Sunday, with all U.S. riders advancing to the finals. Despite troubling visibility conditions, the U.S. grabbed half of the podiums, with two men and one woman taking two seconds and a third.

"The course was running really fast this morning, and then in rolled the fog," said Tuttle. "It kind of through a kink in everything, making it a lot tougher to race and the course kind of got chewed up. Visibility was a real factor, but you have to battle through it."

The guys did just that, battle through it. Carver was looking for his chances the whole way down, coming out of the gate in third, making his move on second place at the first feature. Carver was passed moving back to third before making another move, taking second. Tuttle finished right behind Carver in third, after chasing from the back. Tuttle found his chance, when a rider went down in front of him. He got around and made it through all the way to the podium.

"It was great, it was almost like a World Cup with younger riders, the up-and-coming riders that are just now getting into the World Cup," said Carver. "It was really fun everybody was rooting for each other. It was a really good atmosphere."

On the women's side, all riders made it to the semi-finals, with Gulini paving the way for the U.S. in second. Gulini had an exciting run, moving into first after the first roller. However, she gained more speed than anticipated resulting in clearing a step-up, step-down feature and doubling a set of rollers that she had been pumping, heading even faster into the last turn. Unfortunately, Gulini skidded out and was passed, moving into second. She held off third place Switzerland's Emilie Aubry with a few bumps and a surge of speed.

"I know speaking for the whole team we all did really well," said Gulini. "I know all the girls made it to semi finals and a majority of the guys did as well. We had a successful event as a team."

Adding to the success of the Team was U.S. Snowboardcross A Team riders Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME) and Olympians Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI), who are in New Zealand for a camp. The crew helped out the young stars throughout the training days, qualification heats and finals.

Head Snowboardcross Coach Peter Foley tweeted @peterfoleyusa, "Awesome having our A Team guys helping coach the JR Worlds SBX team this week. 2nd, 2nd, and 3rd today here at Cardrona, NZ. Sweet!"

"I really want to thank Seth Wescott," said Tuttle. 'He is from the same mountain as me and has helped me out so much. I wouldn't be here without him. He gave me feedback, kept me calm and focused and ready to go."

The 2010 FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships will pick back up on Tuesday, August 24 at Cardrona with halfpipe.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships
Cardrona, New Zealand
August 22, 2010
Men's Snowboardcross

1. Nikolay Olyunin, Russia
2. Roger Carver, Placerville, CA
3. Alex Tuttle, Stratton, ME
4. Hoachim Havikhagen, Norway
5. Michael Hamemmerle, Austria
-
10. Derek Dicastro, Rome, NY
19. Hunter Murphy, Deephaven, MN

Women's Snowboardcross

1. Eva Samkova, Czech Republic
2. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City
3. Emilie Aubry, Switzerland
4. Ziggy Cowan, Canada
5. Jackie Hernandez, Londonderry, VT
6. Celine Valentin, Simsbury, CT
7. Jenna Feldman, Linwood, NJ
# # #

Stassel, O'Connor Lead U.S. FIS Junior Worlds

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

SNOW PARK, New Zealand (Aug. 21) – The 2010 FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships opened Saturday with the men and women's slopestyle contest. USA moved four athletes into the finals with Ryan Stassel (Anchorage) and Caty O'Connor (Auburn, CA) spearheading the Team in ninth and sixth. Norway's Staale Sandbech and Finland's Enni Rukajarvi won gold.

Three U.S. men qualified for finals, the most from any country. Stassel led the crew in ninth finishing in front of Paul Brichta (Burnsville, MN) and Nicholas Sibayan (Wrightwood, CA) in 10th and 11th.

The men's contest was topped by Sandbech, scoring a 42.00, two points ahead of silver medalist Finland's Ville Paumola. Belarus's Seppe Smits landed the final spot on the podium in third.

O'Connor, the lone U.S. representative in the finals, finished the day in sixth. Rukajarvi clinched gold scoring a 41.10. Slovenia's Urska Pribosic took second and Canada's Samm Denena grabbed bronze.

The U.S. Snowboarding World Juniors crew will be on the slopes again Sunday for men and women's snowboardcross with the event switching locations to Cardrona, New Zealand.

Complete results and event information can be found at, www.juniorworld.snzco.nz.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships
Snow Park, New Zealand
August 21, 2010
Men's Slopestyle

1. Staale Sandbech, Norway, 42.00
2. Ville Paumola, Finland, 40.20
3. Seppe Smits, Belarus, 39.50
4. De Dimi Jong, Netherlands, 39.20
5. Benjamin Comber, New Zealand 36.6
-
9. Ryan Stassel, Anchorage, 32.20
10. Paul Brichta, Burnsville, MN, 29.10
11. Nicholas Sibayan, Wrightwood, CA, 28.00

Women's Slopestyle

1. Enni Rukajarvi, Finland, 41.10
2. Urska Pribosic, Slovenia, 38.3
3. Samm Denena, Canada, 30.50
4. Rebecca Torr, New Zealand, 26.70
5. Kari Orpsal Maeland, Norway, 25.60
6. Caty O'Connor, Auburn, CA, 24.60
# # #

Champion Q&A: Louie Vito

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

Halfpipe snowboarder Louie Vito's (Sandy, UT) 2009-10 season kicked off with a different kind of competition on ABC's hit TV show Dancing with the Stars. But when it was time to qualify for the Olympics, he was a staple at each snowboarding event throwing down double corks on the road to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Vito hasn’t slowed down this summer, stomping the grounds of Europe, Los Angeles, Mt. Hood, OR and Utah.

What have you been up to all summer, Louie?
At the end of last season I hurt my shoulder- I had a little separated AC joint. So I just chilled at the end of this spring to get my shoulder healthy and strong again. Then I went to Hood for a couples days and rode, and trained a bit in Europe and now New Zealand.

Have you done anything fun besides riding?
Yeah, I did the European vacation. I got to ride a little bit, but I really just toured around Europe. This summer I got to check out Summer X Games and the U.S. Open. But I also worked on getting some meetings, advertising shoots and filming done – the kind of stuff that's hard to get to during the season. It was nice to be able to do a lot of it in Utah where I live because I'm rarely home. It was nice to just chill at my house for a bit.

Have you been dancing at all, keeping up the skills you've learned?
No, no dancing for me. It was hard to continue dancing after I hurt my shoulder. I was just focused on getting it healthy and strong again. Now I'm running out of time to practice dancing because I'm back to competitions and riding a lot, but maybe in the near future!

Are you going to make a guest appearance in the audience?
I went to a couple tapings of the latest season of Dancing with the Stars. I missed dancing after I saw everyone up there doing their thing, but as soon as they're done they have to go over to the judges and get their scores then you don't really miss it so much.

You and your teammates went to a camp at Mt. Hood where you practiced your halfpipe tricks into an airbag. What was that like?
I only hit the airbag one day and that was the first time I'd ever done it. I learned all three of my doubles without an airbag, just doing it on snow. It's scary going into that thing! A lot of people love it, but I just wasn’t use to it. I didn’t really know what to expect, but it doesn’t hurt when you land on it.

Can we expect any new tricks this winter?
Hopefully, every year I learn something new or do something better to keep progressing. That's more important than results. You really just want to keep moving ahead and pushing yourself in the sport. If I can do that then new tricks are in the future, for sure.

Junior Worlds Making History

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

WANAKA, NZ (Aug. 18) – The 2010 Snowboard and Freestyle Junior World Championships are only days away with opening ceremonies Friday, August 20. The event, scheduled for August 21-31, will be held in the Southern Hemisphere's New Zealand. The Junior Worlds is the first time that snowboarding and freestyle are performing on the same stage in a World Championship event. The Teams were named in the spring, giving nominated athletes plenty of time to prepare for their Junior Worlds debut.

"We are sending an incredibly talented group of athletes to Junior World Championships in New Zealand," said Snowboarding and Freeride Director Jeremy Forster."It's the first time Junior World Championships will be staged in New Zealand and the first time snowboarding & freestyle will share the same World Championship venues. I know Snow Sports New Zealand will host a world class event."

"Combining freestyle and snowboard for the first time in a FIS event is a great opportunity to showcase these two sports on one stage," said Snow Sports New Zealand CEO, Ross Palmer. "It makes sense from a logistics perspective, and with the popularity of the new disciplines, it also makes sense from a cultural perspective."

The 2010 Junior World Champs also marks the first time that New Zealand was selected to host a FIS World Championships, along with the first time snowboarding and freestyle will share the same venues in a World Championship. The Championships will also be the first time slopestyle will be included in a FIS Championship level event.

"We're looking forward to hosting some of the world's best at Snow Park and Cardrona Alpine Resort," said Palmer. "Both venues have created world-class facilities for this competition, so it should be a great show. We're thrilled that the U.S. is sending so many of its top, up-and-coming freestyle and snowboard athletes to compete in New Zealand in the FIS Junior Worlds."

The U.S. will be represented by 44 junior athletes in the 10 day event. Cardrona and Snow Park will host nine events between the two resorts, showcasing the top junior athletes from around the world in snowboarding and freestyle.

In the snowboard division riders will take the stage in halfpipe, snowboardcross, parallel giant slalom and slalom, slopestyle and big air. Headlining the U.S. will be slopestyle extraordinaires Ryan Stassel (Anchorage) and Caty O'Connor (Auburn, CA), snowboardcross up-and-comer and 2010 Olympian Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, UT) and halfpipe standout Maddy Schaffrick (Steamboat Springs, CO) joined with the rest of the impressive Junior World snowboarding crew.

"Being able to do the first Junior Worlds slopestyle is really exciting," said Stassel.

"Snow Park's park is sick and Cardrona's pipe is fun," said Mikaela Casey (Mound, MN). "New Zealand alltogether is exhilarating!"

On the freestyle side, the athletes will be competing in slopestyle, ski cross and halfpipe. Looking to make some noise down under are X Games gold medalist in slopestyle Bobby Brown (Englewood, CO), World Cup ski halfpipe regular Walter Wood (Snowmass Village, CO) and slopestyle Junior Olympian Jamie Crane-Mauzy (Waterville Valley, NH). Kyle Smaine (South Lake Tahoe, CA) is a double threat competing in both ski cross and halfpipe, as well as Devin Logan (West Dover, VT) and Blake Peterson (Park City, UT) competing in halfpipe and slopestyle.

"Bringing freestyle and snowboarding together at Junior Worlds will be a great opportunity to present the two sports at a world stage as well as show how similar they are," said Wood. "My goals are to enjoy the experience and to compete at my best level. I'm planning on sticking my run and having a great time doing so!"

The schedule is packed with competition kicking off on the 21st with the snowboard slopestlye and ending with the snowboard big air contest on the 31st. Cardona is set to host five events including snowboardcross, snowboard and freestyle halfpipe, ski cross and big air. Snow Park is scheduled to hold four events including snowboard and freestyle slopestyle and parallel giant slalom and slalom.

For the complete schedule, results and updates regarding the 2010 Junior Snowboard and Freestyle World Championships go to, www.juniorworldsnz.co.nz.

2010 U.S. SNOWBOARD AND FREESTYLE JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

Snowboard Slopestyle
Dash Kamp, Sandpoint, ID
Ryan Stassel, Anchorage
Nick Sibayan, Wrightwood, CA
Mikaela Casey, Mound, MN
Caty O'Connor, Auburn, CA
Lauren Tamposi, Hollis, NH

Snowboard Halfpipe
Paul Brichta, Burnsville, MN
Benjamin Farrow, Mt. Holly, VT
Cody Weselis, Park City, UT
Jenna Dramise, Henderson, NV
Rainey Pogue, Jackson, WY
Maddy Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO
Shelby Simpson, Bondville, VT

Snowboardcross
Roger Carver, Placerville, CA
Derek Dicastro, Rome, NY
Alex Tuttle, Stratton, ME
Chloe Banning, Steamboat Springs, CO
Jenna Feldman, Linwood, NJ
Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City
Jackie Hernandez, Londonderry, VT

Snowboard Alpine
Mack Joyce, Laconia, NH
Hunter Murphy, Deephaven, MN
Meghan Graham, Minnetonka, MN
Cassie Wagar, Steamboat Springs, CO

Ski Cross
Kyle Smaine, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Ethan Fortney, Tenino, WA
Penn Lukens, Steamboat Springs, CO
Morganne Murphy, Truckee, CA

Ski Halfpipe
Walter Wood, Snowmass Village, CO
Wing Tai Barrymore, Hailey, ID
Kyle Smaine, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Tyler Wellman, Boyne City, MI
Devin Logan, West Dover, VT
Brita Sigourney, Carmel, CA
Hannah Haupt, Sun Valley, ID
Blake Peterson, Park City, UT

Ski Slopestyle
Bobby Brown, Englewood, CO
Alex Dutcher, North Mankato, MN
Nick Keefer, Salt Lake City, UT
Cody Ling, Buffalo, MN
Devin Logan, West Dover, VT
Blake Peterson, Park City, UT
Jamie Crane-Mauzy, Waterville Valley, NH
Jessica Breda, Marshfield, MA

Coaches
Dylan Omlin, Snowboard slopestyle
Matt Gustafson, Snowboard halfpipe
Jon Casson, Snowboardcross
Neil Sunday, Snowboard PGS/PSL
Brett Buckles, Ski Cross
Elana Chase, Ski Halfpipe and slopestyle
Ben Verge, Ski Halfpipe and slopestyle
Jen Hudak, Ski Halfpipe and slopestyle

Clark Wins, Vito 3rd at NZ Open

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

CARDRONA, New Zealand (Aug. 17) – Two-time Olympic medalist Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT) picked up the 2010-11 season where she left off in the 2009-10 season, on top. Clark brought her best tricks down under to claim the women's Burton New Zealand Open halfpipe Saturday. Switzerland's Iouri Podladtchikov, known as IPod, took home the win with Olympian Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) in third on the men's side.

Clark defended her title throwing down a big run posting a score of 88.70. Clark laid down the gauntlet her first run with a huge frontside air, backside 540 mute, frontside 900, method air, frontside 720, and Cab 720 mute.

"Kelly Clark dominated with a perfect frontside 900, a backside 540 and a pair of flawless 720s," said U.S. Snowboarding Rookie Coach Spencer Tamblyn.

Spain's Queralt Castellet was the closest challenger with an 82.45 taking second followed by Japan's Soko Yamaoka in third. U.S. Snowboarding's Kaitlyn Farrington (Sun Valley, ID) just missed the podium in fourth.

On the men's side, Podladtchikov rallied from the pre-qualifiers to the top of the podium, laying down the hammer his second run to score 93.70. Japan's Taku Hiraoka slid into second ahead of USA's Vito in third.

"It was nice just to land a run, especially since I haven't done any of those tricks since March," said Vito. "Getting a third heading into the season feels alright, but not as good as a first would have."

Vito had a strong second run unleashing his effortless looking double-corks. He started his second run off big with a frontside 1080 double-cork, Cab100 double-cork, double crippler, backside 900 and frontside corked 900 to post 88.04 on the scoreboard.

Four members of the U.S. Snowboarding Rookie crew, three men and two women, qualified for the finals unloading trick after trick with halfpipe's stars like Clark and Vito. Maddy Schaffrick (Steamboat Springs, CO), Kelly Marren (Truckee, CA), Dylan Bidez (Midturn, CO), Zack Black (Dillon, CO) and Broc Waring (Edwards, CO) were pushing it to the limits. The girls went after it with technical runs with 720s and 900s, while the guys took their game to a new level. Waring soared out the pipe about 15 while doing a Michaelchuk, wowing the crowd, while Bidez did a McTwist to add some flavor to his routine.

"The Rookies all rode amazing and were going huge, but just had a hard time landing full runs," said Tamblyn. "It was a great day and although the crew did not achieve the kind of results they were looking for, it was a great first event for the Rookie Team as a group. We are gaining group chemistry and dynamic."

The Burton New Zealand Open kicked off the Burton Global Open Series (BGOS) for the 2010-11 season. The next stop in the series is Switzerland for the Burton European Open followed by Canada for the Burton Canadian Open. The BGOS will make its finals stop at Stratton Mountain, Vermont for the Burton U.S Open, where the BGOS men and women's champion will be crowned.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Burton New Zealand Open
Cardrona, New Zealand – August 14, 2010
Men's Halfpipe

1. Iouri Podladtchikov, Switzerland, 93.70
2. Taku Hiraoka, Japan, 89.35
3. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 88.04
4. Ryo Aono, Japan, 87.84
5. Jarret Thomas, Golden, CO, 84.92
-
16. Brett Esser, Silverthorne, CO, 66.92
17. Benjamin Farrow, Mt. Holly, VT, 65.40
19. Taylor Gold, Steamboat Springs, CO, 62.60
22. Spencer Shaw, Winhall, VT, 57.72
25. Dylan Bidez, Minturn, CO, 54.20
26. Broc Waring, Edwards, CO, 53.50
28. Tyler Troy, Weston, CT, 52.60
29. Brennen Swanson, Stillwater, MN, 50.60
33. Jack Mitrani, Bondville, VT, 46.00
36. Zack Black, Dillon, CO, 39.76

Women's Halfpipe

1. Kelly Clark, West Dover, VT, 88.70
2. Queralt Castellet, Spain, 82.45
3. Soko Yamaoka, Japan, 76.84
4. Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID, 74.24
5. Rana Okada, Japan, 73.72
-
17. Madeline Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 40.05
19. Kelly Marren, Truckee, CA, 27.80
# # #

Project Gold PGS Camp at Hood

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

MT. HOOD (Aug. 17) – U.S. Snowboarding's 2010 Project Gold PGS camp in Mt. Hood, which concluded in early August, offered a great opportunity for aspiring alpine snowboarding athletes.. The camp attendees included the elite junior alpine snowboarding athletes in the U.S., as well as the entire Junior World Championship Team.

"I'm proud to announce we had our entire Junior World Championship Team here," said PGS Project Gold Coach Neil Sunday. "We'll be leaving for New Zealand on the Aug. 18. At the end of camp we're going to break and go back to our respective homes for about two and half weeks then fly to New Zealand for Junior Worlds."

The attending campers included Junior World Championship Team members Mackenzie Joyce (Laconia, NH), Cassandra Wagar (Steamboat Springs, CO), Meghan Graham (Minnetonka, MN), and Hunter Murphy (Deephaven, MN) as well as elite racers Ezio Agento (York, PA), AJ Muss (Rumson, NJ), Galen Goldscheitter (Boulder,CO), Lindsey Albala (Upper Brookville, NY) and Angela Mercieri (Steamboat Springs, CO).

The training session was centered around alpine snowboarding's two disciplines, parallel giant slalom and slalom (PGS and PSL). With Junior Worlds a couple weeks away, the athletes have been focusing on honing in their skills year round.

"We're keeping it fun, but we're definitely getting some great training in on-snow as well as in the afternoon dry land activities," said Sunday. "We want to make sure they come into this season ready to race and be competitive."

What's unique about the Project Gold camps are that all attending athletes train with their respective coaches during the rest of the year. Being selected to attend a Project Gold camp is a huge accomplishment.

"We invite the athletes to our Project Gold camp," said Sunday. "Basically, we are identifying the top athletes between the ages of 15 and 19. We are putting our focus into them at a higher level on Mt. Hood."

The selected PGS and PSL 2010 World Junior Championship Team will head to New Zealand Aug. 18. Competition will be held Aug. 26 -27 at Snow Park.

Rookie Waring Breaks into Top 15

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 MST

CARDRONA, New Zealand (Aug. 13) – The Burton Open Series kicked off with the New Zealand Open at Snow Park. The men and women's slopestyle finals wrapped up Friday afternoon with Switzerland's Christian Haller and USA's Jamie Anderson (South Lake Tahoe, CA) grabbing the wins down under. Benjamin Farrow (Mt. Holly, VT) was the top U.S. male competitor in ninth, while Broc Waring (Edwards, CO) was the top U.S. Snowboarding Rookie in 13th.

Haller led a bunch of Norwegians into the top five, letting it all out on his second run to score an 80.84, jumping ahead of first run leader Gjermund Braaten of Norway with an 80.64. Braaten could not answer to Haller's run, finishing in second ahead of fellow Norwegian Mikkel Bang.

Norway also claimed the fourth and fifth spots with Ulrick Baderscher and Tore Holvik, scoring within two points of Haller. Farrow was the top U.S. finisher, taking his second run score of 70.20 to stomp his way into the top 10 in ninth. U.S. Snowboarding Rookie Waring made some noise in his first New Zealand Open breaking into the top 15 in 13th.

"This was actually my first time competing in the New Zealand Open," said Waring. "I was out here a couple summers ago for the contest, and ended up hurting my back in practice and wasn't able to compete."

Redemption from injuries for Waring wasn't easy. Friday was foggy, wet and rough on the course, which included two sets of rails and three jumps, the last of which was over 75 feet. The first run held all sorts of challenges. There was near zero visibility, salted hard ruts and moguls in the landings and inruns. Despite the uncontrollable variables, each rider gave their best effort.

"Today definitely had a few factors that made the contest difficult," said Waring. "It was rain/snowing all day, and the entire slope course was socked in a giant cloud. I was really pumped that I able to stay on my board throughout an entire run on that sketchy course. Finishing in the top 15 was nice, especially after not riding in a slopestyle contest for a while."

In the women's contest, Anderson led the women down the challenging course, winning the contest with a 79.20. New Zealand's own Shelly Gotlieb jumped to second, while Norway's Buaas Kjersti Ostgaard grabbed third.

"Considering the size of the initial field of nearly 100 riders, lack of quality practice and difficulty of just riding at all, the boys were happy with the finish," said U.S. Snowboarding Rookie Coach Spencer Tamblyn. "They're looking forward to the Pipe Semi-Final tomorrow morning.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
New Zealand Open
Cardrona, New Zealand – August 13, 2010
Men's Slopestyle

1. Christian Haller, Switzerland, 80.84
2. Gjermund Braaten, Norway, 80.64
3. Mikkel Bang, Norway, 79.00
4. Ulrick Baderscher, Norway, 78.48
5. Tore Holvik, Norway, 78.40
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9. Benjamin Farrow, Mt, Holly, VT, 70.20
13. Broc Waring, Edwards, CO, 66.84
12. Sam Hulbert, Peterborough, NH, 67.12
16. Ryan Stassel, Anchorage, AK, 63.04
18. Tyler Anderson, Chanhassen, MN, 62.24
23. Paul Brichta, Burnsville, MN, 58.20
25. Tyler Flanagan, Encinitas, CA, 56.80
26. Brett Esser, Silverthorne, CO, 55.00
27. Spencer Shaw, Winhall, VT, 53.48

Women's Slopestyle

1. Jamie Anderson, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 79.20
2. Shelly Gotlieb, New Zealand, 74.56
3. Buaas Kjersti Ostgaard, Norway, 73.60
4. Silvia Mittermueller, Germany, 70.72
5. Spencer O'Brien Canada, 68.68
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9. Joanna Dzierzawski, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 61.40
10. Ty Walker, Stowe, VT, 55.88
11. Elise Borelli, Park City, UT, 51.96
13. Megan Whiteside, Boulder, CO, 42.84
14. Danielle Adams, Evergreen, CO, 41.08
15. Mikaela Casey, Minnetrista, MN, 40.72
16. Indigo Monk, Manhattan Beach, CA, 33.44
18. Chanelle Sladics, Newport Beach, CA, 31.36
19. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City, UT, 22.28
# # #

Teter Wins Do Something! Award

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 MST

LOS ANGELES (July 20) – Two-time Olympic halfpipe medalist Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT) won Vh1's 2010 Do Something! Athlete Award. Teter's fellow nominees included Reggie Bush, Ryan Sheckler, Derek Jeter and Steve Nash. The show, hosted by Glee's Jane Lynch, was broadcast live from the Hollywood Palladium on July 19, 2010.

Vh1 and DoSomething.org collaborated to present the Do Something! Awards. The awards are broken into ten different categories, including athlete, comedian, with style, movie star, TV show, musical artist, city, charities on Facebook, docu style and Twitter. Teter was chosen as one of the five finalist and grant recipients on Monday, May 24, 2010.

Teter was nominated and ultimately won for her efforts in making a difference within charities and with other countries. She sells products, such as maple syrup on her website, underwear online with Sweet Cheek Panties to provide aid and support to Kirindon, a in Kenya, and Doctors Without Borders. She even has her own Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor, which she donates all proceeds to charity, and raised over $250,000 for Kirindon in Kenya. Children International also receives benefits from Teter's efforts, getting at least 40 percent of all Sweet Cheek Panties proceeds to help children living in severe poverty.

Teter was awarded a $100,000 grant. The winner was decided by users of DoSomething.org. She is among the most influential "do-ers" in the athlete field.

For more information on Teter's efforts, check out the following websites.
http://www.hannahsgold.com/, http://www2.children.org/en/us/Pages/Home.aspx, http://sweetcheekspanties.com/.

Adam Smith Retires from U.S. Snowboarding

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (July 15) – World Cup alpine snowboarding veteran Adam Smith (Bend, OR) announced his retirement with U.S. Snowboarding after the conclusion of the 2010 season. Smith ended his career in strong form with two top-10 World Cup finishes last season.

"Over the last 10 - 12 years, I've made some amazing friends on the road," said Smith. "But all the world travel, seeing new and exciting places and learning new cultures is probably the biggest thing I'm going to miss."

Growing up in Bend, Smith learned to enjoy winter sports at an early age, clicking into skis at two at Mt. Bachelor. Finding his passion, Adam switched over to riding at nine. For the past 20 years, he has turned his passion into an accomplished career.

"Being able to compete as one of the top guys in the country and around the world and competing against the best is exciting, fun and rewarding," said Smith. "It's just a good feeling to be part of something so great."

Smith’s career is nothing shy of impressive, tallying four World Cup podiums, including a win in Landgraaf, Netherlands, a fourth at World Championships in Whistler, BC, and a U.S. Alpine Snowboarding Slalom Championship in 2003. In his final season, he posted consistent results ending a career filled of strength and stamina.

"One of the best moments I had was actually hanging out in Europe with the Team, when we were stuck in Italy. There was no snow, not a whole lot of training available and we were kind of stuck in a house for three or four weeks," explained Smith. "It was funny day to day, just hanging out with all the guys for so long and making the best of a bad situation."

Smith is currently working for Bend Research, a pharmaceutical research and development company. He plans on taking some personal time this winter to enjoy riding at Mt. Bachelor, while focusing on his "real job."

"I'm going to stay here, take a break, relax and enjoy a real winter of riding Mt. Bachelor back at home," said Smith. "I just bought a house, which is a huge a step and crazy. I'm going to just slow it down a bit, do the real job thing for awhile and see how that goes."

Shaun White Claims Two More ESPYS

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 MST

LOS ANGELES (July 14) - Olympic champion Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA) walked away a double winner at Wednesday's ESPYS in Los Angeles. White was named Top Male Olympic Athlete as well as winning his fourth Top Male Action Sports Athlete honor. He joined Olympic teammate Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) onstage as the top Olympic athletes.

Halfpipe Throws It Down at Hood

Tue, 6 Jul 2010 00:00:00 MST

MT. HOOD, OR (July 6) – The U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Pro Team has been throwing it down for the past week at its first summer on-snow camp at Windell's on Mt. Hood. Riders at the camp included 2010 Olympians Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA), Louie Vito (Sandy, UT), Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO) Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA) and Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT) among others.

The Mt. Hood session has been a new experience to both the attending riders and the coaches. For the first time, U.S. Snowboarding is using a new feature, an airbag, at the end of the halfpipe, allowing riders to try new tricks in a safe environment.

"This is our first time setting any training like this, as far as having an airbag or any kind of feature that enables riders to try tricks that they have never tried before in a safe and padded environment," explained U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Coach Rick Bower.

"This is the first opportunity that U.S. Snowboarding has had to train with an airbag, but a lot of people have definitely used them before," said Bretz. "We took full advantage of it."

The riders have been on-snow for a week, focusing on adding new tricks to their list. With the added airbag feature, riders can practice going big with a minimized risk of injury.

"The goal of this camp is just for these riders to have an opportunity to try tricks that they've never tried on snow in a relatively safe environment," said Bower. "The airbag makes it so there's room for error. By any means you can still get hurt on it, but it's way safer for trying these double inverted tricks that a lot of the guys are doing."

Some of the tricks that are in the works in Hood are a double Michaelchuck consisting of a back flip with 180 off the heel side edge and a double McTwist made up of a double front flip off you heel side edge for the men and a backside 720 and a backside 900 for the women. Riders like Bleiler and Bretz are working hard on nailing the tricks down during the summer so they are competition ready this winter.

"Right now I'm just trying to get back on my feet," said Bretz. "And hopefully learn a double mctwist and a double backside alley-oop rodeos, a double back flip off you toe side edge."

The Pro Team is scheduled to be in New Zealand at the end of August for camps and competitions. With the progression of the Mt. Hood camp moving forward, fans should expect big things for the 2010-11 season.

"This has been a great experience so far," said Bower. "It's gone really well and something I think we're going to incorporate more into the future."

Pat Holland's Red Carpet Debut

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 00:00:00 MST

LAS VEGAS, NV (July 2) – U.S. Snowboarding SBX (snowboardcross) rider Pat Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) hit the red carpet Sunday escorting The Bold and Beautiful soap star Sarah Joy Brown at the Daytime Emmy Awards in Las Vegas. The show was televised live on CBS.

Brown was nominated for an Emmy for the fourth time in her career, having won three previous with an earlier role on General Hospital. Brown returned to the show in 2008 as new character, mobster Claudia Zacchara, she is now part of the cast of The Bold and Beautiful. Brown was nominated for Best Actress, but unfortunately did not win the category.

"She didn't take home the gold she was looking for, but we still celebrated after her current show, the Bold and the Beautiful, won an Emmy for Best Show," explained Holland. "I think being nominated for Best Actress but not winning lit a fire under Sarah. She really wants to win her fourth Emmy. I think she will put her heart and soul into this year's acting, so that she wins next year."

Holland was among the daytime stars, in every aspect including his chic tuxedo on the red carpet. The SBX rider, who is used to racing down courses filled with turns, jumps, bumps and rolls, traded in his boots for some dress-up shoes to maneuver his way down the much straighter and flatter red carpet, stopping along the way to pose for the paparazzi.

"If I'm able to do these types of events again, I'm going to wear a much lighter tux, it was very hot under the Vegas lights," said Holland. "The combination of camera people and interviewers calling our names and the Vegas heat really gets the heart pounding and the heat rising."

Holland, a top Snowboardcross rider, ended the 2009-10 season with a career best third in a World Cup in Spain carrying momentum into summer training and the upcoming 2010-11 winter season. Holland is currently in Sandpoint, ID with his older brother and SBX rider Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) working with Action Water Sports offering wakeboarding and waterskiing lessons and lake tours.

Marni Yamada Retires From U.S. Snowboarding

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (June 30) – After competing on the snowboardcross World Cup Circuit for eight years and making two World Championships appearances in 2005 and 2007, Marni Yamada (Seattle, WA) announced her retirement following the 2009-2010 winter season with U.S. Snowboarding.

"It has been one of the most memorable times up to this point that I can remember. I really love every person on the Team. That’s the part I’ll miss the most- the people," said Yamada. "The Team and the whole sport really pushed me mentally, physically emotionally and spiritually. I’m grateful for the experience."

Yamada’s path to the world stage in snowboarding was unique. She first hit the slopes at age nine on skis, directing her into alpine ski racing, where she attended Mount Hood Academy followed by Western State, continuing her ski racing career. After graduating from college in 2000, Yamada decided to purchase a snowboard, which led to a U.S. Snowboarding National Championship win in her first attempt.

"It was just inspiring to know you could have a whole new challenge, just on a snowboard," expressed Yamada. "Since then, it has really opened up quite a bit of new challenges, endeavors, tricks and travel."

In 2004, Yamada became a fixed competitor on the World Cup Circuit, when she began to focus her efforts on snowboardcross. Like many young riders, she began her competitive career participating in all snowboarding disciplines.

"Snowboadcross was my natural, innate feeling with the speed and racing really complimenting the ex-ski racer style," explained Yamada.

Yamada’s impressive career ended with a solid 2009-2010 campaign. "MarnStar", as referred to by her teammates, tallied nine top-20 finishes in World Cups, NorAms, and South American Cups, highlighted by a World Cup seventh place in Argentina. When looking back, few words come to Marni’s mind to describe her years with the Team.

"It’s just so cool,” said Yamada. “It was a totally amazing journey and I loved it."

Turning over a new page, Yamada is returning to school in Seattle. She is attending the Kerala Ayurveda Academy to study ayurveda, one of the oldest medicine practices known to man, while teaching yoga full time.

"I feel grateful that the USSA is able to support my school endeavors as well as my athletic pursuits,” said Yamada. “I’m excited for the next chapter. I have a whole new bag of tricks to open up."

Pat Holland on Red Carpet Tonight

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 MST

LAS VEGAS, NV (June 27) – U.S. Snowboarding SBX (snowboardcross) rider Pat Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) will have different kinds of bumps and berms to navigate tonight as he escorts General Hospital actress Sarah Joy Brown down the red carpet at the Daytime Emmy Awards in Las Vegas. The extravaganza will be televised live on CBS beginning at 9 p.m. EDT (delayed in PDT; check local listings).

Brown, who won three Emmys in an earlier stint with General Hospital, returned to the show in 2008 in the newly created role of mobster Claudia Zacchara. The versatile actress has appeared in a host of network programs in her career.

"Can't wait 2 see my Emmy date & favorite Pro Snowboarder Pat Holland on Sunday," Tweeted Brown over the weekend.

It's the first time in its 37 year run that the Daytime Emmys will be in Vegas, originating from the legendary Las Vegas Hilton. The Daytime Emmy Awards is a presentation of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and is considered one of the cornerstone awards programs of the industry.

Holland is one of the top U.S. Snowboarding riders who wrapped up the 2010 season with a career best third in a World Cup in Spain.

Tamblyn To Lead Rookies

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, UT (June 17) - The U.S. Snowboarding coaching staff just got a new addition as Spencer Tamblyn joins to take on the position of freestyle national development coach, U.S. Snowboarding Program Director Jeremy Forster announced Thursday.

"There is no better coach to continue the development of our halfpipe program than Spencer," Forster said.

Tamblyn will be taking over for Bud Keene, who is retiring following a successful 2010 Olympic season.

"The choice of Spencer as my replacement was an easy one. He has clearly been the next U.S. coach in line, and though he has not been on the International tour, has been coaching at a world-class level for some time," Keene said. "His snowboarding history, coupled with his technical and acrobatic coaching abilities make him more than ready to step into this important role, and the Rookies know it, and respect him. It’s a perfect plan."

Tamblyn hails from the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, which he has been interacting with for over 15 years as both an athlete and a coach. Most recently Tamblyn was the head coach for the SSWSC Pro-Am Freestyle Team.

"I cannot even describe how it is moving in working with U.S. Snowboarding," Tamblyn said. "The organization helped me out with a lot of projects for close to eight years doing different things voluntarily with camps for different groups. It really encouraged me to move towards U.S. Snowboarding after all the years here in Steamboat. All the coaches were encouraging and supportive. It's great to see it all come together."

Tamblyn comes to the U.S. Snowboarding rookie program already having spent time coaching Steamboat natives Maddy Schaffrick and Matt Ladley. According to Tamblyn he's eager to make his athletes consistent.

"Trying to create consistency in their efforts, progressive, and results in their riding is a key focus," Tamblyn said. "I've worked with pretty much everyone in the group to some capacity along the way, some I've worked with extensively. But now I get time to spend a lot of time with everyone so I can get a better feel of everyone on the team. That will add to the group energy throughout the season."

Tamblyn has jumped immediately into his coaching duties, working alongside his predecessor Bud Keene at U.S. Snowboarding's Project Gold summer camps at Mammoth Mountain, CA. According to Tamblyn it was a great opportunity to learn from Keene and get to know the team.

"The Project Gold and Junior Gold camps were just incredible, Bud loves to cultivate the younger kids and encourage them. He's all about that because he thrives in it," Tamblyn said. "We are hoping to pick up off that and improve on that love to coach. We had a chance to do one-on-one interviews with the kids and that allowed us to get to know them off the mountain and know their personalities."

Tamblyn is moving ahead toward the 2011 season, and is happy to be taking over a program with a legacy.

"I really want to thank Bud for the years of relationship that we've had to this point. We've worked at so many pipes over the years, I feel very confident taking over for him and continuing his legacy," Tamblyn said.

Keene Retires After 2010 Season

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 MST

PARK CITY, Utah (June 17) - U.S. Snowboarding Freestyle National Development Coach Robert "Bud" Keene is retiring after two seasons where he implemented a successful rookie program, and helped coach Shaun White to yet another Olympic gold, announced U.S. Snowboarding Program Director Jeremy Forster.

"Bud has elevated the level of our U.S. Snowboarding development program tremendously," said Forster. "He established a deliberate strategy to work with all U.S. riders, regardless of their U.S. Snowboarding affiliation, knowing that a strong coach/rider relationship would be one of the keys to success during the Olympics - and that was achieved. I am stoked to have had the opportunity to work with him again and wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

Keene grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, but moved to Stowe, VT, in 1983 to ski. He quickly became a snowboarder, riding in competition for several winters before turning to coaching after the 1989 season. He coached throughout the Nineties with the Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club before joining U.S. Snowboarding after the 2002 Olympic season.

In his four years as U.S. Snowboarding halfpipe head coach, he led the team to two gold and two silver medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics. After a two year retirement, Keene returned in 2008 to lead the youth of the sport. Bringing his 2006 Olympic experience for the Rookie Team had a profound impact.

"The timing is right for me to step away from the day-to-day of coaching the Rookie Team," Keene said. "Everything is playing out exactly as it should be. I am really looking forward to continuing my strong involvement and influence within the sport, but on a different level. U.S. Snowboarding is an organization that I have helped to build, and that I love. I’ll never walk away from it."

At the 2002 Winter Games, Keene coached the halfpipe forerunners - a group which included the young Hannah Teter, who recently went on to capture the gold medal in Torino with Keene by her side. Keene also played a pivotal role coaching Shaun White to both his 2006 and 2010 gold medals.

Now, Keene will move on to a family business in Vermont, which will enable him to work closely with his brothers.

"My brothers have strong businesses in Northern Vermont, and they have always wanted me to come and partner with them when I was done with this and ready to come home," Keene said. "I’m not exactly done, but I am going home for now. I need a life, and to be a better Dad to my two boys."

But don't count Keene as one who will watch the Sochi Olympics from home. The man who was a personal coach to White for his past two Olympic seasons may have something up his sleeve.

"It’s early yet, but Shaun and I are just beginning to talk about the next few years and the 2014 Games in Russia," Keene said.