Westbound Boarder

Hot sauce and snowboarding … sounds like the perfect day, right?  This past weekend, I went up to Mt. High to watch the 12th annual Cholula Triple Air competition (also put on in part by Monster Energy and Powder and Sun ride shop), featuring some of SoCal’s (and even beyond) top amateur talent.  The Chiloula Triple Air is a “modified big air” competition featuring three huge jumps instead of just one.  Competitors came all the way from Vermont, Colorado, and even Norway!  And $25,000 in prize money was more than enough prize money to motivate competitors to throw down their biggest air ever.  Some of these guys and gals competing were unreal!

Interestingly, Triple Air was held at Mt. High’s East resort this year, which I really liked, partly because the course was built near the bottom of the hill, allowing for good spectator viewing areas, and partly because East is rad this year!  You can take the main lift up and hit 10 tables in a row - yes, 10.  In fact, I may never go to West again this season.  The competition course set included 3 hits - a launch box or rail to choose from, a 50 foot step down, and a massive right hip.  The theme for the day, though, ended up being pretty much “Don’t fall, win some dough.”  It seemed like every rider fell after the second hit, and without having taken a run through the course to see for myself, it looked like the landing got pretty chopped up the latter part of the day which may have exasperated this.  Or maybe the riders were just going way bigger than they were used to.  Either way, only the top competitors were able to stick all three jumps, which likely became key in judging competitors on their ability and style.

In the men’s heat, rider Trevor Jacob ended up taking home the $10,000 in cash, beating out last year’s winner Danny Toumarkine by a slight margin.  In the women’s division, last year’s defending champ. Stacie Anderson from Lake Tahoe took home the title for the second year in a row.  Lars Ellington from Mt. Baldy took home the best trick title, wowing the judges and audience with his massive 1080s.

As much as I love watching snowboarders compete in events such as these, I have to say, I am always impressed watching free skiers perform as well.  They go so much bigger and can pull some of the coolest tricks I’ve ever seen!  It was especially fun to watch the skiiers in this competition, namely because they were going so much bigger than the snowboarders, especially on the hip.

Final Results

Open Mens

1st Trevor Jacob
2nd Daniel Toumarkine
3rd Tyler Anderson
4th Cory Wetstone
5th Brandon Concard

Open Women
1st Stacie Anderson
2nd Nirvana Ortanez
3rd Isabelle Lalive
4th Micki Slchta
5th Jamie Madrid

Open Skier
1st Lars Ellington
2nd Jeff Johnson
3rd Robby Burleson
4th Chase Vance
5th Charlie Ellington
6th Mike Gonzales

Best Trick
Lars Ellington

USA’s own Seth Wescott finished 1st at Cypress Mountain yesterday afternoon as he entered Vancouver with a pelvic injury, Seth could barely walk nor was he riding all to well because of it. With all things considered, Gold did not seem to be on Wescott’s side. However the opportunity to defend his Snowboardercross gold in the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics was motivation enough, apparently.

He started the race on the outside, a tough place to be. Beginning it all in fourth and in less than two minutes he worked his way to first. Early in the race Wescott lingered behind the other three riders, USA’s Nate Holland, Canadian rider Mike Robertson and Tony Ramoin of France. The cruise for Prescott from the front to the back began when Holland spun out and ended the race for himself. He passed Ramoin, and neared Robertson through his riskier lines. Wescott passed him in the air and was able to win the race with Robertson in his blind spot only a hare behind him!

This USA vistory makes Wescott the first American skier/snowboarder since 1952 to take home two Golds. He proudly ended the race boasting the flag given to his family from the U.S. military on behalf of his Grandfather, the same flag he proudly draped in honor of his grandfather in 2006 in Turin!

The moment we have all been waiting for (well, some of us, anyway) has finally arrived!  Yes, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver are finally here … and they are going to be awesome.  I’ve particularly been very impressed with a the sheer talent in the ski and snowboard categories throughout this year’s Olympic qualifiers, so I’m excited to see what the athletes, both from the US and nationwide, will bring to the table.  I’ve pasted the full schedule below - Make sure you check out as many events as you can throughout the next couple of weeks.

Saturday, February 13
» Alpine skiing (men’s) - 11:45 a.m.
» Biathlon (women’s) - 1 p.m.
» Freestyle skiing (women’s) - 4:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) - noon, 5 p.m.
» Luge (men’s) - 5 p.m., 7 p.m.; replayed at midnight
» Short track (men’s) - 5 p.m., 6:24 p.m., 7:18 p.m.
» Short track (women’s) - 5:45 p.m., 6:49 p.m.; replayed at midnight
» Ski jumping (individual) - 9:45 a.m.
» Speed skating (men’s) - noon

Sunday, February 14
» Alpine skiing (women’s) - 10 a.m., 1 p.m.
» Biathlon (men’s) - 11:15 a.m.
» Figure skating (pairs short program) - 4:30 p.m.
» Freestyle skating (men’s) - 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) - noon, 4:30 p.m.
» Luge (men’s) - 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
» Nordic combined - 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:45 p.m.
» Speed skating (women’s) - 1 p.m.

Monday, February 15
» Cross country (women’s) - 10 a.m.
» Cross country (men’s) - 12:30 p.m.
» Figure skating - 5 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) - 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
» Luge (women’s) - 5 p.m., 6:51 p.m.
» Snowboarding (men’s) - 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m.
» Speed skating (men’s) - 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 16
» Alpine skiing (men’s) - 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m.
» Biathlon (women’s) - 10:30 a.m.
» Biathlon (men’s) - 12:45 p.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 9 a.m., 2 p.m., 7 p.m.
» Figure skating (men’s) - 4:15 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - 12:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 9 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) - 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
» Luge (women’s) - 1 p.m., 2:51 p.m.
» Snowboarding (women’s) - 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m.
» Speed skating (women’s) - 1 p.m.

Wednesday, February, 17
» Alpine skiing (women’s) - 11 a.m.
» Cross country (men’s) - 10:15 a.m., 12:55 p.m.
» Cross country (women’s) - 10:15 a.m., 12:30 p.m.
» Curling (women’s) - 9 a.m., 7 p.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 2 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - noon, 4:30 p.m., 9 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) - 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
» Luge (men’s) - 5 p.m., 6:31 p.m.
» Short track (women’s) - 5 p.m., 6:14 p.m., 7:07 p.m.
» Short track (men’s) - 5:27 p.m., 6:35 p.m.
» Snowboarding (men’s) - 1:05 p.m., 5:15 p.m., 7:15 p.m.
» Speed skating (men’s) - 4 p.m.

Thursday, February 18
» Biathlon (women’s) - 10 a.m.
» Biathlon (men’s) - 1 p.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 9 a.m., 7 p.m
» Curling (women’s) - 2 p.m.
» Figure skating (men’s) - 5 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - noon, 4:30 p.m., 9 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) - 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
» Skeleton (women’s) - 4 p.m., 5:10 p.m.
» Skeleton (men’s) - 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m.
» Snowboarding (women’s) - 12:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m.
» Speed skating (women’s) - 1 p.m.

Friday, February 19
» Alpine skiing (men’s) - 11:30 a.m.
» Cross country (women’s) - 1 p.m.
» Curling (women’s) - 9 a.m., 7 p.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 2 p.m.
» Figure skating - 4:45 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - noon, 4:30 p.m., 9 p.m.
» Skeleton (women’s) - 3:45 p.m., 4:55 p.m.
» Skeleton (men’s) - 6:20 p.m., 7:50 p.m.
» Ski jumping (individual) - 10 a.m.

Saturday, February 20
» Alpine skiing (women’s) - 10 a.m.
» Bobsled (men’s) - 5 p.m., 6:35 p.m.
» Cross country (men’s) - 1:30 p.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 9 a.m., 7 p.m.
» Curling (women’s) - 2 p.m.
» Freestyle skating (women’s) - 10 a.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - noon, 4:30 p.m., 9 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) - 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
» Speed skating (men’s) - 4:15 p.m.
» Short track (women’s) - 5:45 p.m., 6:59 p.m., 7:51 p.m.
» Short track (men’s) - 6:29 p.m., 7:28 p.m., 8:05 p.m.
» Ski jumping (individual) - 11:30 a.m.

Sunday, February 21
» Alpine skiing (men’s) - 10 a.m., 1:15 p.m.
» Biathlon (men’s) - 10:45 a.m.
» Biathlon (women’s) - 12:45 p.m.
» Bobsled (men’s) - 1:30 p.m., 3:05 p.m.
» Curling (women’s) - 9 a.m., 7 p.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 2 p.m.
» Figure skating - 4:15 p.m.
» Freestyle skating (men’s) - 9:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - noon, 4:30 p.m., 9 p.m.
» Speed skating (women’s) - 3 p.m.

Monday, February 22
» Cross country (men’s) - 10:45 a.m., 1:25 p.m.
» Cross country (women’s) - 10:45 a.m., 1 p.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 9 a.m., 7 p.m.
» Curling (women’s) - 2 p.m.
» Figure skating - 4:45 p.m.
» Freestyle skating (men’s) - 6 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) - noon, 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m.
» Ski jumping (team) - 10 a.m., 11:20 a.m.

Tuesday, February 23
» Biathlon (women’s) - 11:30 a.m.
» Bobsled (women’s) - 5 p.m., 6: 13 p.m.
» Curling (women’s) - 9 a.m., 7 p.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 2 p.m.
» Speed skating (men’s) - 11 a.m.
» Figure skating (women’s) - 4:30 p.m.
» Freestyle skating (women’s) - 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - noon, 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m.
» Nordic combined (team) - 10 a.m., 1 p.m.

Wednesday, February 24
» Alpine skiing (women’s) - 10 a.m., 1:15 p.m.
» Bobsled (women’s) - 5 p.m., 6: 13 p.m.
» Cross country (men’s) - 11:15 p.m.
» Freestyle skating (women’s) - 7:30 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - noon, 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m.
» Short track (women’s) - 5 p.m., 6:26 p.m.
» Short track (men’s) - 5:47 p.m.
» Speed skating (women’s) - 1 p.m.

Thursday, February 25
» Cross country (women’s) - 11 a.m.
» Curling (women’s) - 9 a.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 2 p.m.
» Figure skating (women’s) - 5 p.m.
» Freestyle skating (men’s) - 6 p.m.
» Hockey (women’s) - 11 a.m., 3:30 p.m.
» Nordic combined (individual) - 9:59 a.m., 1 p.m.

Friday, February 26
» Alpine Skiing (women’s) - 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m.
» Biathlon (men’s) - 11:30 a.m.
» Bobsled (men’s) - 1 p.m., 2:35 p.m.
» Curling (women’s) - 9 a.m., 3 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - noon, 6:30 p.m.
» Short track (women’s) - 6:14 p.m., 6:53 p.m., 7:26 p.m.
» Short track (men’s) - 6 p.m., 6:45 p.m., 7:16 p.m., 7:52 p.m.
» Snowboarding (women’s) - 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m.
» Speed skating (men’s) - 12:30 p.m., 2:07 p.m.
» Speed skating (women’s) - 1:20 p.m.

Saturday, February 27
» Alpine skiing (men’s) - 10 a.m., 1:45 p.m.
» Bobsled (men’s) - 1 p.m., 2:35 p.m.
» Cross country (women’s) - 11:45 a.m.
» Curling (men’s) - 9 a.m., 3:00 p.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - 7 p.m.
» Snowboarding (men’s) - 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m.
» Speed skating (men’s) - 1:49 p.m.
» Speed skating (women’s) - 12:30 p.m., 2:12 p.m.

Sunday, February 28
» Cross country (men’s) - 9:30 a.m.
» Hockey (men’s) - 12:15 p.m.
» Closing ceremony - 6 p.m.

Well, Shaun White and Kelly Clark stuck it again in today’s US Snowboarding Grand Prix in Park City.  Shaun saw a near perfect score of 49.5 (out of 50), with Scotty Lago trailing just behind with a 48, and Luke Mitrini coming in third.  Today marks Shaun’s fourth first place finish (out of 5) in all Grand Prix Olympic qualifying events.  But then again, Park City was just practice for Shaun, as he was already confirmed as an Olympic team member after last round.  Scotty has now had two second place finishes and one third, so he will likely be invited to join the US Olympic team a well, alongside Shaun.  Danny Davis, the one competitor to beat out Shaun (in Mammoth), and formerly a likely Olympic teammate as well, unfortunately broke his back during an ATV accident last Sunday.  He underwent surgery Monday and is now being cared for in a local hospital, alongside Kevin Pearce.  Danny is an awesome rider - one of my personal faves - so it is unfortunate to hear he won’t be joining the team in Vancouver this year.

On the women’s side, Kelly came in first (again), followed by Hannah Teter and Kaitlyn Farrington.  Kelly, in comparison to the other riders, is absolutely going bigger, which is putting her in prime position to land some of the tougher spins and tricks that you need more time in the air to solidify.  She has been doing awesome through the thick of it all, so I’m excited to see what she’ll pull in Vancouver next month.  I also really like Hannah’s riding because she always throws down a smooth, solid run that’s fun to watch, and, minus a few small flubs, I think she really stuck it in Park City.

For the women, it is pretty obvious who will be going to Vancouver, and who will be watching from the sidelines.  For the men, however, there is some stiff competition, so it will be interesting to see how the last two spots play out.

Results, Day 1 (Friday)

Men
1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 49.00
2. Scotty Lago, Seabrook, NH, 47.70
3. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 46.70
4. Elijah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 44.00
5. Luke Mitrani, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 44.00
6. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 43.30
7. JJ Thomas, Golden, CO, 43.00
8. Danny Kass, Portand, OR, 42.70
9. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, CO, 42.00
10. Dylan Bidez, Minturn, CO, 41.30

Women
1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 45.20
2. Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT, 44.80
3. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 43.60
4. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 42.50
5. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 40.00
6. Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID, 39.20
7. Maddy Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 31.40
8. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA, 29.40
9. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 19.30

Results, Day 2 (Saturday)

Men
1. Shaun White 49.5
2. Scotty Lago 48
3. Luke Mitrani 45.3
4. Gregory Bretz 44.8
5. JJ Thomas 44.2
6. Jack Mitrani 42.3
7. Dylan Bidez 42.1
8. Steve Fisher 40.6
9. Zach Black 38.5
10. Broc Waring 38.2
11. Danny Kass 37.5
12. Andy Finch 36.7

Women
1. Kelly Clark 47.40
2. Hannah Teter 43.90
3. Kaitlyn Farrington 41.00
4. Madeline Schaffrick 36.50
5. Elena Hight 36.20

I know we have all been anxiously waiting to hear who will be riding on this year’s 2010 Olympic Halfpipe team.  This weekend, Park City, Utah will play host to the fifth and final round of the Olympic qualifiers, where 30 riders will be vying for the remaining spots on this year’s team.

The US Snowboarding Grand Prix made stops earlier this year at Copper Mountain and Mammoth Mountain, so Park City will be the third and final stop of the tour where the 2010 Olympic team (four men and four women) will officially be announced.

We know that Shaun White, who has already seen two first place finishes in former qualifying rounds, has already solidified his spot on this year’s US Olympic team in the men’s category.  Louie Vito, with two second place wins, is in good shape as well. Other probable contenders include JJ Thomas, Zach Black, Scotty Lago, and Mason Aguirre, though the last two spots remain somewhat uncertain.

On the women’s side, Kelly Clark’s two earlier wins in qualifying rounds have already secured her a spot on the team, with Gretchen Blieler being a shoe in as well.  Elena Hight and Hannah Teter also have the odds in their favor, though Ellery Hollingsworth will give them a good run for their money.  Between these five ladies, the four open spots up for grabs this weekend in Park City seem fairly predictable.  The only question now is, which one won’t get to see Vancouver this winter?

Catch the US Snowboarding Grand Prix on January 23, 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT on Fuel TV or via the live stream here: http://www.fuel.tv/USSnowboarding

For those of you who may not know (or simply overlooked our sidebar) Westbound Boarder is a part of a larger blog network called Women Talk Sports, which brings together blogs and Web sites that support and celebrate women in sports.  A few days ago, the network challenged bloggers to write a post highlighting their favorite moments for women in sports in 2009.  As we here at Westbound Boarder never forego a good challenge, we were happy to participate!  For board sports, though, the real challenge is choosing just a few great moments.

Overall, I think that 2009 was a phenomenal year for women involved in board sports, both on a pro and amateur level.  We saw more women competing in competitions, more women snabbing film parts, and more women being featured in mainstream media, both alone and alongside their male competitors,

Here are some of our favorite moments from 2009:

• In January, the Winter X Games joined the US Open in a move to provide equal prize money for both males and females. In a sport where women have always been viewed as second best, this was a pretty huge feat, setting the stage for a great year ahead.
• Jamie Anderson was named Transworld’s Female Rider of The Year. Who will it be in 2010?
• Years ago, women who participated in board sports received a dismal amount of press, at best. National press, though? Forget about it! But in October, pro riders Gretchen Bleiler, Hannah Teter, Lindsey Jacobellis and Kelly Clark flew to New York for a Glamour magazine cover shoot. As we all know (or those of us who are Glamour addicts, anyway) the magazine cover typically features A-list celebrities - the likes of Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears, and Taylor Swift. To think that mainstream America will see these four women as A-list cover girls is absolutely amazing.
• During the US Open of snowboarding halfpipe competition, Torah Bright won first place - and the $20,000 prize purse - with her third and final run, scoring an overwhelming 96. Though she fell during her first two runs, she persevered and knocked the third out of the park, surpassing Kelly Clark’s 93.3 score.
• Little miss shred Lexi Roland celebrated her tenth birthday. Roland, often compared to Shaun White for starting out at such a young age, filmed her first part at age 6, and has been dominating the sport ever since. We’re so stoked to see her ride in ten years!
• Stan Evans and Jeremy Miller created a snowboard film featuring an all female cast called Stance. One of the first of its kind, Stance featured some of the most progressive riding we had ever seen. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention Roxy’s Dear and Yonder, a surf film also with a female cast.
• The team for the 2010 Olympics was officially announced. Go US!

While 2009 was an extremely progressive year for women involved in board sports, we would also like to point out some of the challenges women still face.  While a handful of women are stepping up their game in the sport, the rest are largely absent from the competitive circuit, as this New York Times article points out.  So basically, we are seeing four or so women, Bright, Clark, Teter, and and Bleiler, dominating, while the rest really aren’t trying anything new.  What we are also seeing, however, is a number of younger riders who will really take things to the next level in years to come.  Women like Jamie Anderson, and Lexi Roland, who are pushing the sport to its limits and setting the bar high.  Will the decade to come be their moment to shine?  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, now won’t we?

But enough about us, how about you?  What were your favorite moments for women in action sports of 2009?

My just left for Costa Rica, and its starting to rain in LA (OK, well, it sprinkled the other day… that so counts!) - naturally my mouse wandered to travel sites this week ;)  Here are some of our favorites!

• Interested in skiing in Austria? Um, I am!  This week, the Telegraph published a guide of the best ski resorts in Austria.  Ischgl, here I come!  Next on the list - Switzerland, perhaps?
• What’s the best snowboard park in North America? Apparently Transworld readers voted Buttermilk.  Check out the full list.  Anyone tried more than two on the list, and do you agree?
• Billabong Rail Jam for Women: Billabong’s got a Rail Jam just for women?  Sweet!  Check out the deets for locations and specifics.
• Pics from More the B film premiere in Melbourne: Dang, this looks like fun…
• Louie Vito’s Still in the DTWS Running: What would a blog for chicks be without at least mentioning Louie Vito?  Well, after coming out of almost last pace last week, he’s still in it again after the elimination round of week 5.  Check out his performance dancing the tango below. (And seriously, will someone tell me what’s up with the hair?!)

Today is the final day of a six day surf extravaganza. The SIMA Surfing America USA Championships are taking place at the Huntington Beach Pier in SoCal and end today. Check out the event info here or even watch the competition LIVE!

…I am for reals here! All you have to do is submit your best video and you could earn yourself a spot in the Gatorade Free Flow Finals stop of the Dew Tour. It all takes place in Salt Lake City and these guys will even pay for your airfare and lodging if you are selected!

Events included are BMX park, Skate park and Skate vert - so check out Dylan Stark’s submission that the Dew Tour has shared with the world - think you are better than this youngster? Than get your video in ASAP, there are only a few days left to enter.

And I almost forgot, since the Gatorade Free Flow Tour is an amateur circuit competition, you do have to be an am to enter… (21 & under for BMX, 18 & under for skate). On top of competing in the Dew Tour, you just may find yourself competing against your favorite pros, because the winner of each competition will be up against the Dew Tour Pro’s in Orlando bABy!

UPDATE: We just spoke with the dudes at the Dew Tour and ladies are welcome and encouraged to enter the contest! C’mon ladies, make us proud!!

Despite the fact that we are still in the thick of summer, the 2010 Winter Olympics are right around the corner. In less than 6 months Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada, will host the 2010 extravaganza. Consider this your friendly reminder that if you are planning to witness history in B.C. this year, that you better act quickly!

The ladies U.S. Snowboard Team Olympic roster includes hopefuls Hannah Teeter, Elena Hight, Gretchen Bleiler, Lindsey Jacobellis and Kelly Clark (all who competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics). Ellery Hollingsworth, also a 2010 hopeful, has never been to the Olympics, although is no stranger to the sport. Check out her specs and accomplishments to see for yourself. No matter who makes the team, these stunnas will not disappoint the US of A, that is fersure.

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