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2008: Success For U.S. Snowboarding
PARK CITY, Utah (April 25) - U.S. Snowboarding had an epic 2008 season with veteran
and rookie riders bringing in top performances. Riders like Nate Holland (Squaw Valley,
CA), Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI), Greg
Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA), Louie Vito (Sandy, UT), Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO),
Michelle Gorgone (Boston) and Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) were just a few to
hit the podium this past year.
"We saw the riders really step it up and succeed this year, which puts us on track for
where we want to be in 2010," said U.S. Snowboarding Program Director Jeremy Forster.
"We have a super talented group of athletes, coaches, technicians, physical trainers and
staff that all work really well together. We're all ready to perform every day. Overall it was
a great year for U.S. Snowboarding."
The highlights of the season include:
-Vito won the overall title at the Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix.
-Holland three-peated and Jacobellis won gold at the X Games.
-The team earned five alpine podiums, the best result since '04.
- Baumgartner, an SBX athlete, and Bretz, a halfpipe rider took home their first World Cup wins.
Halfpipe - Bleiler does it again and again
No stranger to success in the halfpipe, Bleiler was back this past season and ready to
challenge everyone in the pipe. She started the season strong winning the opening Chevy
U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix at Breckenridge, CO. The Breckenridge podium resembled
an Olympic reunion as Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT) and Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT), both
gold medalists, fell in line behind Bleiler.
In January, Bleiler nailed down her status as queen of the halfpipe when she pulled out a
spectacular run of front side 900 melon, back side air, crippler 540, fakey alley-oop, front
side 720 and cab 720 to win her third X Games gold. Earlier in the season, Bleiler made
her mark in ESPN Magazine history by becoming the first action-sports woman to ever
grace the cover.
Meanwhile, Vito went bigger and better in the pipe, making the transition from up and
comer to a force to be reckoned with. Vito started his road to overall Chevy U.S.
Snowboarding Grand Prix champion when he won the halfpipe competition at the
Tamarack, ID, stop of the tour. It was a fierce battle for the title as Vito had to beat out
two exceptionally talented riders, Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO) and Elijah Teter (South
Lake Tahoe, CA), to walk away with the prize. But he was up for the challenge, throwing
down his best tricks in the final stop of the Chevy Grand Prix in Killington, VT where he
not only won the title but also a brand new E85 Ethanol Chevy Avalanche.
Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO) and Ellery Hollingsworth (Stratton, VT) also saw a great deal of
success during the Grand Prix tour. They showed their strength as two of the emerging
female powerhouses with U.S. Snowboarding. Each landed on the podium at the final two
Grand Prix stops.
"Louie, Clair and Ellery have moved up to the pro ranks and have really worked hard to be
in the mix and get on the podium on a consistent basis," said U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe
Head Coach Mike Jankowski. "It's a long haul because the competition is so strong and
the level is so high. It's harder now than ever to be competitive at the pro level."
It was also a year for the rookie thanks to riders like Bretz and Lizzy Beerman (Weston,
VT). Bretz skyrocketed through the ranks by finishing second at two Grand Prix stops,
second on the World Cup, going on to win his first World Cup and finishing second in the
World Cup halfpipe standings. Beerman had an incredible finish when she came in sixth
against a stacked roster in the X Games. She then went on to finish second in the Vans Cup.
"All the young riders are pushing so hard right now that the level of riding is where the
level that the pros were at just a few years ago," Jankowski said. "In turn, that pushes
the pros to raise the bar and it becomes a good process of one pushing the other and visa
versa."
SBX - It's a three-peat for Holland
Holland became the second man since teammate Shaun Palmer (South Lake Tahoe, CA)
to win an incredible three consecutive X Games gold medals in January. Holland had to
beat out some stiff international competition as well as fellow teammate and Olympic
gold medalist Seth Wescott (Carrabassett Valley, ME) to reclaim his X Games
snowboardcross throne. Holland also finished second at an SBX World Cup in Sungwoo,
Korea, the site of the 2009 FIS Snowboard World Championships, before returning to the
states to win the last leg of the Jeep King of the Mountain tour.
"The amount of depth that we have is crazy. We had so many people that were able to get
on the podium and then a big crew right behind them," said U.S. Snowboarding Head
Coach Peter Foley. "On top of that, I think just the results were really great, so I'm really
happy with how our season went."
Jacobellis had no problem reminding everyone that she's the most dominant
snowboardcross athlete on the scene. She kicked the season into high gear from the get
go when she won the World Cup opener in Chile. From there, it was total domination of
the X Games where she beat out an international field for her fourth X Games gold. From
there, Jacobellis had three more World Cup wins to finish second in the snowboardcross
standings, as well as two wins in the Jeep King of the Mountain series.
Palmer made his return to U.S. Snowboarding and it was as though he never left. He took
two Jeep King of the Mountain wins to become the overall series winner and also had a
World Cup second place at the start of the season.
Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) focused more on an enhanced pre-season conditioning
program and won a World Cup in Japan at the end of February. It was Watanabe's second
World Cup win, his first was in Chile in 2004.
Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK) ended the season with a bang, winning the final
leg as well as becoming the overall champion of the Jeep King of the Mountain tour.
The 2008 season also saw the first team SBX event, which was held during the Lake
Placid World Cup at Whiteface Mountain in New York. Jacobellis and Chythlook-Sifsof
were powerhouses in the women's event, winning it outright and taking of their race
jerseys in the finish to reveal that they were wearing the 1980s USA hockey jerseys from
the famed "Miracle on Ice" game where USA beat the Soviet Union.
The event, which made waves with its intense competition and team focus, promises to
become bigger and better in the future.
Alpine - Pulls in the podiums
U.S. Snowboarding's alpine riders had an unprecedented season with four riders bringing
five World Cup podiums to the Team. Gorgone, Justin Reiter (Steamboat Springs, CO), and
Adam Smith (Bend, OR) each had one top-3 finish while Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs,
CO) pulled in two podium finishes.
"I think these guys are starting to get experience and really learn how they work. It takes
experience to know what you can do. You have to have a mental edge and it shows with
the athletes that have won in the past," said U.S. Snowboarding Alpine Head Coach Steve
Persons. "I think these athletes have built their experience over the years and now
they're starting to trust their own abilities."
Smith kicked off the season when he took third at the Soelden, Austria World Cup. Jewell
had the high-water mark for the team with a third place finish in Spain and a second on
home turf at the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup in Lake Placid, NY. Reiter and Gorgone, not
about to end the season without some bling, each were on the podium at the final World
Cup stop of the season in Italy. Gorgone then went on to retain her national PSL title and
also added national parallel giant slalom champion to her resume.
"This season was a building block for the next couple of years," Persons said. "I think we
can take this momentum and build on it to see more success with our athletes."
U.S. Snowboarding will be back this summer with a series of training camps before
competition resumes for the 2009 World Cup season in New Zealand in September. The
2009 season will provide the team the opportunity to earn Olympic quota spots through
various World Cup competitions.
Farrington Second in JWC Halfpipe
VALMALENCO, Italy (March 20) - Kaitlyn Farrington (Bellevue, ID) took her riding to the
next level Thursday as she grabbed silver in halfpipe at the 2008 Snowboard Junior World
Championships in Italy.
Teammate Brooke Shaw (Litchfield, CT) finished sixth in the women's event, which was
won by Sophie Rodriguez of France.
"It was a really fun day. It was great to watch two of our girls get to finals," said U.S.
Snowboarding Program Manager Abbi Nyberg. "Kaitlyn had a great run. She's got the
McTwist down solid. Brooke has made finals at every event she's been at this year, so
that's pretty cool."
In the men's competition, Zac Black (Dillon, CO) led U.S. riders in sixth. Daniel Friberg of
Switzerland won, and Kazuumi Fujita of Japan was second.
"To have Zac Black make finals was great as well," Nyberg said. "It was a bummer,
though as Brennen Swanson had a great run but, he just couldn't land one of his tricks.
That trick could have won the whole thing."
The 2008 Snowboard Junior World Championships concludes Friday with men's and
women's snowboardcross.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 SNOWBOARD JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Valmalenco, Italy - March 20, 2008
Halfpipe
Men
1. Daniel Friberg, Switzerland, 44.5
2. Kazuumi Fujita, Japan, 41.3
3. Keito Kumazski, Japan, 39.5
4. Staale Sandbech, Norway, 36.7
5. Ho-Joon Kim, Korea, 32.9
-
6. Zac Black, Dillon, CO, 32.1
39. Bryan Daino, Edwards, CO, 24.7
40. Brennen Swanson, Stillwater, MN, 24.3
62. Connor Leach, Tannersville, NY, 10.8
Women
1. Sophie Rodriguez, France, 43.1
2. Kaitlyn Farrington, Bellevue, ID, 41.0
3. Linn Haug, Norway, 38.6
4. Queralt Castellet, Spain, 34.1
5. Rana Okada, 29.0
-
6. Brooke Shaw, Litchfield, CT, 19.3
15. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA, 26.0
21. Rose Raevsky, Grand Junction, CO, 21.3
Vito, Clark Win Big at Grand Prix Final
KILLINGTON, Vermont (March 16) - Salt Lake City Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark (West
Dover, VT) and U.S. Snowboarding's Louie Vito (Columbus, OH) rocked the pipe hard to
win the halfpipe competition as well as the overall season titles at the Killington stop of
the Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix Sunday.
Vito threw down a sick front 10, cab 10, front 9, back 9, front 7 to seal the deal on the
day's victory as well as a Chevy Avalanche, which is the sweet ride awarded to the
overall tour champions.
"I'm stoked on the truck. I got beat out of the tie breaker last year so I guess I had to wait
a year but now I have a fresh looking Avalanche and it feels good to get it," Vito said. "I
just wanted to handle it on my first run. I'm happy. It was a good tour and a good season
and now I can chill and enjoy the rest of the winter."
Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA), a soon-to-be snowboarding legend in his own right,
took second in the event with one crucial element broken - his board.
"In practice I kind of broke my board a little bit. In the first run, I broke it a little more and
dropping in on my second run my board was almost broken through to the core," Bretz said.
Even with the major break, Bretz managed to throw down a hot front 9, back 9, air to
fakey, cab 7, front 10 that fired up the crowd.
In the women's competition, golden girl Clark made her act impossible to follow, blowing
it up for her third Grand Prix title with a frontside air, backside 5, frontside 5, backside
air, frontside 7.
"It's great. All my family is here watching and supporting me. It's always nice to do so
well when you're so close to home," said Clark, who's win of the Chevy truck last year led
her to give her new one away to someone special.
"I'm going to give my truck to my dad because I won one last year. My dad really needs a
new car and I think my whole family will be really happy if I give it to him."
U.S. Snowboarding hot shots Ellery Hollingsworth (Stratton, VT) and Clair Bidez (Minturn,
CO) took the second and third-place podiums with ferocious runs that had the ladies
hucking big to box out the women's field.
Hollingsworth put up an air, frontside 7, cab 7, frontside 5, backside 5, frontside air, to
make her mark in second.
"It feels good to be doing so well and getting better at each contest," Hollingsworth said.
"I've been traveling with Kelly Clark quite a bit in the last month and it just helps a lot
riding with her because she rides awesome. It helps me because I'm just riding at her
level and trying to get up there."
Earlier Sunday morning, select athletes participated in the Paul Mitchell Progression
Session, which featured a world class slopestyle laid out with two double rail options and
a jump line with four jumps, with each one getting progressively bigger.
Janne Korpi won the men's session and Claudia Fliri of Austria won the women's session.
U.S. Snowboarding is off to Stratton, VT, to compete in the Burton Open before closing
out its season.
"The team absolutely performed so well tonight. It's been a long week and a long season
but we made it through to March," U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Mike
Jankowski said. "Everyone was able to throw down the run that they were here to throw
down and that's what we come to do everywhere we go."
The event closed the curtains on a season of epic halfpipe competition at the Chevy U.S.
Snowboarding Grand Prix, but with next year comes a new tour, perfectly seasoned
veterans, and a fresh crop of riders to watch.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 CHEVY U.S. SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX
Killington, VT - March 16, 2008
Halfpipe
Men
1. Louie Vito, Columbus, OH, 45.40
2. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 44.20
3. Peetu Piiroinen, Finland, 43.90
Women
1. Kelly Clark, West Dover, VT, 46.40
2. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 43.60
3. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 39.90
Gorgone, Reiter on PGS Podium
VALMALENCO, Italy (March 15) - U.S. Snowboarding picked up two podiums in the final
World Cup of the season Saturday. Michelle Gorgone (Boston) had a career best Saturday
finishing second in the parallel giant slalom finale in Valmalenco. Justin Reiter
(Steamboat Springs, CO) was third in men's.
"I'm just happy as I had a rough season. It seemed that it was getting worse since the
Olympics," Gorgone said. "It's cool to get a good result at the end of the season. I hope I
continue like this in the next one. It was kind of my day. My coaches said that I could do
it and it just worked out."
In the women's competition, Anke Karstens of Germany finished first and Claudia Riegler,
who was third in the PGS snowboard World Cup standings, finished third.
In the men's heats, Reiter experienced a career high when he finished third. Matthew
Morison of Canada won, followed by Roland Fischnaller of Italy in second.
In the final men's PGS standings, Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) led U.S. riders in
ninth with 3,570 points. Reiter was 20th with 1,849, Adam Smith (Bend, OR) was 21st with
1,828, Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) was 25th at 1,116 points, and Zac Kay (Mount Shasta, CA)
was 31st with 621 points.
Women's PGS standings wrapped up with Gorgone in 20th with 1,579 points, and Erica
Mueller (Steamboat Springs, CO) in 34th with 718.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 NOKIA SNOWBOARD FIS WORLD CUP
Valmalenco, Italy - March 15, 2008
Parallel Giant Slalom
Men
1. Matthew Morrison, Canada
2. Roland Fischnaller, Italy
3. Justin Reiter, Steamboat Springs, CO
4. Andreas Prommegger, Austria
5. Mathieu Bozzetto, France
-
6. Tyler Jewell, Steamboat Springs, CO
17. Chris Klug, Aspen, CO
21. Vic Wild, White Salmon, WA
30. Adam Smith, Bend, OR
33. Zac Kay, Mount Shasta, CA
Women
1. Anke Karstens, Germany
2. Michelle Gorgone, Boston
3. Claudia Riegler, Austria
4. Alexandra Jekova, Bulgaria
5. Ekaterina Tudegesheva, Russia
-
30. Erica Mueller, Steamboat Springs, CO
Holland, Chythlook-Sifsof Win Big at JKOM
SUN VALLEY, Idaho (March 14) - U.S. Snowboarding's Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA)
and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK) railed through an incredible day of intense
snowboardcross heats to win the last leg of the Jeep King of the Mountain tour in Sun
Valley, ID Friday.
Shaun Palmer (South Lake Tahoe, CA) and Chythlook-Sifsof were also named the overall
winners of the tour, which earned them the keys to a new Jeep.
Three-peat X Games gold medalist Holland said that he couldn't have picked a better way
to end an already epic season.
"It feels amazing. To win the last event of the year leaves such a good taste in my mouth
for the summer. It's motivation to keep going, keep doing well and keep rocking," Holland
said. "I had a great season with the X Games win, the Jeep win, a Jeep second and a
World Cup second. I needed this to make it a good season."
Snowboarding icon Palmer finished second and the other half of the Holland brothers dual
threat, Pat Holland (Tahoe City, CA), finished third in what was regarded as one of the
most exciting battles SBX has seen this season. There was not one clear leader in the
competition until the very end with each of the four men on the course taking the lead at
different intervals.
"It was a battle for sure," Nate Holland said. "I made the pass right where I needed to at
the finish and killed it."
Palmer, who won the first two stops of the tour, was happy to become the overall tour winner.
"It feels great to be the overall winner this year. I'm using it as a stepping-stone. I've got
a lot of confidence and plan on using it to get to the Olympics in the next two years,"
Palmer said. "I wanted to play smart. I won two and came in second in one and I'm the
overall champ. I'm the king of the mountain."
Building off of strong intensity and skill she earned this season, Chythlook-Sifsof kicked it
into high gear to win the competition and the overall Jeep champion title in Sun Valley.
"I pretty much can't talk right now. I am so in euphoria and I don't think I'm going to come
off this high for a long time," Chythlook-Sifsof said. "I had a stomach ache at the bottom
of the course because I was just so excited and happy.
"I just wanted to race as best as I could and go as far as I could take myself. I just didn't
think about results, went riding my own ride, and I'm glad it worked out."
The Sun Valley Jeep King of the Mountain is the last major SBX competition of the 2008 season.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
JEEP KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
Sun Valley, ID - March 14, 2008
Snowboardcross
Men
1. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA
2. Shaun Palmer, South Lake Tahoe, CA
3. Pat Holland, Tahoe City, CA
Women
1. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK
2. Lynn Neil, Stateline, NY
3. Joanie Anderson, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Snowboarding World Cup Kicks Off With SBX
VALMALENCO, Italy (March 13) - Mateusz Ligocki of Poland brought his country home its
first World Cup snowboardcross victory Thursday during the 2008 Nokia Snowboard FIS
World Cup Finals.
Ligocki made his way to a historic win by beating out SBX World Cup champion Pierre
Vaultier of France, who finished in second. U.S. Snowboarding's Jason Smith (Durango,
CO) finished 33rd.
In the women's competition, Sandra Frei of Switzerland won, followed by Bulgarian
Alexandra Jekova in second and Dominique Maltais of Canada in third. Women's SBX
World Cup champion Maelle Ricker of Canada finished 11th.
The 2008 Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup Finals continues Friday with a big air competition.
No U.S. women competed.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 NOKIA SNOWBOARD FIS WORLD CUP FINALS
Valmalenco, ITA - March 13, 2008
Snowboardcross
Men
1. Mateusz Ligocki, Poland
2. Pierre Vaultier, France
3. Vincent Valery, France
4. Radoslav Zidek, Slovakia
5. Oeystein Wallin, Norway
-
33. Jason Smith, Durango, CO
Women
1. Sandra Frei, Switzerland
2. Alexandra Jekova, Bulgaria
3. Dominique Maltais, Canada
4. Helene Olafsen, Norway
5. Diane Thermoz Liaudy
Grand Prix Wraps Up in Killington March 15th & 16th
KILLINGTON, Vermont (March 11) - With the overall title on the line, a brand new Chevy
truck and a mountain of pride at stake, the Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix is pulling
in to its final tour stop in Killington, Vermont. With ample talent ready to charge to the top
of the podium, the competition will be hot March 15-16.
WCSN.com will have LIVE webcasting of the Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix from
Killington. NBC and Versus also will broadcast the competition. (See detailed schedule below.)
"It's a new venue with a lot of talented athletes and a lot on the line. You combine those
three factors and it's going to be an exciting event," said Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand
Prix Tour Director Eric Webster. "We're excited to be going to Killington."
U.S. Snowboarding powerhouses have stacked the list of competitors in Killington. Elijah
Teter (South Lake Tahoe, CA), who's leading the Grand Prix standings, will be battling it
out to win the overall. Ohio native Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) who won the Tamarack stop of
the Grand Prix, two-time X Games gold medalist Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO), and
Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA), who's on fire following his first World Cup win in
Quebec, will all be in the hunt to overtake Teter.
U.S. femme fatales Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT), who leads the women's overall standings
and could be in for her fourth Grand Prix title, Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO), who was second
at the Tamarack Grand Prix, Ellery Hollingsworth (Stratton, VT), who nabbed fourth place
in the 2008 World Superpipe Championships, and Lizzy Beerman (Weston, VT), who took
second at the 2008 Vans Cup, will also be tearing it up in the pipe.
"The team is looking strong and ready. This is definitely the crux of our season. With the
truck on the line there are several people who are looking to win it and there are others
who are looking to get that first podium of the season," said U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe
Head Coach Mike Jankowski. "It's an important event to everybody."
Killington will also host the Paul Mitchell Progression Session slopestyle competition that
will take a male and female winner from the best of two runs on a six feature world class
slopestyle laid out with two double rail options and a jump line with four jumps, with each
one getting progressively bigger.
The Killington Chevy Grand Prix stop will also be used as a five-star stop on the Swatch
Ticket To Ride World Snowboard Tour. This will give riders who have been competing at
other TTR stops one of their last chances to accumulate points to win the TTR overall
world title.
"I think the combination of this being the final stop, the award of the overall series
champion and the Five Star TTR event, there's a lot on the line," Webster said. "It brings
different athletes that typically wouldn't compete in the Grand Prix. It brings a higher
level of competition."
Killington Competition Schedule:
(All times MT, unless otherwise indicated)
Saturday, March 15
9:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Men's halfpipe qualifiers
2:00 - 3:30 p.m., Women's halfpipe qualifiers
7:00 - 9:00 p.m., Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix - Halfpipe finals
Sunday, March 16
1:30 - 2:30 p.m., Paul Mitchell Progression Session
Broadcast Schedule:
The Chevy Grand Prix boasts one of the best broadcast packages for competitive
snowboarding. If you can't make it in-person to Killington, you have several options to
tune-in to all the action.
LIVE webcasting of the Grand Prix halfpipe competition will be available on WCSN.com.
And NBC, the Olympic network, and Versus also will have all the action coming from the
Killington Chevy Grand Prix.
Saturday, March 15, 7:00 p.m. ET on WCSN.com
Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix halfpipe finals, Killington, VT
Sunday, March 23, 3:00 p.m. ET on Versus
Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix halfpipe finals, Killington, VT
Sunday, March 23, 4:00 p.m. ET on Versus
Paul Mitchell Progression Session, Killington, VT
Saturday, March 29, 2:00 p.m. ET on NBC
Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix halfpipe finals, Killington, VT
Bretz Grabs First World Cup Win
STONEHAM, Quebec (March 9) - Snowboarding prodigy Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA),
who's so hot he's been lighting the halfpipe on fire since he landed on the scene, grabbed
his first career World Cup win Sunday in Quebec.
Bretz threw down a huge run composed of a frontside 900, backside 540, air to fakey, cab
7, frontside 7 to win the pipe competition.
"It feels amazing. I was definitely surprised. I wasn't planning on winning," Bretz said.
"You just have to ride and have fun and not let it get to your head."
"We're really proud of Greg. He has a streak of podiums going and he made his way up
here to Stoneham and got himself a win," said U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach
Mike Jankowski. "You only get your first win once, and it's a special time. It's a
confidence and momentum builder and things are rolling along in an absolutely
phenomenal way for Greg.
"We all knew he had it in him and I don't think he realized it till he got out there and
started competing."
The win boosted Bretz to second place in the World Cup halfpipe standings, just behind
Louri Podladtchikov of Switzerland, who finished fourth in the competition.
"The overall of each series comes into play as you understand the series more. I don't
think he thought he'd get in the top two of the standings," Jankowski said. "He just takes
it one project at a time and focuses on the day and hopefully success comes through that."
Bretz hit the World Cup halfpipe circuit thisJanuary, and after only four competitions, he
has two podiums and one win under his belt.
"It's happening quickly for Greg. It's great when the momentum is going in your direction.
You can just ride that wave and relax once you know you can do it," Jankowski said.
In the women's halfpipe, U.S. Snowboarding rookie Kaitlyn Farrington (Bellevue, ID) led
U.S. riders in 12th. Manuela Laura Pesko of Switzerland, who leads the women's World
Cup halfpipe standings, won.
"You can't win them all. You don't necessarily need to be on the podium to improve,"
Jankowski said. "I think our ladies learned something this week, and they're going to take
that with them in their quest to get on the podium."
U.S. Snowboarding is headed back to the States to compete in the Chevy U.S.
Snowboarding Grand Prix in Killington, VT March 15-16.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 NOKIA SNOWBOARD FIS WORLD CUP
Stoneham, QUE - March 9, 2008
Halfpipe
Men
1. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 47.1
2. Brad Martin, Canada, 45.3
3. Nathan Johnstone, Austria, 43.7
4. Louri Podladtchikov, Switzerland, 42.8
5. Jeff Batchelor, Canada, 41.0
-
9. Tommy Czeschin, Mammoth Lakes, CA
31. Matt Ladley, Steamboat Springs, CO, 21.2
Did not start - Broc Waring, Edwards, CO
Women
1. Manuela Laura Pesko, Switzerland, 39.4
2. Sarah Conrad, Canada, 37.9
3. Queralt Castellet, Spain, 36.5
4. Jiayu Liu, China, 34.9
5. Mercedes Nicoll, Canada, 34.8
-
12. Kaitlyn Farrington, Bellevue, ID, 30.7
14. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA, 28.5
18. Lizzy Beerman, Weston, VT, 27.4
Hollingsworth Fourth in Super Pipe
PARK CITY, Utah (March 8) - U.S. Snowboarding's Ellery Hollingsworth (Stratton, VT) had
a great day in the pipe, finishing fourth at the 2008 World Super Pipe Championships at
Park City Mountain Resort Saturday.
X Games silver medalist Torah Bright of Australia won the women's competition, followed
by Chevy U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix points leaders Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT) in second.
The men's competition was won by none other than 2006 Olympic champion Shaun White
(Carlsbad, CA). Mason Aguirre (Mammoth Lakes, CA) followed White in second.
U.S. Snowboarding's Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) took sixth place in the pipe with a front 10,
cab 10, front 9, back 9.
"I really enjoyed riding at Park City. It was nice to be home and sleep in my own bed,"
Vito said. "The pipe was firm - not too soft and not too hard - and it held up all day.
Everyone was going really big today."
Snowboarders now head to Killington, VT for the final stop of the Chevy U.S.
Snowboarding Grand Prix March 15-16 where the overall champion will be crowned for
the season. Clark, who has won the title three times ('01, '02, '07), is leadings the
women's standings and U.S. Snowboarding's Elijah Teter (South Lake Tahoe, CA) is
leading the men's.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 World Super Pipe Championships
Park City, UT - March 8, 2008
Halfpipe
Men
1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 93.00
2. Mason Aguirre, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 90.33
3. Janne Korpi, Finland, 85.33
4. Luke Mitrani, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 85.00
5. Keir Dillon, East Stroudsburg, PA, 81.33
-
6. Louie Vito, Columbus, OH/Sandy, UT, 79.00
Women
1. Torah Bright, Australia, 96.67
2. Kelly Clark, West Dover, VT, 93.00
3. Soko Yamaoka, Japan, 85.00
4. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 79.33
5. Sophie Rodriguez, France, 71.00
Jewell Seventh in Quebec World Cup
STONEHAM, Quebec (March 8) - U.S. Snowboarding's Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs,
CO) led his teammates, finishing seventh in a World Cup parallel giant slalom Saturday in Quebec.
"Tyler did well. He went up against Bozzetto [Mathieu; France] again and ended up taking
him out in the first round and for Tyler, he was pretty excited about that," said Alpine
Head Coach Steve Persons. "I think he might have relaxed a bit after that and he used a
lot of energy on beating Bozzetto and that's when Prommegger [Andreas; Austria] ended
up getting him."
Austrian Benjamin Karl, who currently leads the World Cup standings, won the men's
race, followed by Andreas Prommegger, also of Austria, who sits third in the standings.
Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) followed Jewell, posting his best parallel giant slalom World Cup
result this season in 16th.
"It was good to see Klug get in there in the finals too," Persons said. "We got him not
thinking so much and just letting it rip. Overall I think it was a fairly challenging slope."
Michelle Gorgone (Boston) led U.S. women in 20th in a competition won by Nicolien
Sauerbreij of the Netherlands.
"We've been working with Michelle and trying to get her a bit more aggressive and not be
so round," Persons said. "In her first run she was out quite a bit, and in her second run we
had her taking a more aggressive line and it was working for her but she ended up falling
on her side and she lost a lot of time."
The 2008 Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup concludes Sunday with men's and women's halfpipe.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 NOKIA SNOWBOARD FIS WORLD CUP
Stoneham, QUE - March 8, 2008
Parallel Giant Slalom
Men
1. Benjamin Karl, Austria
2. Andreas Prommegger, Austria
3. Matthew Morison, Canada
4. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
5. Simon Schoch, Switzerland
-
7. Tyler Jewell, Steamboat Springs, CO
16. Chris Klug, Aspen, CO
19. Zac Kay, Mount Shasta, CA
24. Adam Smith, Bend, OR
31. Justin Reiter, Steamboat Springs, CO
38. Vic Wild, White Salmon, WA
Women's
1. Nicolien Sauerbreij, Netherlands
2. Ekaterina Tudegesheva, Russia
3. Doris Guenther, Austria
4. Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli, Switzerland
5. Anke Karstens, Germany
-
20. Michelle Gorgone, Boston
35. Erica Mueller, Steamboat Springs, CO
Jacobellis Takes Another World Cup Win
STONEHAM, Quebec (March 7) - Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), illustrating
once again why she is the most dominant force in snowboarding, took home her fourth
World Cup win of the season during a snowboardcross competition Friday in Stoneham.
"It felt great to win another World Cup. This course was very short so you had to get your
passing done and get out in front really quickly because you could run out of track to
make any passes," Jacobellis said. "I felt really good going into this contest. I'm feeling
really confident."
Jacobellis' win extended her lead in the overall World Cup standings and put her within
150 points of snowboardcross World Cup leader Maelle Ricker, who finished second, in
the SBX World Cup.
"Lindsey was riding great. She was super confident and had really good starts," said
Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley. "She was getting an early lead and keeping it."
Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK) followed Jacobellis in seventh place, building her
momentum and posting her second best finish of the season.
"In the first round with Lindsey, Callan had a great run and she was able to ride her pace
for a while, so that was awesome," Foley said. "She needs some work in the roller
section. She was slow in one and that's where she got passed. Otherwise, she could have
gone into the big final."
In the men's competition, Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, MA) led U.S. riders in 10th, followed
by Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) in 11th.
"There was some bad luck, really. We had seven guys in the final, so we qualified fine, but
the course is so short. It really took a hole shot to win it," Foley said. "Nate had a run
where he was able to make a pass, but it was one of the only ones we saw all day.
Graham [Watanabe; Sun Valley, ID] and Baum [Nick Baumgartner; Iron River, MI] had
alright starts, but they ran into each other. It just didn't go our way."
World Cup snowboardcross leader Pierre Vaultier of France won the men's competition,
leading a French sweep of the podium.
The snowboardcross team now heads to Sun Valley, ID, for the last leg of the Jeep King
of the Mountain tour March 14-16.
"I've never been to Sun Valley before, and I'm hearing great things about the course. It's
being slowly put together and that's always good when they start building the course that
far ahead of time because it means that they're really passionate," Jacobellis said.
Foley echoed Jacobellis, saying, "Everyone's excited to go to Sun Valley. We heard it's a
great course and we're looking forward to it."
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 NOKIA SNOWBOARD FIS WORLD CUP
Stoneham, QUE - March 7, 2008
Snowboardcross
Men
1. Pierre Vaultier, France
2. Paul Henri De Le Rue, France
3. Vincent Valery, France
4. Robert Fagan, Canada
5. Michal Novotny, Czech Republic
-
10. Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, MA
11. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA
20. Pat Holland, Tahoe City, CA
21. Seth Wescott, Carrabassett Valley, ME
22. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID
24. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI
32. Jason Smith, Durango, CO
33. Alex Deibold, Manchester Center, VT
Women
1. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT
2. Maelle Ricker, Canada
3. Mellie Francon, Switzerland
4. Helene Olafsen, Norway
5. Dominique Maltais, Canada
-
7. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK
15. Brooke Shaw, Litchfield, CT
18. Kim Krahulec, Silverthorne, CO
Jewell Second in Lake Placid World Cup
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (March 3) - U.S. Snowboarding's Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO)
made it to his second career World Cup podium Monday in sunny Lake Placid. Jewell took
home second place in a parallel giant slalom at the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup.
"This was great. My family's here and so are my nephews. I wanted to get them here to
see this so that they can start snowboarding too," Jewell said. "It's just great to be here
on my home turf."
Originally from Massachusetts, Jewell's second place finish moved him up four spots to
ninth in the World Cup parallel standings. He was the only U.S. athlete to make it into the
quarterfinals. Mathieu Bozzetto of France, who leads the standings, won, and Benjamin
Karl of Austria, who sits second in the standings, was third.
"Bozzetto was the winner of the qualifier and he was really strong coming into the finals,
and sure enough, watching Tyler, I thought if anyone was going to beat Bozzetto it was
going to be Tyler," said Alpine Head Coach Steve Persons. "He had the shot to do it, but
he let it get to his head that Bozzetto is a legend in the sport."
Svetlana Boldikove of Russia won the women's races, beating out World Cup leader
Nicolien Sauerbreij, who came in seventh. Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli of Switzerland was
second and Austrian Heidi Neururer anchored the podium in third. No U.S. women made
finals including Michelle Gorgone (Boston) who narrowly missed the top-16 finals when
she qualified 18th.
It was a big weekend for U.S. Snowboarding athletes at the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup.
Saturday, Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River,
MI) swept the World Cup SBX. Jacobellis came back Sunday to pair with teammate Callan
Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK) to win an exhibition Team SBX event.
World Cup snowboarding continues March 7-9 in Stoneham, QUE with halfpipe,
snowboardcross and parallel giant slalom.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 VISA U.S. SNOWBOARDING CUP
Whiteface Mountain
Lake Placid, N.Y. - March 3, 2008
Parallel Giant Slalom
(16 made finals)
Men
1. Mathieu Bozzetto, France
2. Tyler Jewell, Steamboat Springs, CO
3. Benjamin Karl, Austria
4. Zan Kosir, Slovenia
5. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
-
9. Adam Smith, Bend, OR
15. Justin Reiter, Steamboat Springs, CO
22. Vic Wild, White Salmon, WA
24. Zach Kay, Mount Shasta, CA
31. Benjamin Fairchild, Kirkland, WA
36. Joshua Wylie, Londonderry, VT
37. Ryan McDonald, Entiat, WA
49. Dustin Sysko, Boulder, CO
Women
1. Svetlana Boldikove, Russia
2. Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli, Switzerland
3. Heidi Neururer, Austria
4. Claudia Riegler, Austria
5. Doris Guenther, Austria
-
22. Michelle Gorgone, Boston
25. Ani Stump, E. Wenatchee, WA
26. Brooke Shaw, Litchfield, CT
36. Lynn Ott, Bend, OR
39 Lindsay Lloyd, Centerville, UT
40. Madeline Wiencke, White Bear Lake, MN
43. Erica Mueller, Steamboat Springs, CO
47. Alyssa Radder, Fort Jones, CA
Revolution Wraps Up at Sno Mountain
SNO MOUNTAIN, Pennsylvania (March 2) - The Chevy Revolution Tour wrapped up
competition for the year Sunday with a killer slopestyle competition where Nick Doucette
(Campton, NH) and Taylor Owen (New London, NH) won top honors.
Overall Revolution Tour Champions were named after the event by taking the average of
the best two results from the five tour events. Halfpipe champions were Zack Black
(Dillon, CO) and Kaitlyn Farrington (Bellevue, ID). Champions for slopestyle were Drew
Brighton (Park City, UT) and Lynn Neil (Ogden, UT). Jenna Feldman (Linwood, NJ) and JJ
Tomlinson (Park City, UT) were snowboardcross champions.
Winners each received $750 from the Revolution Tour and $1,000 from Kicker.
Sage Kostenburg (Park City, UT) followed Doucette in second and Eric Beauchemin
(Stratton Mountain, VT) was third. In the women's jam, Taylor Owen (New London, NH)
grabbed second followed by Lynn Neil (Ogden, UT) in third.
The three-day weekend of competition kicked off with men's and women's
snowboardcross competitions. Spencer Cordovano (Hailey, ID) won the men's final heat
followed by Jordan Sanford (Shapleigh, ME) and Alexander Hernandez (Londonderry, VT)
in second and third.
In women's heats, Juliette Bisson (Carrabassett Valley, ME) won. Celine Valentin
(Simsbury, CT) was second and Victoria Guinn (Placerville, CA) in third.
Athletes took to the halfpipe Saturday to prove their acrobatic skills. Spencer Shaw
(Litchfield, CT) won the men's pipe and Jennifer Cohen (Wayne, NJ) won women's.
For the men, Tyler Troy (Weston, CT) and Austen Butler (Ketchum, ID) were second and
third. In the women's session, Jessi Huege (West Dundee, IL) followed Cohen in second
and Devon Crowther (Jamaica, VT) was third.
"Overall we had a great time at Sno Mountain," said U.S. Snowboarding Program Manager
Abbi Nyberg. "We had great support from the mountain. The 22-foot pipe was in great
shape and the slopestyle was a fun and sunny day."
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 CHEVY REVOLUTIONS TOUR
Sno Mountain, Penn - Feb. 29 - March 2
Snowboardcross - Feb. 29, 2008
Men
1. Spencer Cordovano, Hailey, ID
2. Jordan Sanford, Shapleigh, ME
3. Alexander Hernandez, Londonderry, VT
4. Joseph Tomlinson, Park City, UT
5. Ross Powers, South Londonderry, VT
Women
1. Juliette Bisson, Carrabassett Valley, ME
2. Celine Valentin, Simsbury, CT
3. Victoria Guinn, Placerville, CA
4. Carrie Uren, Randle, WA
5. Jacqueline Hernandez, Londonderry, VT
Halfpipe March 1, 2008
Men
1. Spencer Shaw, Litchfield, CT, 34.20
2. Tyler Troy, Weston, CT, 32.30
3. Austen Butler, Ketchum, ID, 30.80
4. Anthony Donofrio, Trumbull, CT, 28.80
5. Justin Mullen, Mertztown, PA, 26.50
Women
1. Jennifer Cohen, Wayne, NJ, 27.70
2. Jessi Huege, West Dundee, IL, 26.50
3. Devon Crowther, Jamaica, VT, 24.00
4. Shelby Simpson, Bondville, VT, 23.20
5. Coco Cook, Wayzata, MN, 22.60
Slopestyle March 2, 2008
Men
1. Nick Doucette, Campton, NH, 36.00
2. Sage Kostenburg, Park City, UT, 35.60
3. Eric Beauchemin, Stratton Mountain, VT, 35.30
4. Brendan Gerard, Crested Butte, CO, 35.00
5. Robert McNamara, Ashland, OR, 30.80
Women
1. Taylor Owen, New London, NH, 32.70
2. Danya Patterson, Anchorage, AK, 31.00
3. Lynn Neil, Ogden, UT, 27.40
4. Jennifer Cohen, Wayne, NJ, 24.70
5. Coco Cook, Wayzata, MN, 22.10
Team SBX Debuts with U.S. Win
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (March 2) - U.S. Snowboarding's Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton
Mountain, VT) and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK) capitalized on strong teamwork
and all out aggression to win the exhibition Team SBX event at the Visa U.S.
Snowboarding Cup Sunday at Whiteface Mountain outside Lake Placid.
The event will be highlighted during Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup coverage on NBC,
Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m. ET, and on Versus Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. ET.
Team SBX pairs two riders on a team. One races the course against three to five other
competitors. When they cross the finish line, the gate at the start triggers for the next
teammate to begin racing.
"I've always wanted to be a part of the ultracross [Team SBX] because it's been at the X
Games for guys but the girls have never been able to experience it," Jacobellis said. "It's
a great feeling and it makes it an actual team sport so that's the fun part."
Jacobellis and Chythlook-Sifsof took being teammates to the next level, wearing the
1980s USA hockey jerseys from the famed "Miracle on Ice" game where USA beat the
Soviet Union.
"It was so fun. I love my teammate and it's great to finally, after just focusing on yourself,
have another person to cheer on with you about your results," Chythlook-Sifsof said. "It's
awesome and I love it."
Three-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) and two-time World
Cup winner Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) led the U.S. men's results with fourth place.
"It was another great day of racing," Watanabe said. "We didn't quite finish how we
wanted to, but it was an amazing first trial of the Team SBX event and I thought it went great."
Watanabe was leading racers in the final heat but caught an edge leaving Holland in the gate.
"Graham was riding killer and it was giving me the open door all the time." Holland said. "I
knew that the final was going to come down to a close heat and he gave it all he could.
We'll have to get them next time, that's what the plan is."
Overall the event was high-paced excitement that left the spectators wanting to see
Team SBX sooner, rather than later.
"I hope it creates another opportunity for the athletes to be able to show what they do
and show case snowboardcross," U.S. Snowboarding Program Director Jeremy Forster
said. "It was cool to see the teammates celebrate together and celebrate with the nation.
It's a different format and it's a great opportunity."
The Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup concludes Monday in Lake Placid with the men's and
women's parallel giant slalom World Cup races.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 VISA U.S. SNOWBOARDING CUP
Lake Placid, N.Y. - March 2, 2008
Team SBX Exhibition
Men
1. France 1 (Vincent Valery, Pierre Vaultier)
2. Canada 1 (Drew Neilson, Tom Velisek)
3. Norway 1 (Stian Sivertzen, Oeystein Wallin)
4. United States 1 (Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID; Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA)
-
5. United States 2 (Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI; Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, MA)
Women
1. United States 1 (Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT; Callan Chythlook-Sifsof,
Girdwood, AK)
2. Canada 1 (Maelle Ricker, Dominique Maltais)
3. Austria 1 (Susanne Moll, Manuela Riegler)
4. Norway 1 (Helene Olafsen, Stine Walle)
Kass, Hight Win Vans Cup
TRUCKEE, Calif. (March 2) - Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA) and Olympian Danny
Kass (Vernon, NJ) rocked out in the pipe to win the Van's Cup halfpipe session for the
second year in a row Sunday at Northstar-at-Tahoe. U.S. Snowboarding's Louie Vito
(Sandy, UT) and Lizzy Beerman (Weston, VT) pulled into second place.
Hight threw down a rhythm method, frontside 540, backside 540, frontside 900, backside
air to take the win.
"Elena is such a strong young rider and is working on nailing those wins," said U.S.
Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski. "She's been on the podium this
season and she's just getting more consistent."
Beerman, a U.S Snowboarding rookie who recently finished sixth in the Winter X Games
superpipe, continued to stack her reputation as a force in the pipe, taking it to second
place in the cup.
"It's a super result for her. She's comming up in the ranks quickly," Jankowski said.
"These reults prove she has what it takes to compete with some of best in world."
To get his second place in a field stacked with talent, Vito put up two 1080s, two 900s,
and a 720 into a straight air.
"It was all really big and really smooth," Jankowski said. "Louie is obviously on fire and
he wanted to beat Danny. He was going for it. But second place in a field like this is really
huge.
The team loves coming here. It's California and there's sunshine. It's an invitational event
and the riders don't wear bibs, and it's high money prize," Jankowski said. "The pipe is
perfect and it was just a very good experience for the riders because the level of
competition is really high."
U.S. Snowboarding moves on to World Cup competitions in Stoneham, QUE March 7-9.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 Vans Cup
Truckee, CA - March 2, 1008
Halfpipe
Men
1. Danny Kass, Vernon, NJ, 92.1
2. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 90.3
3. Iouri Podlatchkov, Switzerland, 88.3
Women
1. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 92.0
2. Lizzy Beerman, Weston, VT, 81.0
3. Kjersti Buaas, Norway, 75.0
Paul Mitchell Session Wows Placid
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (March 1) - Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City) and Norway's Stian Sivertzen
went big to win the Paul Mitchell Progression Session Saturday night. The jam session
added additional flavor for fans during the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup in Lake Placid this
weekend.
Versus will air coverage of the Paul Mitchell Progression Session on Sunday, March 16 at
6 p.m. ET.
"I feel great. I've needed a win for a little while and it's good to get that confidence back,"
Gulini said.
Riders in the Paul Mitchell Progression Session big air competition were ripping it at
speeds up to 40 mph behind a snowmobile that took them into a roller. They launched
themselves off an incredible 20-foot jump for an alternative means of flying and
showcasing big tricks.
Hometown hero Mike Phelabaum (Saranac Lake, NY) landed an epic cork 5 that won him
the honor of the Rip It Trick of the Day and padded his pocket with $2,500 in prize money.
Spectators in snowy downtown Lake Placid enjoyed the exciting evening of fireworks and
athletes spinning through the air. The crowd gathered next to the Olympic skating arena
where the "Miracle on Ice," USA's incredible hockey victory over the Soviet Union,
happened during the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.
The Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup continues Sunday with a Team SBX exhibition event and
concludes Monday with men's and women's parallel giant slalom.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Paul Mitchell Progression Session
Lake Placid, NY - March 1, 2008
Men's
1. Stian Sivertzen, Norway
2. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI
3. Mike Phelabaum, Saranac Lake, NY
Women's
1. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City
2. Marni Yamada, Seattle, WA
Jacobellis, Baumgartner Sweep SBX Wins
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (March 1) - U.S. Snowboarding riders Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton
Mountain, VT) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) barreled their way to the top of the
podiums Saturday winning the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup at Whiteface Mountain,
outside Lake Placid. Both Baumgartner and Jacobellis also were crowned the Visa U.S.
SBX champions after their wins.
The Visa U.S. Snowboarding World Cup will be broadcast on NBC Saturday, March 8 at 2
p.m. ET, and on Versus Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. ET.
Fourth Straight at Placid for Jacobellis
It was Jacobellis' fourth consecutive win at Lake Placid dating back to 2005. Jacobellis,
who took over the overall FIS Snowboard World Cup standings with her win, sits 350
points behind Canada's Maelle Ricker in the SBX snowboard discipline standings.
"I just tried to stick with my line because I could hear her [Maelle Ricker] the entire time,"
Jacobellis said. "I love Lake Placid. I feel like I'm coming home because I'm from Vermont
and they just make the best course year round here. I really enjoy riding it and I feel great
about the whole day."
"Lindsey was super strong. As the rounds went on she just got faster and faster," said
U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley. "Even though those guys were breathing
down her neck, they didn't have anything for her, really."
First Career Win for Michigan Rider
This was Baumgartner's first career World Cup win, and his best result since taking
second in Canada a year ago. In celebration, Baumgartner was on top of the world as his
teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders to carry him to the podium.
"It feels so good. I've been riding well all year but I just hadn't been putting it all together
and today I put it all together," Baumgartner said. "I took my line and there was no taking
it away. I just kept going as hard as I could and made sure I was aggressive with my line."
Baumgartner had to race his semifinal heat twice when a gate malfunction led to an
official decision to hold the heat again. He still won the re-run.
"That was so good, especially for him, because he's kind of been having trouble," Foley
said. "He's had a big lead a couple times and blown it, so, for him to be that strong to
have to take another run but just deal with it was killer."
Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID), coming off his second career World Cup win and
leading qualifications Friday, won the men's small final for fifth overall.
"Today was completely unpredictable. I felt like everything was out of my hands,"
Watanabe said. "It's a hard one because I've gotten comfortable feeling like I can go to
any final at this point so my standards have definitely stepped up. To come and win the
small final is gratifying, but at the same time I'd much rather be battling it out for the top
spot of the podium."
It was a dominating day for U.S. riders. 10 Americans qualified for the 32-rider men's field
- nearly a third of the field.
The Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup continues Sunday with the exhibition SBX Team event
and concludes Monday with PGS World Cup action in Lake Placid.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup
Lake Placid, N.Y. - March 1, 2008
Snowboardcross
Men's (32 make finals)
1. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI
2. Drew Neilson, Canada
3. Tom Velisek, Canada
4. David Speiser, Germany
5. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID
-
7. Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, MA
15. Alex Deibold, Manchester Center, VT
17. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA
18. Shaun Palmer, S. Lake Tahoe, CA
25. Jason Smith, Durango, CO
27. Pat Holland, Tahoe City, CA
31. Ben Jacobellis, Bondville, VT
31. Seth Wescott, Carrabassett Valley, ME
Women's (16 make finals)
1. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT
2. Maelle Ricker, Canada
3. Dominique Maltais, Canada
4. Helene Olafsen, Norway
5. Mellie Francon, Switzerland
-
6. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK
19. Marni Yamada, Seattle, WA
20. Brooke Shaw, Litchfield, CT
21. Kim Krahulec, Silverthorne, CO
30. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City
32. Lynn Ott, Bend, OR
33. Lynn Neil, Ogden, UT
34. Heather Doolittle, Belgrade, ME
35. Jenna Feldman, Linwood, NJ
Rookie Marren 6th in Calgary Pipe
CALGARY, Alberta (Feb. 29) - World Cup rookie Kelly Marren (Hillsborough, CA), a winner
last month in the Chevy Revolution Tour, was sixth Friday night in a World Cup halfpipe in
Calgary. It was only the second World Cup for the Squaw Valley rider. Two-time X Games
champion Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO) led the U.S. Snowboarding men in 10th.
Canadians dominated the men's event, taking five of the top six spots, led by Brad Martin
who picked up his first career World Cup victory. China took the top two women's spots
with Jiayu Liu picking up the win. It was the second victory of the season for Liu, the
World Cup leader.
Marren, only 16, continued her climb to the top. The teen has been one of the leading
riders on the Chevy Revolution Tour all season long, and was sixth in the Chevy U.S.
Snowboarding Grand Prix at Tamarack Resort in Idaho earlier in Feburary. Marren was
also recently named to the World Junior Team that will compete at the 2008 FIS Junior
Snowboarding World Championships March 21-31 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
The FIS Snowboard World Cup continues Saturday in Lake Placid with the Visa U.S.
Snowboarding Cup snowboardcross. U.S. riders dominated the qualifying on Friday. Most
of the top U.S. Snowboarding halfpipe riders are in Northstar-at-Tahoe, CA for Sunday's
Van's Cup.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP
Calgary, ALB - Feb. 29, 2008
Halfpipe
Men
1. Brad Martin, Canada, 42.9
2. Jeff Batchelor, Canada, 40.8
3. Tore-V. Holvik, Norway, 40.7
4. Neil Connolly, Canada, 39.9
5. Justin Lamoureux, Canada, 39.3
-
10. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, CO, 29.0
Did not qualify for finals
15. Luke Wynen, Mammoth Lakes, CA
19. Matt Ladley, Steamboat Springs, CO
24. Broc Waring, Edwards, CO
Women
1. Jiayu Liu, China, 46.3
2. Chen Xu, China, 42.6
3. Sophie Rodriguez, France, 37.8
4. Zhifeng Sun, China, 35.7
5. Kendall Brown, New Zealand, 34.5
-
6. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA, 32.2
Did not qualify for finals
11. Kaitlyn Farrington, Bellevue, ID
Watanabe First in SBX Qualifications
LAKE PLACID, New York (Feb. 29) - U.S. Snowboarding's Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley,
ID), hot off his second World Cup win in Japan, was first in the men's World Cup
snowboardcross qualification Friday at the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup in Lake Placid.
Watanabe was .53 seconds ahead of teammate Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI), who
was second. Eight other U.S. men made it into the top 32.
"For me, to be able to qualify 10 guys is just crazy," Head Coach Peter Foley said. "We
make up almost a third of the field. It's amazing to have that kind of depth."
Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) led U.S. women in qualifications, finishing
second behind Canadian Maelle Ricker who sits first ahead of Jacobellis in the World Cup standings.
"Lindsey did really well and Callan rode well," Foley said. "Brooke [Shaw; Litchfield, CT]
just missed it but it was exciting that she was able to shave two seconds off her first run."
The Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup continues Saturday with men's and women's
snowboardcross finals.
"The team is pretty excited because they're happy about how qualifications went. They
feel strong and confident," Foley said.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 VISA U.S. SNOWBOARDING CUP
Lake Placid, N.Y. - Feb. 29, 2008
Snowboardcross Qualifying
Men's (32 made finals)
1. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID, 1:03.06
2. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI, 1:03.59
3. Tom Velisek, Canada, 1:03.70
4. Radoslav Zidek, Slovakia1:03.74
5. Drew Neildon, Canada, 1:03.81
-
6. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA, 1:03.82
7. Shaun Palmer, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 1:03.88
20. Jason Smith, Durango, CO, 1:04.73
21. Alex Deibold, Manchester Center, VT, 1:05.01
21. Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, MA, 1:05.01
26. Pat Holland, Tahoe City, CA, 1:05.20
31. Ben Jacobellis, Winhall, VT, 1:05.61
31. Seth Wescott, Carrabassett Valley, ME, 1:05.61
Women's (16 made finals)
1. Maelle Ricker, Canada, 1:07.74
2. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT, 1:07.80
3. Diane Thermoz Liaudy, France, 1:07.82
4. Dominique Maltais, Canada, 1:08.09
5. Doresia Krings, Austria, 1:08.22
-
12. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK, 1:10.06
Visa Snowboarding Returns to Placid
LAKE PLACID, New York (Feb. 26) - The Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup is back in action at
Whiteface Mountain, marking the sole U.S. World Cup stop for snowboardcross, parallel
giant slalom and a new team SBX exhibition event March 1-3.
NBC will broadcast coverage from the World Cup Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m. ET with
additional coverage on Versus Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. ET.
"Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain are proven competition venues on the World Cup
tour. They have a great organizing committee who always provide the best possible
competition venues," U.S. Snowboarding Program Director Jeremy Forster said.
This is an especially important stop for snowboardcross athletes as the U.S. SBX
Champion also will be named at the Lake Placid event as the Visa U.S. Snowboardcross
Championship Series concludes.
Tearing apart the competition in snowboardcross will be the most dominant woman in
SBX Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), snowboarding legend Shaun Palmer
(Truckee, CA), three time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA),
Olympic medalist Seth Wescott (Carrabassett Valley, ME), and Graham Watanabe (Boise,
ID) who is coming off a recent World Cup win in Japan.
Snowboardcross, which never fails to amp up the crowd with its competitive intensity,
will be the subject of a new event called team SBX, which is a race where two men and
two women are paired in separate events. When one teammate crosses the finish line, it
triggers the start gate at the top of the mountain for the other racer to begin.
"We hope the team SBX exhibition is the first step in establishing another exciting
snowboarding event in a unique team format," Forster said. "It maximizes use of the SBX
venue and provides another opportunity for snowboardcross riders. Lake Placid really
stepped up to host the first Team SBX competition."
Parallel giant slalom will also heat things up with nothing but high speed on the minds of
U.S. Snowboarders like Olympians Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) and Michelle Gorgone (Boston,
MA) as well as podium performers Tyler Jewell (Sudbury, MA) and Adam Smith (Bend, OR).
"I love the sensation of tipping my board up on edge and railing big, fast and clean turns,"
Klug said. "It's like a dance. The dynamics and power of an alpine snowboard turn is
unbelievable. You are totally dedicated to the edge. It requires a lot of discipline to
maintain the pressure and speed. It's an awesome sport."
Adding to a killer weekend of shred and speed is the Paul Mitchell Progression Session,
an exhibition located in downtown Lake Placid on the Olympic speed skating oval. Riders
will be towed into a huge roller at approximately 40 mph before hitting a 20-foot wall. The
Rip It Trick of the Day will be awarded to the man or woman with the most epic trick of
the day.
Schedule:
Friday, Feb. 29
- 9:30 a.m. men's snowboardcross qualifications
- 1:00 p.m. women's snowboardcross qualifications
Saturday, March 1
- 1:00 p.m. men's and women's snowboardcross finals
Sunday, March 2
- 1:00 p.m. men's and women's snowboardcross team event
Monday, March 3
- 9:00 a.m. men's and women's parallel giant slalom qualifications
- 1:00 p.m. men's and women's parallel giant slalom finals
Relive the Lake Placid Snowboard Experience
Tune-in to NBC and Versus to see all the action again from the comfort of your couch.
NBC
- One-hour show on Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m. ET
Versus
- Two-hour show on Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. ET
Revolution Tour Wraps Up in Mt. Hood
MT. HOOD, Oregon (Feb. 24) - Three days of Revolution Tour action wrapped up Sunday
with a women's slopestyle competition won by Lynn Neil (Ogden, UT), who also won the
Duluth, MN, slopestyle competition of the tour. The men's slopestyle was canceled due to
foggy conditions.
Fog held long enough for women to compete, giving Neil the chance to win. Molly Wilson
(Basalt, CO) finished second, followed by Sarris McComb (Alberton, MT) in third.
The tour kicked off Friday with men's and women's snowboardcross. U.S. Snowboarding's
Robert Minghini (South Lake Tahoe, CA) won the men's competition. Joseph Tomlinson
(Park City, UT) finished second, and Paul Henderson (Murrieta, CA) was third.
McComb, who also won the women's snowboardcross heats, won followed by Caty
O'Connor (Auburn, CA) in second and Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, UT), who also finished
third in the slopestyle competition on the Duluth stop of the Revolution Tour, was third.
Connor Leach (Tannersville, NY) won Saturday's halfpipe competition followed by Tyler
Anderson (Chanhassen, MN) and Brennen Swanson (Stillwater, MN) in second and third.
U.S. Snowboarding's Kaitlyn Farrington (Bellevue, ID), who finished eighth in the Chevy
U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix in Tamarack, won. Mackenzie Matters (Eagan, MN) was
second and Kelly Marren (Hillsborough, CA) was third.
The Revolution Tour resumes Friday for the final leg of the tour at Snö Mountain, PA.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 CHEVY REVOLUTION TOUR
Mt. Hood, OR - Feb. 22, 2008
Snowboardcross
Men's
1. Robert Minghini, South Lake Tahoe, CA
2. Joseph Tomlinson, Park City, UT
3. Paul Henderson, Murrieta, CA
4. Rob Rudy, Palo Alto, CA
5. Cleve Johnson, Basalt, CO
--
Women's
1. Sarris McComb, Alberton, MT
2. Caty O'Connor, Auburn, CA
3. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City, UT
4. Heather Doolittle, Belgrade, ME
5. Juliette Bisson, Carrabassett Valley, ME
Halfpipe - Feb. 23, 2008
Men's
1. Connor Leach, Tannersville, NY
2. Tyler Anderson, Chanhassen, MN
3. Brennen Swanson, Stillwater, MN
4. Spencer Shaw, Litchfield, CT
5. Scott Pike, Hailey, ID
--
Women's
1. Kaitlyn Farrington, Bellevue, ID
2. Mackenzie Matters, Eagan, MN
3. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA
4. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City, UT
5. Kyla Sobieralski, Carbondale, CO
Slopestyle - Feb. 24, 2008
Women's
1. Lynn Neil, Ogden, UT
2. Molly Wilson, Basalt, CO
3. Sarris McComb, Alberton, MT
4. Allyson Carroll, Truckee, CA
5. Kaitlyn Farrington, Bellevue, ID
Seven Things to Know About SBX and PGS
LAKE PLACID, New York (Feb. 25) - The Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup returns to Whiteface
Mountain, outside of Lake Placid, for three competitions March 1-3. The lone U.S. World
Cup stop for snowboardcross, parallel giant slalom and an exhibition team SBX race - a
new event in snowboard competitions, marks the fourth consecutive year of the World
Cup tour stopping in New York.
Riders from all over the world will be on the mountain including U.S. stars such as the
most dominant woman in SBX Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), snowboarding
legend Shaun Palmer (Truckee, CA), Olympic medalists Seth Wescott (Carrabassett
Valley, ME) and Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) as well as podium performers Tyler Jewell
(Sudbury, MA), Adam Smith (Bend, OR) and Graham Watanabe (Boise, ID), who are just a
few that will be tearing-up the course at Whiteface looking to win.
Here are seven things to know about snowboardcross and parallel giant slalom to get
stoked for World Cup snowboarding.
SBX History in the Making
During the World Cup, Lake Placid will not only be hosting the only snowboardcross World
Cup competition in the U.S., they'll also be providing spectators with a taste of the first
team SBX competition. This sport is a snowboardcross race where two men and two
women are paired in separate events. When one teammate crosses the finish line, it
triggers the start gate at the top of the mountain for the other racer to begin.
"I Wanna Go Fast"
In two sports where speed is the king, athletes have to be prepared to haul down the
mountain as fast as is humanly possible. The thought of going 40 to 45 mph would be
intimidating for most mountain riders, but not for alpine athletes like Klug. "You get used
to the speed, so it's not that scary unless you catch an edge," Klug said.
Creatures of Habit
Whether it's listening to a particular song or doing a few push-ups, most athletes have
that little something they do before a race to get them ready to compete. Klug uses
Mother Nature to give him a little jolt of energy. "Before I pull out of the start I put some
snow on my neck to remind me it's go time," Klug said.
Others, like Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) go for something a little more relaxing.
"I usually find a quiet place with a good view because in the end I look off in the distance
and remind myself of how lucky I am to be doing what I am doing - traveling the world
doing what I love, and this sets the tone for my day," Jewell said.
Not Your Average Snowboard
They might look very similar, but what athletes use for alpine racing and snowboardcross
aren't like the snowboards one would normally strap into on an average snow day.
The typical alpine athlete rides on a more narrow and stiff board shaped for speed and
carving. The boards are expensive and only a few companies make them so athletes
typically have to look outside the U.S. to get their key piece of equipment. In alpine
racing, riders also use an aggressive forward stance on their board and wear hardshell boots.
"I race on a 185 centimeter long giant slalom board. It's a lot stiffer and longer than my
freestyle/freeride board. My boots are a plastic hardshell boot, laterally way stiffer than
my softboots," Klug said. "Also mounted under my bindings are anti-vibration plates that
raise me up off the board about an inch and provide additional dampening in the turns."
Snowboardcross athletes ride on a board more similar to freestyle boards than alpine
riders do, but there are still some differences. For instance, snowboardcross boards
usually have a base built for more speed and, in some cases, bigger riders use stiffer boards.
"I race SG Snowboards, which are faster, more expensive and much, much cooler than
your average freeride or jib stick," Pat Holland (Tahoe City, CA) said. "SG uses high
in-base materials that help the boards go faster. They are stiffer for stability in turns. A lot
of research and design goes into these boards so they perform to the highest level on course."
Speed Suit v. Speed...
In two sports where the ultimate goal is to get to the bottom the fastest, there are also
two very different approaches to wardrobe. According to U.S. Snowboarding Alpine Head
Coach Steve Persons, wearing a speed suit has its definite advantages. "A speed suit can
give you up to a half second in a PGS run," Persons said. A half second may not seem like
much, but in a race where a win can be separated from fifth place by tenths of a second,
every bit counts.
In snowboardcross, however, speed suits are not an option because, according to
Holland, who said with a smile, "Nobody in this world would want to see four to six grown
men racing within inches of each other wearing speed suits."
For the snowboardcross athlete, a slim fitting pant, jersey and protective body armor are
the typical uniform.
Catch the action
Whether they're wearing a speed suit or slamming snow on their neck to get pumped up,
the riders at the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup are going to be charging hard to come out
on top of the pack. From snowboardcross to parallel giant slalom, it's a lot of action that
no one should miss.
Friday, Feb. 29
- 9:30 a.m. men's snowboardcross qualifications
- 1:00 p.m. women's snowboardcross qualifications
Saturday, March 1
- 1:00 p.m. men's and women's snowboardcross finals
Sunday, March 2
- 1:00 p.m. men's and women's snowboardcross team event
Monday, March 3
- 9:00 a.m. men's and women's parallel giant slalom qualifications
-1:00 p.m. men's and women's parallel giant slalom finals
Relive the Lake Placid Snowboard Experience
Tune-in to NBC and Versus to see all the action again from the comfort of your couch.
NBC - One-hour show on Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m. ET
Versus - Two-hour show on Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. ET
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