Jeep King of the Mountain World Championships

The event featured 32 of the world’s top racers, including nine athletes that participated in the 2006 Winter Olympics. They included Daron Rahlves, Graham Watanabe and Nate Holland of the U.S., Jasey Jay Anderson of Canada, and Austrians Doresia Krings, Manuela Riegler, Dieter Krassnig and Lukas Gruner.

The individual event title winners from Squaw Valley included:

Men’s Snowboard – Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada

Women’s Snowboard – Doresia Krings, Austria

Men’s Ski – Casey Puckett, Aspen, Colo.

Women’s Ski – Ophelie David, France

The overall season-long titles of Jeep King of the Mountain World Professional Champion were won by:

Men’s Snowboard – Graham Watanabe, Salt Lake City, Utah

Women’s Snowboard – Doresia Krings, Austria

Men’s Ski – Casey Puckett, Aspen, Colo.

Women’s Ski – Ophelie David, France

The races from Squaw Valley will air on CBS Sports on March 25 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST, and on nationally syndicated television across the U.S. between March 13 and April 2.

AMERICAN WINTER OLYMPIANS GRAHAM WATANABE & CASEY PUCKETT CAPTURE OVERALL JEEP® KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

WORLD PROFESSIONAL CHAMPION HONORS IN SQUAW VALLEY USA, CALIF

Olympian Daron Rahlves of Truckee, Calif., Finishes Third in Skiing Competition Behind Fellow World Champion Tomas Kraus of Austria and Former U.S. Olympian Casey Puckett

Squaw Valley USA, Calif. – Feb. 25, 2006 – The scene from the semifinals of the 2005-2006 Jeep® King of the Mountain Professional Skiing & Snowboarding World Championships must have looked very familiar to 2006 Winter Olympians Jasey Jay Anderson of Canada, Dieter Krassnig of Austria and Americans Graham Watanabe and Nate Holland. After all, the four had battled one another for a shot at Olympic glory and their countries’ pride two weeks earlier in Torino, Italy.

Such is the depth of competition at the Jeep King of the Mountain Series, now in its 13th season as professional snow sports’ most prestigious event. The ski roster was no less daunting, with Winter Olympian Daron Rahlves, who recently announced his retirement from Olympic competition, Rahlves battling World Champion Tomas Kraus and former U.S. Olympians Casey Puckett and Jake Fiala.

At the end of the day, Watanabe, of Salt Lake City, Utah, captured the title of World Professional Champion in men’s snowboarding with Puckett of Aspen, Colo., bringing home the coveted honor in the men’s ski competition. On the women’s side, Winter Olympian Doresia Krings of Austria earned World Professional Championship in snowboarding with Ophelie David of France nabbing the top prize in the skiing competition.

In the men’s snowboard competition, Anderson, known as the Canadian Rocket for his 20-plus World Cup wins, earned the individual Squaw Valley event title with a victory over Krassnig in the Championship Heat. Anderson earned a spot in the finals by out-dueling Winter Olympian

Lukas Gruener of Austria, ranked second overall in the FIS Snowboard Cross Standings, and Watanabe, of Salt Lake City, Utah, a winner at the 2005 Valle Nevado World Cup and South American Cup. Krassnig, who has amassed 53 top-10 World Cup finishes in his career, reached the Championship heat by defeating Guillaume Nantemod of Switzerland, a former FIS World Champion currently ranked fourth in the world, and Holland, of Squaw Valley, Calif. Watanabe ended up capturing third place at Squaw with a win over Holland in the Consolation Heat, but earned the season-long title based on points earned throughout the four-event series.

In the men’s ski competition, Puckett, a four-time Winter Olympian and 2004 Jeep King of the Mountain World Professional Champion, captured the individual event title and World Professional Champion honors by defeating long-time rival Kraus in the Championship Heat. Earlier in the day, Puckett, of Aspen, Colo., had notched victories over Isidor Gruner of Austria, second overall in the 2005 FIS Skier Cross World Championships, and Fiala of Frisco, Colo. Kraus reached the finals by topping TJ Lanning of Park City, Utah, a member of the U.S. Ski Team and Rahlves of Truckee, Calif., recognized as the most accomplished speed-event skier in U.S. history with nine wins and 21 overall World Cup podiums. Rahlves held on for third place by topping Fiala in the Consolation Heat.

In the women’s snowboard competition, Krings, a World Cup Champion, captured the individual event title and World Professional Champion honors with a Championship Heat win over Winter Olympian Manuela Riegler of Austria, the 2005 FIS World Champion. Krings outraced U.S. Snowboard Team member Marni Yamada of Seattle, Wash., and Claudia Riegler, a four-time World Cup Champion, to earn a spot in the finals. Manuela Riegler reached the Championship Heat with wins against Open Qualifier Lynn Ott of Bend, Ore., who placed second in the 2005 Grand Prix Boardercross, and Joanie Anderson of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., a member of the U.S. Snowboard Team. Anderson earned third place by defeating Claudia Riegler in the Consolation Heat.

In the women’s ski competition, David concluded in grand style what may be considered one of the finest seasons in Jeep King of the Mountain history. After wins earlier this season in Crested Butte, Colo., and Sunshine Village, Banff, Canada, she continued her brilliance in Squaw Valley with a victory over defending Jeep King of the Mountain World Professional Champion and U.S. Freeskiing Champion Karin Huttary of Austria. David stormed past Open Qualifier Elyse Saugstad of Girdwood, Alaska, and Canadian National Ski Team member Anik Demers to reach the finals. Huttary was equally as effective, dismissing Jenny Owens of Australia and Brett Buckles of Hayden, Colo., the 2005 Winter Gravity Games Gold Medalist, to reach the Championship Heat. Buckles claimed third place in the competition by topping Demers in the Consolation Heat.

The ski and snowboard racers competed Sunday for a $150,000 cash purse. Overall, the Jeep King of the Mountain Series offers the richest cash payout in snow racing, including $450,000 (U.S.) in prize money plus $20,000 (U.S.) in additional bonuses from John Paul Mitchell Systems. Adding to the allure of the event, this year the keys to four new 2006 Jeep Commanders were presented to the men’s and women’s ski and snowboard champions.

A national audience will be able to view the Jeep King of the Mountain Series race from Squaw Valley USA on March 25 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST on CBS Sports, and on nationally syndicated television across the U.S. between March 13 and April 2.

The Jeep King of the Mountain was established in 1993. Jeep is the title sponsor for the Jeep King of the Mountain Series. The Professional Skiing & Snowboarding World Championships are the sister competition to summertime’s Jeep King of the Mountain Professional Mountain Biking World Championships. Other marketing partners for this season include: Atomic, Columbia Sportswear Company, Edge Advanced shave gel, Fender Musical Instruments, John Paul Mitchell Systems, Mopar, Sirius Satellite Radio and Ski Press Magazine.

 

JEEP KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

PROFESSIONAL SKIING & SNOWBOARDING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

FINAL STANDINGS – FEB. 26, 2006 – SQUAW VALLEY USA, CALIF. –

Men’s Snowboarding Standings from Squaw

Jasey Jay Anderson (CAN)

Dieter Krassnig (AUT)

Graham Watanabe (Salt Lake City, UT)

Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, Calif.)

Adam Smith (Bend, Ore.)

Jeff Greenwood (Boulder, Colo.)

Lukas Gruner (AUT)

Guillaume Nantermod (SUI)

2005-2006 World Professional Champion: Graham Watanabe

Women’s Snowboarding Standings from Squaw

Doresia Krings (AUT)

Manuela Riegler (AUT)

Joanie Anderson (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.)

Claudia Riegler (AUT)

Leslee Olson (Redmond, Ore.)

Ursula Smith (Denver, Colo.)

Marni Yamada (Seattle, Wash.)

Lynn Ott (Bend, Ore.)

2005-2006 World Professional Champion: Doresia Krings

Men’s Skiing Standings from Squaw

Casey Puckett (Aspen, Colo.)

Tomas Kraus (CZE)

Daron Rahlves (Truckee, Calif.)

Jake Fiala (Frisco, Colo.)

TJ Lanning (Park City, Utah)

Enak Gavaggio (FRA)

Davey Barr (CAN)

Isidor Gruner (AUT)

2005-2006 World Professional Champion: Casey Puckett

Women’s Skiing Standings from Squaw

Ophelie David (FRA)

Karin Huttary (AUT)

Brett Buckles (Hayden, Colo.)

Anik Demers (CAN)

Magdalena Iljans Johnson (SWE)

Amy Harris (Incline Village, Nev.)

Elyse Saugstad (Girdwood, Alaska)

Jenny Owens (AUS)

2005-2006 World Professional Champion: Ophelie David

Ian Fehler
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