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Roberts to Play in Celebrity Golf Tournament
PARK CITY, Utah (April 30) - Nate Roberts (Park City, UT) might have put his skis up for
the summer, but he's dusted off the golf clubs and is ready for some exciting competition
May 7-10 when he competes in the Phoenix Celebrity Classic golf tournament.
"I'd say golf is my second passion. I spend a lot of time in the summer playing," Roberts
said. "I went from about a two handicap down to a scratch. I love to compete in golf and
enjoy the game."
The event will be nationally televised from the Lookout Mountain Golf Club at Tapatio
Cliffs in Phoenix, AZ and will be featuring a large group of celebrity golfers. Among the list
of celebrities are 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team basketball player Clyde Drexler, 44th
Vice President of the United States Dan Quayle and former San Francisco 49ers wide
receiver Jerry Rice.
"We are honored that World Championship gold medalist Nate Roberts is taking time off
the slopes to share his second love - golf - with us while raising money for blind children
in Phoenix," said Phoenix Celebrity Classic Tournament Director Nick Schmitz. "Nate is
not only a great athlete but a wonderful role model and we are excited to have him out on
the course."
"I'm a mogul skier and a I don't know if everyone knows what ski sports really are, but I
plan on getting out there and talking about my sport and get to know them and their
sports," Roberts said.
While Robert is always raising the bar in his athletic pursuits, his goals for this
tournament are to have fun and meet new people.
"Winning is great but for me this is a first-time experience. Coming off of ski season I've
had less than a month to prepare for this so my expectations aren't too high," Roberts
said. "But, I'm excited to have the opportunity and if I can play golf like I'm capable of, it
could open up a lot of opportunities for myself and the U.S. Ski Team."
Recap: Freestyle Sees New Heights in 2008
PARK CITY, Utah (April 25) - It was a year of new beginnings, rookie advancement and
personal bests for the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. The 2008 season brought athletes like
Scotty Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA), Emily Cook (Belmont, MA), Pat Deneen (Cle Elum, WA),
Emiko Torito (Steamboat, CO), Michelle Roark (Denver) and Allison Treleaven (Fort
Wayne, IN) to the top of their game and pushed forward the emergence of a budding U.S.
ski cross program.
"We had a number of athletes who had super success - rookies stepping up and getting on
the podium, veterans getting after it as usual and a great deal of personal bests,"
Freestyle Program Director Polly-Jo Clark said. "The staff and coaches have worked very
hard to build successful programs by always evaluating what we do and how we can do it
better as we continue to build to 2010. It was a great year all around."
Some of the season highlights include:
-The U.S. had six World Cup wins by five athletes.
-There were 24 World Cup podiums by 12 athletes.
-Treleaven and Deneen were named 2008 FIS Rookies of the Year.
-10 C Team moguls athletes scored World Cup points.
Moguls/Duals: Torito starts a hot streak
In a season that shined with 17 podium finishes by eight different moguls athletes - four
of which were wins - it came as no surprise that the bump skiers were committed to success.
Torito took her skills to the next level when she kicked off the season at the Nature
Valley Freestyle Cup at Lake Placid, NY, claiming her first World Cup victory. She
continued her hot streak by adding three more World Cup podiums to her resume before
grabbing the U.S. moguls title at the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships on the 2002
Olympic course at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT.
"Emiko had a great year. She got her first World Cup win and that's only going to help
build her confidence and momentum to do well in the future," Freestyle Head Coach Jeff
Wintersteen said. "The athletes were all performing really well as we start building up to
the level we want to be at for 2010."
Deneen also laid down a show-stopping run at the Lake Placid World Cup for his first
career top-3 finish. That paved the way for two additional third place finishes before the
World Cup season concluded. In his first year on the international circuit, Deneen was
honored with the FIS World Cup Rookie of the Year award, voted on by all the
international coaches.
Shelly Robertson (Reno, NV) took a risk at the Visa Freestyle International at Deer Valley
Resort, switching up one of her jumps to reel in her first World Cup victory. Robertson had
started out doing a 360, but felt like she wanted to go bigger and switched to a double
twister spread for her first podium in four years.
During the same competition, Landon Gardner (Missoula, MT) beat out 2006 Olympic
champion Dale Begg-Smith of Australia to make his way to his first career podium in
second place.
"First podium, I'm really excited. I definitely wish I could have been a little bit higher on
the podium but you know what, I'm just going to enjoy second place," Gardner said.
Aerials: A season of personal bests
It was a season of new heights for Team. No one can attest to that more than veteran
Cook who won her first World Cup in Moscow in front of thousands of spectators and the
then Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was the first World Cup victory for an American
woman since Olympic gold medalist Nikki Stone won in Heavenly, CA in 1999.
Cook, who was fourth after the first round of jumps off a towering scaffold erected in
weather challenged downtown Moscow, pushed her way through heavy wind and snow to
complete a lay-full including two flips with a twist on the second to win the event.
The 2006 Olympian went on to finish out the season with her third national title.
"We had several milestones on the women's side. To have Emily win was great. I'm
pleased with their progression towards Vancouver right now," Wintersteen said.
Bahrke and Dylan Ferguson (Amesbury, MA) each pulled in career bests on the World Cup.
Bahrke's landmark also came in Russia in March as he broke through to the top five.
Ferguson, a rookie who's quickly making a name for himself, finished 11th at the Visa
Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort.
"We had some great breakthroughs from Scotty and Dylan. Those younger kids are just
coming along well," Wintersteen said.
Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) was part of the wave of podiums on the aerials team,
finishing third in a World Cup in Inawashiro, Japan in February.
Ski Cross: A new program for a new Olympic sport
After only five seasons on the World Cup circuit and two World Championships, the
newest addition to the Winter Olympic lineup, ski cross has quickly become one of the
most popular action sports.
"We started our ski cross program this season and hired Tyler Shepherd in November to
be our head coach. He did a fantastic job getting a program together," Clark said. "We
were able to get the best athletes together and into World Cups, which earns us quota
spots for the next season."
The roster of U.S. athletes who competed in ski cross during the 2008 season included
two-time X Games gold medalist Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO), who also added bronze to
his X Games collection in January, Olympian Jake Fiala (Copper Mountain, CO), alpine
legend Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA), who won gold at the X Games this year, and
determined up-and-comers Errol Kerr (Truckee, CA), Cody Smith (Spokane, WA) and
Langely McNeal (Sun Valley, ID).
"I think from where we started in November, Tyler has done a great job. We already have
a core group of athletes," Wintersteen said. "We're excited to be working with and
building a relationship with these athletes. We plan on naming a team in the spring and
moving forward from there."
In only his first season of World Cup ski cross, Puckett worked his way to two second-place podiums, including one in front of a U.S. crowd at Deer Valley Resort when the first
World Cup ski cross event was held in North America.
Kerr, a rookie with the potential to dominate the sport, finished out the season with his
personal best when he came in eighth in Switzerland. At the same race, Fiala tied his
career best, finishing behind Kerr in ninth.
"Tyler and the athletes created a great atmosphere and got their jobs done," Clark said.
"It was super fun to host the first ski cross World Cup and to get a podium out of it!"
Halfpipe: Hudak dominates the pipe, again
Jen Hudak (Park City, UT) reminded everyone why she's the most dominant woman in U.S.
skier halfpipe throughout the season. She posted two second place finishes before
winning her first World Cup halfpipe competition during World Cup Finals in Italy in March.
Hudak went on to reclaim the national halfpipe title for her third year in a row to finish out
the season.
Success comes from determination
"The success by all of these athletes is a tribute to their commitment to the entire
program from on-snow training, conditioning in the gym, endless water-ramping at the
Utah Olympic Park to working on technique on trampolines and sports psychology," Clark
said. "They understand that it must be a comprehensive package to be successful
because each area will be called on every day.
"One of the things that drives the athletes and staff is teamwork - pushing each other,
helping to solve challenges in a positive and productive atmosphere. This program really
is just a lot of fun - everyone enjoys what they do."
The first U.S. Ski Cross Team will be named this summer as all freestyle athletes move
into training, which begins with a moguls camp in May in Park City, UT.
Right To Play, the
National Ability Center and the Women's Sports Foundation.
Cook: An Inspiration To All Olympian Emily Cook
(Belmont, MA) learned growing up that, with the help of someone to inspire her, she could
soar to great heights. Thanks to the unwavering support of her father, Cook has won
World Cup gold and three U.S. aerials titles, and hopes that she can be an inspiration to
others to succeed in life.
"I grew up with my dad and he made sure I had plenty of opportunities to find what it was
that inspired me and what I was passionate about," Cook said. "So, for me, I have the
opportunity to provide that for other people and help them find what it is that makes them
happy."
Cook currently contributes her time to a number of causes, including
Most recently, Cook spent some time skiing with a special young girl through the Park
City-based National Ability Center.
"This month I did a ski challenge with the NAC where I skied with a young girl named
Makayla Greenwood. She's amazing. She's a visually impaired 10-year-old little girl and I
got to ski a race with her," Cook said. "She came up to watch me jump the next week."
Cook's work with Right To Play allows her to touch children internationally with the gift of
sport.
"Right To Play goes to lots of different places around the world and gives aid to people in
the form of play and sports," Cook said. "It's another organization that's using sport and
play to show kids they can have confidence and achieve anything they want."
Cook also spends time trying to positively impact young women everywhere through the
Women's Sport Foundation.
"I just try to get the word out about women in sports and get young girls involved in
sports and use it as a means to help them gain confidence and find something that
they're passionate about in life," Cook said.
Cook, who throws herself into being an exceptional role model for the people who need it,
finds joy in being able to help others in every walk of life reach new heights.
"If I can do my part in helping people all over the world find confidence and passion and
what it is that inspires them, that's just really important to me," Cook said. "It's just one
small thing that I can give back that I was provided with when I was young."
Morse, Roark Win Dual Moguls Titles
PARK CITY, Utah - (March 30) The U.S. Ski Team's Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA) pulled
out all the stops to earn his second title of the weekend as he and Michelle Roark
(Denver) won the Nature Valley Freestyle Challenge dual moguls competition concluding
the 2008 Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships at Deer Valley Resort Sunday.
The Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships will be broadcast April 6 on Versus at 3 p.m. ET.
Morse, the dark horse contender coming into the weekend, rocked down Deer Valley's
Champion trail to Metallica playing in his helmet to take the gold for his second win in 24 hours.
"I was a little tired after yesterday and wasn't sure how everything was going to go,"
Morse said. "It hasn't hit me yet [that I won], but it feels great to lay down some runs and
do well in this competition. It's always nice to go out with a win and ski well."
"I'm very excited for Michael to win the singles and the doubles titles," said Moguls Head
Coach Scott Rawles. "It put him in a great spot for next year and that's just awesome."
Cody Tempel (Missoula, MT) of Missoula Freestyle won silver and Landon Gardner (also
Missoula, MT) took the Bronze.
"My run did go pretty well. I'm really excited, but I missed that U.S. Team spot by one
skier so it's kind of depressing. You've got to keep going, though," Tempel said. Skiers
not already on the national team who win U.S. championships are nominated to join the
U.S. Ski Team.
Roark, a 2006 Olympian and World Championships silver medalist, went all out to earn her
first national title.
"I came out to give it 100 percent and push it. I'm very happy with how it went. It feels
great to win on this course since this was the course that really threw me off all season,"
Roark said. "I was wearing my Phi-nominal perfume and it always helps me get the energy
I need to go out there and attack. Next year I want to get the title for singles too."
"To see Michelle win yet again this season, it's just great for her," Rawles said.
Teammate Kayla Snyderman (Winchester, MA) followed Roark with the silver and Ski Club
Vail's KC Oakley (Piedmont, CA) won bronze.
"It was fun. I wanted to go for it and ramped it up with every run and just tried to go
bigger," Snyderman said. "I'm pretty proud of myself. I don't think I skied quite to my
potential, but considering it's the end of the season and I'm pretty tired, I'm proud of myself."
Jimmy Roberts (South Lake Tahoe, CA) of the Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation
landed himself the Rip It Trick of the Day award, which comes with a $2,500 prize, when
he put down an awesome backflip.
"I'm definitely happy right now, especially after I lost after that first run," Roberts said.
The Nature Valley Freestyle Challenge at the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships
concludes the 2008 freestyle ski season.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 SPRINT U.S. FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Nature Valley Freestyle Challenge
Deer Valley Resort - March 30, 2008
Duals Moguls (16 make finals)
Men
1. Michael Morse, Duxbury, MA
2. Cody Tempel, Missoula, MT
3. Landon Gardner, Missoula, MT
4. Shane Cordeau, Ketchum, ID
5. Nate Roberts, Park City, UT
5. David Babic, Washington, VT
5. Patrick Deneen, Cle Elum, WA
5. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT
Women
1. Michelle Roark, Denver
2. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, MA
3. KC Oakley, Piedmont, CA
4. Lane Stoltzner, Telluride, CO
5. Allison Digravio, Farmington, ME
5. Kelsey Albert, North Andover, MA
5. Kristi Waring, Centennial, CO
5. Whitney Henceroth, Dillon, CO
Torito, Morse Win Moguls Titles
PARK CITY, Utah (March 29) - Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA) and Emiko Torito (Steamboat,
CO) each laid down spectacular runs to win gold in the moguls competition of the Sprint
U.S. Freestyle Championships at Deer Valley Resort in Park City Saturday.
The Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships will air Sunday, April 6 on Versus at 3 p.m. ET.
"We had a great day. Everybody put together some really good stuff," said Moguls Head
Coach Scott Rawles. "We have a competitive group and they came out and skied hard. It
was awesome."
Adding to an already successful season filled with four World Cup podium finishes,
including a victory in Lake Placid, Torito owned the moguls course by completing a tight
run with a 360 and a backflip.
"I am shaking. It's unreal," Torito said. "I know I had a successful year with World Cups
and that was great, but there's just nothing like being able to say you're a national
champion. It's really special."
"She's worked her way back in to the position she's in now. She worked hard last summer
on her jump package along with everything else and she came out with a lot of fire this
year," Rawles said. "After she won the event in Lake Placid, she maintained that
momentum throughout the year."
Torito was especially pleased to be competing for her title at Deer Valley Resort.
"Deer Valley is my favorite course. It's so challenging but you can also rip. I couldn't be
happier to win here."
Shelly Robertson (Reno, NV), who's best World Cup result for the season came when she
won dual moguls at Deer Valley in February, captured the silver while 2006 Olympian
Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT), who was sidelined most of the season, took the bronze.
"I was a little bit nervous, but I skied a good run," Robertson said. "It wasn't the cleanest
run I've put down this year, but that's OK - I was happy with my jumps."
Morse, who landed a backflip with an iron cross and a D-spin while listening to some
tunes in his helmet, couldn't believe he won a national title.
"It hasn't really sunk in yet, but it's pretty amazing [to win the title]. I had a tough year
and it feels good to lay down a run," Morse said. "I was pretty amped to go. The moguls
were a little bit firmer than they were in the morning, but I just tried to keep it together
and let it run through the bottom."
"He's really had to battle through some injuries the last couple of years. He did a really
good job of managing that this year," Rawles said. "It was funny because we were all
sitting around last night picking our dark horse and everyone picked Mike. It was great to
see him put it together in a big event and lay down some great stuff."
Nate Roberts (Park City, UT) followed Morse with the silver and David Babic grabbed the
bronze.
"It's another day in a judged sport and I'm definitely pleased to be in front of my home
town and friends," Roberts said.
Whitney Henceroth (Dillon, CO) of Team Summit and Cody Tempel (Missoula, MT) of
Missoula Freestyle each gave national team members a run for their money in the moguls competition.
"I'm just super excited. I skied really well and I'm happy to be out here. It's intimidating to
ski against the national team, but it's good to be able to judge yourself," said Henceroth,
who finished fifth.
"My run went pretty well. The course was good and I was pretty happy with it," said
Tempel, who finished sixth. "This is the second year I finished right behind the U.S. Team
and I need to [keep] building."
The Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships conclude Sunday with men's and women's dual
moguls at Deer Valley Resort in Park City.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
SPRINT U.S. FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Park City, UT - March 29, 2008
Moguls
Men
1. Michael Morse, Duxbury, MA, 24.76
2. Nate Roberts, Park City, UT, 24.69
3. David Babic, Washington, VT, 24.68
4. Pat Deneen, Cle Elum, WA, 24.41
5. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT, 23.70
6. Cody Tempel, Missoula, MT, 22.98
7. Zak Watkins, Durango, CO, 22.54
8. Nate Johnson, New Gloucester, ME, 22.06
9. Landon Gardner, Missoula, MT, 21.77
10. Ryan Reilly, Park City, UT, 21.56
Women
1. Emiko Torito, Steamboat, CO, 23.68
2. Shelly Robertson, Reno, NV, 22.86
3. Hannah Kearney, Norwich, VT, 22.08
4. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, MA, 21.90
5. Whitney Henceroth, Dillon, CO, 21.84
6. Lindsey Cannon, Telluride, CO, 21.70
7. Heather McPhie, Park City, UT, 21.41
8. Eliza Outtrim, Steamboat Springs, CO, 21.30
9. Michelle Roark, Winter Park, CO, 21.11
10. Jordan Poyfair, Denver, CO, 19.91
Hudak, Wise Take Third HP Titles
PARK CITY, Utah (March 28) - Jennifer Hudak (Park City, UT) took her skiing to the next
level Friday to win her third straight U.S. title in women's skier halfpipe during the Sprint
U.S. Freestyle Championships. David Wise (Caldwell, ID) also had an incredible three-peat
performance, winning the men's U.S. title.
The Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships will be broadcast April 6 on Versus at 3 p.m. ET.
Hudak, who won World Cup Finals in Italy earlier this month, threw down a run of straight
air mute grab, straight air with a critical, mute, alley-oop, seven to take the top podium spot.
"The pipe was really good today. I took a rough spill this morning on one run and it kind of
threw me off, but I did what I had to do in finals and it was a good day," Hudak said. "I'm
really happy with the final result. My roots are with the USSA and it means a lot to me to
win nationals. This is my third year winning the event and I'd like to keep it that way for
many years to come"
Originally from Connecticut, Hudak started freestyle skiing at Okemo Mountain in
Vermont working with coach Elana Chase. She still works with Chase out of the Aspen
Valley Ski Club, but lives in Park City now.
Gina Gmeiner (Steamboat Springs, CO) followed Hudak in second place, and Jessica
Cumming (Wilton, CT) was third.
"It's an amazing pipe and a great venue. My run was alright but I have no complaints. It
was a good day," Gmeiner said.
Wise won with a run of big flair, alley-oop flat-spin five, back to back nine left nine, right
nine, and big seven.
"I am so stoked, I've been having a great week out here and I've just been having great
training runs and feeling it," Wise said. "The pipe was perfect and I couldn't have asked
for anything better."
Walter Wood (Evergreen, CO) was second in the men's halfpipe and Kyle Smaine was third.
"The pipe was amazing. It's so big. It's probably one of the best pipes I've skied," Wood
said about Park City Mountain Resort's superpipe. "I am so excited, this is one of the best
results I've had so far this year. It's a big competition and I'm really happy."
Tanner Hall (Salt Lake City), who's been out for most of the season with injuries, made a
special appearance at the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships, and even took a couple of
runs down the pipe.
"This was sick. I cannot believe the level of competition with these kids up here," Hall
said. "Our sport is progressing. Halfpipe skiing is going to be the one to take over and
hopefully put it in the Olympics."
Action continues this weekend at Deer Valley Resort with moguls Saturday and dual
moguls Sunday, finals for both start at 2:45 p.m. Awards are held nightly through Saturday
at the Town Lift Plaza in downtown Park City at 5:30 p.m.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
SPRINT U.S. FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Park City, UT - March 28, 2008
Halfpipe
Men
1. David Wise, Caldwell, ID, 48.4
2. Walter Wood, Evergreen, CO, 45.2
3. Kyle Smaine, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 44.3
4. Miles Honens, Orinda, CA, 42.4
5. Clayton Vila, Block Island, RI, 42.1
Women
1. Jennifer Hudak, Park City, UT, 34.2
2. Gina Gmeiner, Steamboat Springs, CO, 30.3
3. Jessica Cumming, Wilton, CT, 28.6
4. Jillian Kazley, Rochester, NY, 25.3
5. Lizzie Seibert, Edwards, CO, 22.9
St. Onge, Cook Take Aerial Titles
PARK CITY, Utah (March 27) - Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) came from behind to win
men's aerials at the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships with a stunning second jump to
edge Scotty Bahrke (Park City, UT). Emily Cook (Belmont, MA), led both women's rounds
to win her third U.S. title. Competition was delayed nearly two hours while a raging
blizzard passed through the Utah Olympic Park in Park City.
The Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships will be broadcast April 6 on Versus at 3 p.m. ET.
Bahrke, a Tahoe City, CA native, soared into the first jump lead over St. Onge. But the
three-time champ St. Onge came roaring back with the big jump of the day to take his
fourth title and first since 2005. Waterville Valley (NH) skier Matt DePeters (Hamburg, NY)
took bronze for his first U.S. Championships podium. St. Onge won with a score of 196.51
to 194.22 for Bahrke. DePeters finished with a personal best 175.49.
Cook, meanwhile, was solid on both jumps to hold off a challenge from FIS World Cup
Rookie of the Year Allison Treleaven (Ft. Wayne, IN) to take gold. Olympian Jana Lindsey
(Black Hawk, SD) was third. Cook scored 175.53 to 151.10 for Treleaven. Lindsey came in
at 143.65.
St. Onge Knew It Would Be Close
The weather forced officials to limit jumps to double flips - no triples. That took away
some of the edge St. Onge anticipated going in.
"I knew at the beginning of the day it was going to be a challenge to beat those guys,"
said St. Onge. "Dylan Ferguson and Scotty Bahrke both have really good triple twisting
doubles. I knew since it was going to be a limited DD [degree of difficulty] event that they
were going to be on an even playing field with me and I was going to have work hard to
do it."
St. Onge was down by nearly two points after the first jump, a full-double full (triple
twisting double back flip). On his second jump he hit a near perfect double full-full to take
the lead.
"Being second after the first round confirmed I had to get my stuff together and try and
squeak it out. I had a really nice second jump and even though Bahrke also had a great
second jump, I squeaked him out."
Bahrke was disappointed to drop into silver, but excited nonetheless about his season. "It
felt really good to come out and do well at nationals so I'm excited," he said. "I had to
back it down a little bit because during training it was really nasty. I ended up doing two
triple twisting doubles, was able to land them both, so I'm happy and really excited about
the event."
Bahrke, who was FIS World Cup Rookie of the Year last season, stepped it up towards the
end of the season including a top five in Moscow. "I couldn't be happier," he added. "My
season started a little rough but to finish in the top 10 at my last World Cups and finish
second at nationals, I couldn't ask for anything more."
Cook Solid Start to Finish for Third Title
Cook was smooth and solid on both jumps. She started off with her traditional full-full,
two back flips with a twist on each flip. And she finished off her season nailing a full-double full, a triple twisting double back flip new to her repertoire this season.
"It's exciting to be rewarded for a good performance," said Cook. "I knew I jumped my
best out there today. I'm really happy about that. Two national titles in a row, that's really
exciting. I hope I can keep it going for next year."
It was a great homecoming for Cook, who moved from Massachusetts to Park City some
years ago and is a mentor to many young athletes.
"It's been an amazing season and to come out here to one of our home venues in Park
City and have all our friends and family out here is so great," she said. "It's also cool to be
up there with a lot of the younger athletes. All of them are vying for their U.S. Ski Team
starts here. It's a really important competition for them and we take it very seriously. We
have so much fun too. It was a great event today."
Treleaven moved up from fourth last year to score her first U.S. Championship medal. "My
first jump was a full-tuck and my second was a lay-tuck," she said. "Both felt pretty good
and had solid landings. They were pretty big so I was happy with them."
Her silver capped a strong season, which "Right now I'm just taking it all in," she said. "It
was a long season but a really fun and successful season. I'm really happy and this is a
great way to finish."
Weather Provides Big Challenge
A morning snow squall delayed training, resulting in a later start. At times there was no
visibility to the top and athletes never had a shot at training on the huge, towering triple
kicker. So jumps were limited to double flips for the competition.
"The weather was really tricky today," said Cook. "We had snow and wind and it's hard to
gauge where to start and what your speeds were going to be. We rely a lot on our
coaches, who did an amazing job to help us decide where to start. It probably was a good
experience for the younger athletes too. We always have [weather] conditions. It's great
to come out here throw my biggest tricks in difficult conditions and end up on the podium."
"Unfortunately I couldn't do the new trick I worked," said St. Onge. "I would have really
liked to have better weather today to do bigger tricks, go higher and stick some triple
flips. But it wasn't safe up there and everybody agreed doubles was going to be a better event.
"It's always frustrating when you can't perform the tricks you love to do. But it was a
good fun event for me and I'm really happy I won."
The strong, but inconsistent, tailwind provided a challenge. The coaches on the knoll had
their work cut out for them ensuring their atheltes' speeds on the inrun were accurate
going into the towering jumps. "Our coaches had us all set up today with the winds and it
turned out to be great," said Treleaven.
Breakout Day for Young Skiers
It was a big day for the Waterville Valley (NH) freestyle program with three top fives,
including an impressive bronze for DePeters, who was tenth in the World Junior
Championships in 2007. It was his first U.S. Championships medal, moving up from sixth
last year. He was joined by Waterville Valley skiers Hans Gardner (Orchard Park, NY), who
was fourth, and Ashley Caldwell (Hamilton, VA), who was fourth in women's.
"I didn't have any real expectations, I just wanted to come in and hit my jumps," said
DePeters. "I'm really happy - it's a new PR [personal record] score for me. To get third at
nationals feels really good. It finishes off a nice season and hopefully I'll get a national ski
team spot. We're all friends out there but to be ahead of a couple of the Team guys feels
pretty good - like you're ready to ski at that level and be up there with them."
DePeters and Gardner are both Buffalo area natives who ski and train with the Buffalo Ski
Club and have been longtime participants in the Waterville Valley program of Nick
Preston. "These are really great athletes," said Preston. "And I'm especially excited about
Ashley Caldwell, who just turned 14."
"It was nice to see some of the new kids from the regions," said U.S. Ski Team Aerial
Head Coach Matt Christensen. "That was really good for me to see. I was pretty excited.
Nick Preston and his son Wes have always had a really strong aerials program. They're
[coaching] who we're looking at."
"I had the opportunity to work with [Matt DePeters] for the first time at World Juniors last
year. When I saw him jump, I knew he was going to be good. He showed it today and that
was really good to see."
Sprint Championship Action Continues All Weekend
Action will continue Friday with skier halfpipe at Park City Mountain Resort. Finals begin
at noon. Action will shift to Deer Valley Resort with moguls Saturday and dual moguls
Sunday, both at 2:45 p.m. Awards are held nightly through Saturday in the Town Lift Plaza
in downtown Park City at 5:30 p.m.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
SPRINT U.S. FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Park City, UT - March 27, 2008
Aerials
Men
1. Ryan St. Onge, Winter Park, CO, 196.51
2. Scotty Bahrke, Park City, UT, 194.22
3. Matthew Depeters, Hamburg, NY, 175.49
4. Hans Gardner, Orchard Park, NY, 151.66
5. Dylan Ferguson, Amesbury, MA, 148.22
6. Zac Amidan, Ogden, UT, 143.29
7. Lucas Constenius, Whitefish, MT, 134.66
8. Paul Sullivan, Waterville Valley, NH, 133.95
9. Andris Blumbergs, Lake Placid, NY, 120.88
10. Austin Bourret, Ketchum, ID, 115.07
Women
1. Emily Cook, Belmont, MA, 175.53
2. Allison Treleaven, Ft. Wayne, IN, 151.10
3. Jana Lindsey, Black Hawk, SD, 143.65
4. Ashley Caldwell, Hamilton, VA, 115.86
5. Karen Kiczek, Park City, UT, 98.28
6. Sami Palmer, Sandy, UT, 95.72
7. Erica Knell, Park City, UT, 86.97
8. Lindsay Mustard, Mt. Kisco, NY, 82.37
9. Amy David, Pinedale, WY, 77.50
10. Ellison McMillan, Erda, UT, 70.10
Deneen, Treleaven FIS Rookies of the Year
PARK CITY, Utah (March 26) - Adding another mark of greatness to the success of the
U.S. Freestyle Ski Team this season, Allison Treleaven (Fort Wayne, IN) and Pat Deneen
(Cle Elum, WA) were named FIS World Cup Rookies of the Year.
Selection for the FIS World Cup Rookie of the Year award is made by coaches from
international teams based on both performance and character.
"What these two athletes accomplished this year is a testament to their commitment to
our program. And it's pretty cool that the international community of coaches
acknowledges that with this honor," said Freestyle Program Director Polly-Jo Clark. "It
will be fun to see how they continue to develop and grow in their athletic careers - they
can achieve the highest of success if they continue to work hard."
In his first year on the national team and competing on the World Cup circuit, moguls
skier Deneen kicked off the World Cup season with back to back third-place podium
finishes in Lake Placid, NY, and rounded out the year with another World Cup third in
Valmalenco, Italy.
"It's an incredible honor to be named rookie of the year. It's done by an international
panel of coaches, and to be recognized by those who have been in the sport for so long is
great," Deneen said. "It's really a once in a lifetime honor because you're only a rookie for
one year, so I'm excited."
"Pat's really made a lot of fundamental changes with his skiing. He bought into the
program and he made it happen," said U.S. Freestyle Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen. "He
obviously has a really high natural talent and it just works for him."
Treleaven, an aerialist, tucked herself into the top 10 of her first World Cup event to get
her season going in Lake Placid, NY.
"I was really excited when I found out I was named FIS World Cup Rookie of the Year. It's
definitely an honor," Treleaven said. "This is my first year on the World Cup and being
named was a great way to finish out my season."
"Allison did a great job this year, really worked hard this summer and she was able to
carry it out onto the snow," Wintersteen said. "I am excited for both of them this next
year looking at the World Championships in Inawashiro [Japan] and then, of course,
Vancouver in 2010."
Deneen and Treleaven head next to the 2008 Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships in Park
City, Utah March 27-30 where they will finish out an incredible season.
Babic Wins World Cup Moguls Finals
VALMALENCO, Italy (March 15) - The U.S. Ski Team's David Babic (Washington, VT) went
all out to bring home his first World Cup win of the season, and second of his career, in
moguls at the 2008 Freestyle FIS World Cup Finals in Italy Saturday. Newly named FIS
Rookie of the Year Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) finished third.
"It was kind of a hard day," said Babic. "It was icy early on and it made it challenging for
the competition. I skied about half way through the final and the coaches gave me good
advice and told me to lay down a line that the judges could score.
"I changed up some of my jumps. I did an off axis 720 on the top jump and a back flip with
an iron cross on the bottom. It was really difficult to slow down in the middle section, but
thankfully I was able to keep my feet under me."
"David was one of the guys who just really stepped up out here. He had a really good
attitude about what he was going to do and was very strong mentally today," said Moguls
Head Coach Scott Rawles. "The course has been icy and difficult, and he did a really good
job of staying tough and getting it done."
According to Rawles, it was great to see Babic, who finished third earlier this season in
Japan, make it back to the podium.
"It's a great way to finish the season off strong. It meant a lot to him to step up," Rawles
said. "It means a lot to him, especially being one of our veteran guys and being around for
a while."
"I was really pleased. I think our team skied really well and everyone did their best with
the conditions," Babic said. "It was good to get out of here with a win."
Deneen, who finished third, is only in his first season of World Cup competition. He was
selected by World Cup coaches as Rookie of the Year in voting earlier this week.
"For his first World Cup season, to have three podiums is pretty big," Rawles said.
In the women's competition, Heather McPhie (Park City, UT) led U.S. women in fourth.
World Cup mogul champion Aiko Uemura of Japan won, followed by Margarita Marbler of
Austria in second.
"It was a great result for her and I think she got her confidence back heading into the
Sprint U.S. Championships," Rawles said. "She struggled a bit most of the season. She
had high expectations coming into the year, but not a lot happened.
"She was one of the first ladies to ski today, and she laid down a great run and hung in at
first until the last three came down. It was great to see her step up and make something
happen today."
Deneen was the top American in the World Cup moguls standings, moving up to fifth with
352 points; Nate Roberts (Park City, UT) was sixth with 346. Olympic champion Dale
Begg-Smith of Australia won with 664 points.
Emiko Torito (Denver) led the women's standings for the U.S. Team finishing fifth in the
worldwith 396 points with Michelle Roark (also Denver) in sixth and Shelly Robertson
(Reno, NV) seventh. Aiko Uemura of Japan won the women's title with 683 points.
U.S. freestyle athletes now head to the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships in Park City,
UT March 27-30. The annual championships will take place on three 2002 Olympic
venues. The Utah Olympic Park will host aerials, Park City Mountain Resort will have ski
halfpipe and Deer Valley Resort with moguls and dual moguls.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 FREESTYLE FIS WORLD CUP FINALS
Valmalenco, ITA - March 15, 2008
Moguls
Men
1. David Babic, Washington, VT, 23.26
2. Vincent Marquis, Canada, 23.24
3. Pat Deneen, Cle Elum, WA, 23.18
4. Tapio Luusua, Finland, 23.12
5. Dale Begg-Smith, Austria, 22.19
-
16. Nate Roberts, Park City, UT, 16.82
18. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT, 13.55
20. Landon Gardner, Missoula, MT, 2.87
Women
1. Aiko Uemura, Japan, 24.50
2. Margarita Marbler, Austria, 24.09
3. Nikola Sudova, Czech Republic, 22.96
4. Heather McPhie, Park City, UT, 22.85
5. Miki Ito, Japan, 22.33
-
8. Emiko Torito, Denver, 21.96
9. Michelle Roark, Winter Park, CO, 21.62
10. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, MA, 21.56
16. Shelly Robertson, Reno, NV, 18.67
19. Eliza Outtrim, Steamboat Springs, CO, 18.25
Rahlves Fourth in JKOM Ski Cross
SUN VALLEY, Idaho (March 15) - Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) led U.S. skiers coming in
fourth in the men's ski cross competition at the 2008 Jeep King of the Mountain in Sun Valley.
"Daron Rahlves actually had some better luck out of the start today and probably made
one of the best passes all day after the step up," Head Coach Tyler Shepherd said. "Davey
Barr made a slight error - he was in front of Daron at the time - and Daron seized the
opportunity to pinch Davey out and smoked the bottom section."
Canadian Chris DelBosco won the men's competition followed by Tomas Kraus of the
Czech Republic who also won the overall Jeep King of the Mountain tour title.
Up and comer Errol Kerr (Truckee, CA) followed Rahlves for results in sixth place.
"Errol Kerr, again, was a lot of fun to watch as he skied really well all day," Shepherd
said. "I'm not sure what happened out of the start in his semi-final heat, but he just
couldn't make the pass for the transfer spot and then ended up doing well in the small final."
In the women's heats, Langely McNeal (Ketchum, ID) led the U.S. in sixth.
"We had Langley McNeal competing in a very small women's field due to the World Cup
finals," Shepherd said. "She had some flashes of really good skiing so I'm excited to see
her continue to improve and get more confidence."
The race fields for this event were smaller than usual because of World Cup Finals in
Italy. But Shepherd saw it as an opportunity to showcase U.S. talent.
"Today was also a day that brought out many other U.S. men as many Europeans stayed
back in Europe for World Cup Finals, so it gave me an opportunity to see some more
talent out there," Shepherd said.
"All in all it was a very positive year for the U.S. ski cross program and I'm very excited to
move forward into the Spring and nominate a team this summer," Shepherd said.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
JEEP KING OF THE MOUNTAIAN
Sun Valley, ID - March 15, 2008
Ski Cross
Men
1. Chris DelBosco, Canada
2. Tomas Kraus, Czech Republic
3. Stanley Hayer, Canada
4. Daron Rahlves, Sugar Bowl, CA
5. Davey Barr, Canada
-
6. Errol Kerr, Truckee, CA
8. Casey Puckett, Aspen, CO
Women
1. Julia Murray, Canada
2. Anik Demers-Wild, Canada
3. Magdalena Jonsson, Sweden
4. Jenny Owens, Austria
5. Michelle Greig, New Zealand
-
6. Langely McNeal, Ketchum, ID
Team Takes Audis to the Ice
ARE, Sweden (March 9) - U.S. Freestyle Ski Team athletes wrapped up a successful
moguls weekend in Are, Sweden with some ice driving on a frozen lake. Team members
including Kayla Snyderman (Winchester, MA), who was on the podium a day earlier, and
her teammates got behind the wheel of an Audi to test the performance of the cars and
have some fun.
"Everyone enjoyed their time on the track and especially enjoyed driving the Audis," said
Moguls Coach Garth Hager, a former national Team athlete. "It was a great day-off
activity. As always the crew got competitive. It was also Kayla Snyderman's first
experience driving a manual transmission. She did surprisingly well."
Team members were especially impressed with Audi's ESP electronic traction control. "It
really controls the car when you slide and allows you to follow the track," said World
Championship medalist Michelle Roark. ""I wish I had one!"
As much as they were impressed with the ESP feature, most of the athletes liked sliding
around a bit more. "Obviously driving with the ESP disengaged was a bit more exciting on
the ice," laughed Hager. "But we all saw the clear advantage for safe, effective snow
driving with it was in use. Thanks to Audi for letting us experience the A6 sedan on the
ice track here in Are."
Among the U.S. Ski Team athletes participating were Roark, Snyderman, Dave Babic
(Washington, VT, Emiko Torito (Denver), Jillian Vogtli (Elicotville, NY), Jimmy Discoe
(Ridgway, CO), Pat Deneen (Cle Elum, WA), Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT), Landon Gardner
(Missoula, MT), and Shelly Robertson (Reno, NV),
It was a productive weekend on the nearby competition hill, too. Along with Snyderman,
Torito scored her third straight podium. And Nate Roberts (Park City, UT) was second for
the second straight week.
The team now heads for Valmalenco, Italy for this week's final moguls event of the
season. They are in Park City, UT later in March for the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships.
Kerr Eighth in World Cup Ski Cross
MEIRINGEN-HASLIBERG, Switzerland (March 9) - Errol Kerr (Truckee, CA) posted his best
World Cup finish to date, coming in eighth in a ski cross competition in Switzerland
Sunday. Jake Fiala (Copper Mountain, CO) tied his season's best, coming in immediately
behind Kerr in ninth.
"This race was more of an open track similar to what you would see in North America. It's
more of a glide track. Errol is really good at gliding and handling the terrain real subtly,"
said Head Coach Tyler Shepherd. "He did really well in the qualifying and that set him up
for some good lane choices. He had some terrible starts but he did ski well all day, it's
just a matter of getting his starts better."
Lars Lewen won his second consecutive ski cross competition, marking his second win of
the season. World Cup champion Tomas Kraus of the Czech Republic finished third.
Canadian Stanley Hayer posted his fourth podium of the season, finishing second.
World Cup champion Ophelie David of France won the women's competition. Sasa Faric of
Slovenia finished second. No U.S. women competed.
The FIS Freestyle World Cup now heads to Valmalenco, Italy for finals March 12-16, but
the U.S. skiers are headed back to compete in the Jeep King of the Mountain event in Sun
Valley, ID.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland - March 9, 2008
Ski cross
Men
1. Lars Lewen, Sweden
2. Stanley Hayer, Canada
3. Tomas Kraus, Czech Republic
4. Christopher Delbosco, Canada
5. Audun Groenvold, Norway
-
8. Errol Kerr, Truckee, CA
9. Jake Fiala, Copper Mountain, CO
22. Jean Christophe Rudigoz, Ketchum, ID
39. Lloyd Tucker, Carbondale, CO
Women
1. Ophelie David, France
2. Sasa Faric, Slovenia
3. Gro Kvinlog, Norway
4. Julia Murray, Canada
5. Jenny Owens, Austria
Snyderman Third in Are Duals
ARE, Sweden (March 8) - Kayla Snyderman (Winchester, MA) was on the podium again for
the U.S. Ski Team Saturday, finishing third in a dual moguls World Cup in Are, Sweden.
Michelle Roark (Denver) was fourth. Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT) qualified first and had a
career best fifth.
Japan's Aiko Uemura won her fourth straight over Czech Nikola Sudova to clinch the
World Cup title. Dmitriy Reiherd of Kazhakstan upset World Cup champion Dale
Begg-Smith of Australia to take the men's victory.
Second Podium for Rookie Snyderman
It was Snyderman's second podium of the year - her first full-time season on the World
Cup. The Waterville Valley skier was third in individual moguls at Lake Placid in January.
"Kayla did a great job today," said Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles. "She had a few
weeks in a row where she struggled a little bit so it was great she put it together today.
She skied consistently and was a lot faster today than in the individual moguls yesterday.
"She also had to ski two of her teammates today," added Rawles. "She had a close duel
with Emiko [Torito, Denver] in the round of 16 and took on the reigning world champion
Kristi Richards in the quarter finals. She skied against some big hitters today."
The U.S. Ski Team had packed six skiers into the 16-skier finals. Snyderman started out in
the finals drawing teammate Torito, who has a three-event podium string. Snyderman
advanced to then knock off Richards in quarterfinals before losing to Sudova in the semis.
Snyderman came back to win the third place round over Roark.
"Both she and Michelle skied well," added Rawles. "In fact, that was one of the better
duals of the day. I think Kayla just nipped her on the speed."
World Junior Champ Wilson Scores Career Best
Wilson, out of the Wasatch Freestyle program, was knocked off by Reiherd in the
quarterfinals, but came back to finish a career best fifth. The 2007 NorAm Cup and World
Junior Champion led qualifying for the first time.
"Bryon did a great job, qualifying number one - best qualifying ever," said Rawles. "He
battled some injuries early in the season and I think he's starting to get his health back
and with it is his confidence. He was tenth yesterday, which was his second top-10 of the
year. So he's starting to build that confidence back. He just went a little bit too big on his
top air in the quarterfinals."
Are Showcases Great Event Weekend
Rawles had kudos for event organizers in Are, which was site of last year's FIS Alpine
World Ski Championships. One of the highlights of that event was a night freestyle
exhibition. It had been nearly 20 years since the last freestyle World Cup on the central
Sweden mountain.
"They really did an awesome job here with the event, certainly one of our best of the
year," added Rawles. "And it was especially nice to come to the hometown of our coach
Lasse Fahlen and take home some podiums. It meant a lot to him."
The moguls World Cup circuit wraps up next Wednesday in Valmalenco, Italy.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
Are, Sweden - March 8, 2008
Dual Moguls
Men (16 make finals)
1. Dmitriy Reiherd, Kazhakstan
2. Dale Begg-Smith, Australia
3. Vincent Marquis, Canada
4. Rusian Sharifullin, Russia
5. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT
-
7. Patrick Deneen, Cle Elum, WA
10. Jimmy Discoe, Ridgway, CO
40. LandonGardner, Missoula, MT
42. David Babic, Washington, VT
45. Nate Roberts, Park City, UT
Women (16 make finals)
1. Aiko Uemura, Japan
2. Nikola Sudova, Czech Republic
3. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, MA
4. Michelle Roark, Denver
5. Kristi Richards, Canada
-
8. Shelly Robertson, Reno, NV
9. Jillian Vogtli, Elicotville, NY
11. Emiko Torito, Denver
15. Heather McPhie, Park City, UT
Cook Leads USA in Aerial Finale
DAVOS, Switzerland (March 7) - The U.S. Ski Team's Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) came back
from her first career win last weekend in Moscow to finish fourth in a World Cup aerial
event in Davos. Scotty Bahrke (Park City, UT) was sixth with a career best score in the
FIS Freestyle World Cup aerial finale. Thousands were on hand for the night event in the
popular resort of Davos in eastern Switzerland.
Canada's Steve Omischl, who had clinched the title in Moscow last Saturday night, won
his sixth event of the season. Evelyne Leu of Switzerland took the win in her home
country as World Cup champion Jacqui Cooper of Australia failed to make finals.
"Cooker was just a little stiff on her landing on the second jump," said Aerials Head
Coach Matt Christensen. Cook went with a full-double full on her first jump (two flips,
three twists) and lowered her degree of difficulty on the second jump to a full-full (two
flips, two twists).
Teammate Jaime Myers (Boise, ID) hit a "massive lay-full" on her second jump to move up
from tenth to seventh.
Bahrke failed to match his career best fifth place, but the 2007 World Cup Rookie of the
Year did set a new personal best score with 230.92.
The World Cup coaches voted U.S. Ski Team aerialist Allison Treleaven (Fort Wayne, IN)
as Rookie of the Year. Treleaven, a first year World Cup skier, was top-10 in her first
career World Cup in Lake Placid in January. She also won the NorAm Cup aerial title.
"This is a great honor for Allison," said Christensen. "She did a fabulous job in her rookie
season."
Davos was the final stop on the World Cup aerial circuit. Moguls skiers are back in action
Saturday in Are, Sweden with a dual moguls event, with ski cross action in
Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland. The World Cup wraps up next week with moguls and ski
cross in Valmalenco, Italy.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
Davos, Switzerland - March 7, 2008
Moguls
Men
1. Steve Omischl, Canada, 253.96
2. Warren Shouldice, Canada, 250.75
3. Dmitri Dashinski, Belarus, 250.47
4. Andreas Isoz, Switzerland, 238.44
5. Renato Ulrich, Switzerland, 237.89
-
6. Scotty Bahrke, Park City, UT, 230.92
8. Ryan St. Onge, Winter Park, CO, 225.30
Women
1. Evelyne Leu, Switzerland, 207.14
2. Lydia Lassila, Australia, 198.62
3. Alla Tsuper, Belarus, 182.83
4. Emily Cook, Belmont, MA, 161.41
5. Olga Volkova, Ukraine, 160.52
-
7. Jaime Myers, Boise, ID, 143.83
8. Jana Lindsey, Black Hawk, SD, 142.91
Roberts, Torito 2-3 in World Cup Moguls
ARE, Sweden (March 7) - Nate Roberts (Park City, UT) finished second, repeating his
performance from last weekend, in a World Cup moguls competition Friday in Are. Emiko
Torito (Denver) was third for her third consecutive event.
"It was good. I've had a rough year according to my standards and how I've competed in
the last couple of years, but it's definitely a marathon and not a sprint," Roberts said.
"Having a decent finish in Japan helped my confidence. I'm just getting out there and
skiing the way I know how. If I do that it works out well."
Roberts, who was second at the Czech Republic World Cup last Saturday, threw a back
full and a back flip-X - which means he crossed his skis while doing his trick - to land his
podium spot. Olympic champion Dale Begg-Smith of Australia won, putting him 91 points
over France's Guilbaut Colas in the World Cup moguls standings.
"It was a little bit of a rollercoaster ride at the beginning of the season and now Nate's
got confidence and that means a lot in any sport," said Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles.
"He's trusting himself and getting after it. He laid down a great run and did awesome"
Roberts, who moved up to fourth in the World Cup standings, led four U.S. men into the
top 10 including rookie Jimmy Discoe (Ridgway, CO) who's seventh-place finish was his
career best.
Torito also led four U.S. athletes into the top 10 including Shelly Robertson (Reno, NV) in
fifth and Michelle Roark (Denver) in eighth. Both also have had top-3 results this season.
Torito threw a 360-degree helicopter off the top jump and a back flip-X off the bottom to
place third.
"This is the most consistent I've ever been. I feel like I'm starting to build some
confidence and every time I do well it grows," Torito said. "It would be cool to be first or
second but I feel happy with any World Cup podium. It's my first year making regular
podiums and it feels good."
"She's got a lot of confidence going with her skiing right now. In her finals run, she made
a little mistake coming out of the top jump, but she charged after that and that's what got
her on the podium," Rawles said. "When people make mistakes, a lot of times they think
their run is over. Instead of doing that, Emiko charged and ended up in third."
Aiko Uemura of Japan won the women's competition to make it her third consecutive win
since competing in her homeland at Inawashiro, Japan. Uemura also extended her lead in
the World Cup standings over the Czech Republic's Nikola Sudova, who finished fourth, by
83 points.
The FIS Freestyle World Cup continues Saturday in Are, Sweden, with men's and women's
dual moguls.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
Are, SWE - March 7, 2008
Moguls
Men
1. Dale Begg-Smith, Australia, 25.94
2. Nate Roberts, Park City, UT, 25.88
3. Dmitriy Reiherd, Kazakhstan, 25.47
4. Osamu Ueno, Japan, 24.68
5. Yugo Tsukita, Japan, 24.56
-
7. Jimmy Discoe, Ridgway, CO, 24.22
8. Landon Gardner, Missoula, MT, 23.81
10. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT, 22.43
12. David Babic, Washington, VT, 22.29
48. Patrick Deneen, Cle Elum, WA,
Women
1. Aiko Uemura, Japan, 24.43
2. Kristi Richards, Canada, 23.73
3. Emiko Torito, Denver, 23.00
4. Nikola Sudova, Czech Republic, 22.91
5. Shelly Robertson, Reno, NV, 22.85
-
8. Michelle Roark, Denver, 22.49
9. Heather McPhie, Park City, UT, 21.79
15. Jillian Vogtli, Ellicotville, NY, 18.15
17. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, MA, 20.12
Kerr, Puckett Lead USA in Grindelwald
GRINDELWALD, Switzerland (March 6) - Americans Errol Kerr (Truckee, CA) and Casey
Puckett (Aspen, CO) were among top qualifiers Thursday but were both eliminated in the
opening round of a FIS World Cup ski cross in Grindelwald. Lars Lewen of Sweden won
the men's, with Sasa Faric of Slovenia taking the women's race.
Kerr had qualified fourth but ran into challenges in his quarterfinal heat and did not
advance. Puckett, meanwhile, was hit from behind in his quarterfinal. He was taken to a
local hospital for observation and released.
Lewen's win on the men's side was his first of the season. Kraus, who was disqualified
from the championship round and finished fourth, still had enough points to clinch the
World Cup title.
Women's World Cup leader Ophelie David of France had her three-event win streak
snapped, finishing fifth. She remained in the lead with teammate Meryl Boulangeat
closing the gap in third. No U.S. women competed.
The circuit now heads to Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland for an event Sunday, before
the season finale in Valmalenco, Italy.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
Grindelwald, Switzerland
Ski cross
Men (32 qualify for finals)
1. Lars Lewen, Sweden
2. Davey Barr, Canada
3. Stanley Hayer, Canada
4. Tomas Kraus, Czech Republic
5. Ted Piccard, France
-
18. Errol Kerr, Truckee, CA
20. Casey Puckett, Aspen, CO
38 Jean Christophe Rudigoz, Ketchum, ID
68. Lloyd Tucker, Carbondale, CO
DNF
Jake Fiala, Breckenridge, CO
Women
1. Sasa Faric, Slovenia
2. Emilie Serain, Switzerland
3. Meryl Boulangeat, France
4. Noriko Fukushina, Japan
5. Ophelie David, France
No U.S. women competed
Freestyle Team Promotes Six Athletes
PARK CITY, Utah (March 3) - The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team has promoted six athletes,
including Emiko Torito (Denver) who won her first World Cup in January, Freestyle
Program Director Polly-Jo Clark said.
Two athletes were elevated to the A Team and four, previously on the C Team, moved up
to the B Team. The promotions came following the the conclusion of the traditional
midseason North American World Cup swing.
Named to the A Team were Torito, who won a moguls contest Jan. 18 during the Nature
Valley Freestyle Cup in Lake Placid, NY and World Cup rookie Pat Deneen (Cle Elum, WA),
who produced two podiums, finishing third in each of the Lake Placid moguls events.
Named to the B Team were Landon Gardner (Missoula, MT), who finished second in dual
moguls at the Visa Freestyle International World Cup at Deer Valley Resort in Utah and
Kayla Snyderman (Winchester, MA), who was third in a moguls event at Whiteface
Mountain outside Lake Placid. Also named to the B Team were Bryan Wilson (Butte, MT)
and Jimmy Discoe (Ridgway, CO), who both had top-10 World Cup performances.
"We've had some great performances by young athletes this season, plus a big win for
veteran Emiko Torito," said Clark.
Torito was on the podium again this past weekend, finishing third in dual moguls in
Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic. The moguls skiers now head to Are, Sweden for two
events this weekend, before finishing their schedule in Valmalenco, Italy at the World Cup
Grand Finals.
Roberts, Torito Podium in Dual Moguls
MARIANSKE LAZNE, Czech Republic (March 1) - The U.S. Ski Team's Nate Roberts (Park
City, UT) and Emiko Torito (Denver) skied to the podium Saturday night in dual moguls at
the FIS Freestyle World Cup in Marianske Lazne. Roberts hit his first top three of the year
finishing second, while Torito, a winner in January, was third in the women's event.
France's Guilbaut Colas won, narrowing the gap to World Cup leader Dale Begg-Smith of
Australia to just 15 points with three moguls events remaining. Aiko Uemura of Japan
won her second straight competition and took over the World Cup lead. Torito moved into
fourth in the standings.
Roberts Takes Canadian Route to Finals
Roberts, who qualified fifth, knocked off three consecutive Canadians, including
qualifying leader Alexandre Bilodeau, to make it to the finals. He lost against Colbas, the
winner in the Deer Valley duals a year ago.
"I probably skied my best run of the night [in the finals]," said Roberts, the 2005 moguls
World Champion. "I didn't feel any pressure through the middle and skied very well
against him there. The bottom air you need to take a little right with the conditions as
soft as they are. I went a little straight and almost front-sided the first bump. I had a little
leg slip and that's what cost me."
Roberts got to the finals with a bit of revenge in the semis. "Bilodeau took me out in front
of friends and family at Deer Valley this year so that gave me a little extra fire," said
Roberts. "In duals anything can happen and it was my night."
"Nate's the savvy veteran on the team," said Moguls Coach Garth Hager. "He might have a
bad contest here and there, but he's always in it and you can never count him out of it.
He's always knocking."
Torito Comes Back in Consolation Round
Mistakes in the semifinals cost Torito a shot at the win, losing to Sylvia Kerfoot of
Canada. "I had no idea what Sylvia was doing. I knew I drifted on my bottom air (backflip)
and it wasn't a perfect run," said Torito. "In duals, though, there is always a chance. But I
guess she beat me pretty bad. In my mind I thought I had a chance."
Torito was able to get back on track in the consolation round, taking third with a win over
Alizee Boulangeat of France. "It was a good clean run," she said. "It was pretty smooth,
more so than my semifinal run, so I was very happy with it."
"I would say that she's probably one of our strongest skiers right now," said Hager. "It's
just the fact that she'll ski any course and ski it well. She doesn't question anything.
She's a true skier and has fun doing it."
Weather Tricky but Athletes Adapt
Weather was a big factor for the event, with only a band of thin snow on the course. "It's
been the most interesting World Cup I've been a part of over the past five years," said
Roberts. "The course is the shortest one I've ever skied. The weather - it has been
pouring rain and maybe only six inches of snow on the course. Everybody needed to adapt
and I'm lucky that I came out ahead of the game this week."
Torito shook off the weather problems and was excited about the event. "This is one of
the biggest crowds in Europe," she said. "I was very impressed with the turn-out and the
fans were great. It was a really nice setting as a whole and the town is beautiful. It was
pouring rain and lightning in the morning so we got lucky that it was better in the
afternoon. I'm typically not a duals skier so I have no complaints."
All in all, Hager was pleased with the performance. "Everybody skied pretty well," he said.
"It was an easy course and there were some faults, but nobody said anything about it and
just skied. We had some tough draws and most people skied to their potential. In duals
anything can happen."
The U.S. Ski Team had four women make the final round of 16, with Torito the only one
advancing. Three men made the finals, with only Roberts and Pat Deneen (Cle Elum, WA)
advancing. Deneen lost to the eventual winner Colas in the quarter final.
Tribute by Roberts
The podiums by Roberts and Torito were part of a blockbuster Saturday for U.S. ski and
snowboarding athletes worldwide, including an aerial win in Moscow by Emily Cook
(Belmont, MA), a sweep of snowboardcross in Lake Placid by Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton
Mountain, VT) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) and a podium by cross country
sprinter Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT) in Finland. Like many other athletes, Roberts
saluted the late Paul Robbins, a longtime correspondent for the Team. "I just want to say
to the family at USSA that this goes out to Paul Robbins who passed away last Saturday."
The World Cup moguls circuit now heads north to Are, Sweden for a pair of events next
weekend, before finishing at the World Cup Finals at Valmalenco near Bormio, Italy.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Freestyle World Cup
Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic - March 1, 2008
Dual moguls
Men
1. Guilbaut Colas, France
2. Nate Roberts, Park City, UT
3. Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada
4. Andrey Volkov, Russia
-
8. Pat Denee, Cle Elum, WA
16. Holt Haga, Boise, ID
21. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT
24. David Babic, Washington, VT
25. Jimmy Discoe, Ridgway, CO
42. Landon Gardner, Missoula, MT
Women
1.Aiko Uemura, Japan
2. Sylvia Kerfoot, Canada
3. Emiko Torito, Denver
4. Alizee Boulangeat, France
-
15. Michelle Roark, Denver
16. Shelly Robertson, Reno, NV
18. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, MA
Cook Gets First Win in Moscow
MOSCOW, Russia (March 1) - The U.S. Ski Team's Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) picked up her
first World Cup win Saturday night, flying off a towering scaffold under challenging
weather conditions in downtown Moscow. Tahoe native Scotty Bahrke (Park City, UT)
was fifth for a career best. Over 30,000 spectators were on hand, including Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
Cook, fourth after the first jump, won under the most challenging of conditions when
many of the top World Cup contenders faltered. Heavy winds, low snow and very little
training were all factors. The 2006 Olympian stayed focused and hit two of the best jumps
of her career.
Incredible Feeling of First Win
"This is an incredible feeling," said a jubilant Cook in the finish. "I knew that someday my
first World Cup win would happen. It's really rewarding to go out and perform your best
and be on the top of the podium. I was shocked. Really and truly, you just focus on your
jumps and take it one jump at a time. I was at the bottom and had no idea I had won."
"Emily just did a super job," said U.S. Freestyle Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen. "She did the
absolute best she's ever done - two great jumps in difficult conditions. She clearly had the
two best women's jumps of the night."
Cook went out on her first jump with a full-full, two flips with a twist on each flip. But
knowing that the strong headwinds would continue, Cook and coaches strategized to go
more conservative on the second jump to ensure a podium.
Strategic Decision Leads to Victory
"It was a strategic idea to downgrade her on her second jump just to get a top three,"
said Aerial Coach Matt Christensen. "It turned out perfectly. She jumped perfectly and
just blew everyone away to take the win."
Cook's second jump, a lay-full including two flips with a twist on the second, was
executed nearly perfectly to ensure the win.
"We had a huge headwind all day and not enough inrun speed," said Cook. "We were just
trying to figure out how to get the speed we needed. I had planned on full-double full-full
on the second jump. When I headed up, Matt said we were still on. But at the top, we
decided to be smart and make the wise choice. And it worked.
"And we'll definitely be ready to throw big DD next week!"
It has been a long road for Cook whose quick rise early in her career was cut short with a
horrible accident just prior to the 2002 Olympics. She shattered both feet and ankles
training in Lake Placid. Many surgeries later, she came back to compete in Torino in
2006. But a win had eluded her.
Career Best for Bahrke
Bahrke used a full-double full-full (three flips with four twists) to get into the finals, and
nailed a full-full-full (three flips with three twists) to take fifth. It was a career best,
coming just three weeks after a sixth on the Olympic venue in Vancouver - also under
challenging conditions.
"Man it was crazy here. It was awesome!" said Bahrke. "We have a giant building right
next to us and the crowd was phenomenal.
"The wind was crazy. Currdog [coach Brian Currutt] had to push me from the top and then
I used ski poles to keep up my speed. And we needed two coaches to slingshot Dylan
[Ferguson] down the inrun."
Bahrke got some extra motivation from the crowd. "It was the coolest thing ever, just
looking down and all you can see is lights and heads," he said. "It was definitely the
coolest day of jumping I ever had."
Cook said the size of the crowd and atmosphere didn't sink in until after the competition,
"... which was good. It's absolutely amazing. I'm looking around - we're in downtown
Moscow, there's thousands of people, there's one of the country's best pop bands playing,
the President is here and it's incredible for our sport."
Cook also felt the event in Moscow was somewhat of a turning point for the U.S. aerial
team. "It was especially nice to see everyone come together here," said Cook. "And this
win really shows how our team is starting to rebuild and move towards Vancouver."
The FIS Freestyle World Cup now heads to Davos, Switzerland for the final aerial event of
the season next Friday.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Freestyle World Cup
Moscow, Russia - March 1, 2008
Aerials
Men
1. Steve Omischl, Canada, 240.32
2. Stanislav Kravchuk, Ukraine, 236.45
3. Nicolas Thepaut, France, 226.26
4. Vladimir Lebedev, Russia, 219.33
5. Scotty Bahrke, Park City, UT, 217.71
-
17T. Ryan St. Onge, Winter Park, CO, 84.29
21. Dylan Ferguson, 66.42
Women
1. Emily Cook, Belmont, MA, 160.41
2. Deidra Dionne, Canada, 159.28
3. Xin Zhang, China, 156.51
4. Alla Tsuper, Belarus, 154.88
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