Westbound Boarder

This coming weekend marks the last few events of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, as Sunday’s closing ceremonies will officially end the games.  The last two events in snowboarding will happen tonight and tomorrow at Cypress, the men’s and women’s snowboarding Giant Slalom (women’s on Friday, men’s on Saturday).  The Giant Slalom is one of the most grueling events in the Olympic games, where riders race head-to-head around gates against another opponent (and to be completely candid, I’m not too familiar with this type of event, as it is not typically held in American mainstream competitive circuits.  So I’m particularly excited to watch!)

One thing I have noticed about this year’s games in comparison to years past is that snowboarding has taken a much larger role in the overall event, and I really think it’s safe to say that it was one of the most hyped sports in the Olympics this year.  In the past, snowboarding has always taken a sideline seat to skiing, however, I think this year we really saw a shift in perceptions, especially among mainstream audiences.  I, for one, heard many more people talking about the snowboarding events compared to the skiing events.  In fact, I really didn’t hear much about skiing outside of American athletes Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller, but everyone from the hardcore riders at my local mountain to the could-care-less-about-sports folks (like my sister) knew the names of the American roster and gathered around their TV sets to cheer them on as they rode though the pipe.  The progression the sport of snowboarding has seen in recent years has absolutely played a contributing role in raising the profile of snowboarding in this year’s Olympics, but the athletes themselves have helped lift the image as well.  In the past couple of years, snowboarders (often seen as “tyrants” on the slopes… sometimes for good reason ) such as Shaun White, Gretchen Bleiler, and Hannah Teter have emerged as role models, and instead of parents resenting the lifestyle that comes along with the sport, they are now encouraging their kids to take part.  It’s really cool to see your sport in the limelight, and to see and hear the nation collectively cheering on the athletes you’ve been supporting since day 1 and giving them the props they rightly deserve.  I’m really interested to see how the sport will evolve over the next 10 years, as the kids who are now growing up idolizing athletes like Shaun White, begging their parents to buy them a new ride, start competing.  Maybe in the next Olympics we’ll start to see quadruple corks?

So, as much all of us involved in the snowboard industry roll our eyes at the Olympic games (it even sounds like Vancouver is feeling a bit of buyer’s remorse this year) they have helped to tremendously raise the profile of snowboarding among mainstream audiences.  And right now, and for the future of snowboarding, that’s a really good thing.

WIN IT! To celebrate the final weekend of the 2010 Olympic games, we have a limited edition Oakley prize pack to give away!  Snowboarding would not be in the position it is today if it weren’t for the major brands behind it, so I’m really excited to announce this fun giveaway.  One reader will have the opportunity to win an Oakley prize pack, pictured to the right.  The pack is part of the Oakley Global Collection of products, which has been designed to honor Oakley’s global team of athletes participating in this year’s Olympics. It includes a set of limited edition Global Crowbar Snow Goggles, Global Fuel Cell sunglasses, Global backpack, women’s Oakley Global t-shirt, an Oakley Global beanie and collector’s pin. The graphics on the collection recognize the heritage of British Columbia and Vancouver, host city to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

How to win…Leave us a comment below and tell us how YOU think that snowboarding fared in this year’s Olympic Games, and how you think the games helped raise the profile of snowboarding nationwide (and if you don’t agree?  Bring it on!)  The contest will close on Monday, March 8 at midnight PT, and we’ll draw one winner the next day to receive the pack.

If you just so happen to be in Vancouver right now (lucky you!) make sure you stop by Oakley’s Rolling O-Lab and Pop-Up Store before they roll away Sunday night.  Details:

• The Rolling O-Lab is a mobile demonstration unit that educates visitors about the science behind quality eye protection. Technology presentations include the use of optical laser scope equipment that demonstrates clarity and prism shift, ultraviolet emitters and measuring devices to illustrate UV protection, and testing rigs that show the effects of high-velocity and high-mass impact situations.  Fans can visit the Rolling O-Lab at Grouse Mountain 9am - 8pm, and the best part?  It’s free! (We love free)
• Meanwhile, the Pop-Up Store features a fully enriched Oakley retail experience complete with an array of the company’s products. One of the store’s highlights is an Oakley Custom Bar, where visitors can customize select Oakley eyewear and goggle products.  It is located at 488 Robson Street.

And speaking of giveaways, in case you haven’t already entered, be sure to also check out our Cushe Boots giveaway.  Ends Monday, March 1!

Update: Dear Readers, thanks for all your fabulous comments - we got some great feedback, and it’s nice to hear that most of you enjoyed watching this year’s team take Olympic snowboarding to new heights.  Congrats to Maria, the winning commenter! (Selected via random.org).  Check back for more giveaways soon!

Now, we don’t often get the opportunity to write about events other than snowboarding, but for last night’s Olympic ice skating performance, we’ll make an exception!

Rachel Flatt was the first performer from the USA for women’s figure skating to take on the rink. She had a beautiful and graceful performance with a smile the whole time. Full, clean spins and jumps. She scored 182.49, her personal best. Japan performed next with a score of 188.86.

Then, the highly-anticipated dancer Kim Yu-Na from South Korea. With tons of passion and pressure from her country, she gracefully went into her jumps and axles with more speed than the other dancers, throwing a huge double axle triple toe loop. She made her routine look so easy. Magical and focused, Kim felt the music as she skated… earning her a score of 228.56! Which put Kim in Gold medal position.

She was the first S. Korean to win a figure skating Gold & she also took home an Olympic world record score. Yet another record attempted by Mao Asada scored 205.50 from Japan, she was the first women ever in the Olympics to land three triple axles in the same competition. Watching her perform made me see how she was Kim Yu-Na’s greatest competition.

Canada’s graceful Joannie Rochette was up next performing days after her mother passing. You could see the courage and determination in her performance. Very inspiring, to say the least. She scored a 202.64, putting her in Silver medal position with one skater left. Sixteen year old skater from USA Marai Nagasu scored a 190.15. We will be seeing her in Olympic years to come.

Final Results
Kim Yu Na: Gold
Mao Asada: Silver
Joannie Rochette: Bronze

It is the infamous trick that has been all the rage this Olympic season - the double cork 1080.  And with a successful two days of snowboardcross behind us, it is the trick everyone will be watching out for over the next two days.  Today, the men’s Olympic halfpipe competition is scheduled to go down … hopefully, if Canada can get its pipe in order!  Vancouver and Cypress Mountain, the resort playing host to this year’s halfpipe comp., have been seeing dismal weather the past couple of days, as it rained all day yesterday and continued through the night.  Obviously, not ideal conditions for a halfpipe competition.  As of now, the men’s halfpipe prelim round, which was originally set to commence at 1:05p.m. PT, is being rescheduled in hopes that better pipe conditions are on the near horizon.  The women’s pip comp. is still scheduled for tomorrow.  But enough about event timing; we’re talking double corks!

A double cork, first performed and perfected by snowboard icon Shaun White, is somewhat similar to a backflip in theory, however, to the viewer, the similarities are slim.  A trick is deemed a double cork 1080 when a rider completes two off-axis backflip rotations, throwing the shoulder down and tucking, while also doing three and a half rotations.  The double cork is a true testiment to how far the sport of snowboarding has come since the Olympic Games just four years ago.

The double cork is also one of the most dangerous tricks on the roster today.  Unlike spins or grabs, or even backflips and mistys, the double cork is unforgiving, and if you make one small error in your landing or over/under-rotate the slightest bit, the landing is not fun.  And the double cork has already developed somewhat of a dangerous reputation, as Burton rider and Olympic hopeful Kevin Pearce was hospitalized back in December attempting to perfect the trick in practice.

US Olympians like Shaun White (seriously, what can’t he do?) and Louie Vito (perhaps his summer perfecting pirouettes paid off?) have the double cork down pretty solid, and have even been throwing back-to-back double corks into their routines.  Though the double cork is rumored to be the “must have” trick today, I don’t think it will completely break anyone’s run, as long as they’re going really big and have a solid, near perfect run otherwise.

On the women’s side of things, though, no woman has yet to throw down a double cork in competition, but rumors are circulating the web that Australian snowboard superstar Torah Bright just might be the first female to attempt it.  If, in fact, she does, and successfully lands, it would be safe to say that she could almost guarentee herself a shiny Gold to take home to fans.  Though she has yet to throw the trick in competition, personally, I think if anyone can do it, Torah can.

The double cork is really one of those “seeing is believing” tricks, though.  Watch the double cork in action below, as Shaun White performs the holy grail of tricks seamlessly and effortlessly, to really get a sense of its full effect.  Maybe this video will demonstrate why there’s so much hype around the double cork this season.  Or you can watch them live today during the men’s Olympic halfpipe event!

Today and throughout the week, the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver continued … So far, I have really enjoyed watching the events I have been able to watch.  Growing up as a little girl, the ice skating was always my favorite; that is, until snowboarding was added to the roster.  And the past couple of days were all about snowboardcross.

Yesterday, US rider Seth Wescott dominated the men’s Boardercross finals yesterday, winning the gold over Canada’s Mike Robertson by a matter of fractions of seconds and earning him bragging rights as the only snowboarder to ever win a gold medal in the Olympic Games snowboardcross event since it’s 2006 introduction.  He had a shaky run during his timed run (which determined his place at the start line, which can sometimes make or break a snowboarder’s run) so it was good to see him redeem himself and come out on top in the medal round.

This morning, though, the women took center snow, however, they didn’t have quite the start they would have liked.  The women’s Boardercross prelims were set to begin at 10:30, but were delayed due to inclement weather at Cypress Mountain (apparently that seems to be a trend this season?)  By noon, though, the fog had lifted, and the prelims finally began; but not without its fair share of twists and turns (and no, I’m not talking about just the course).

Throughout the past couple of months (and arguably, years), Lindsey Jacobellis emerged as the shining star of Boarder Cross.  Four years ago during the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Lindsey suffered a disappointing fate.  She was pulling first throughout the duration of her run, and on the last jump she opted for celebratory style points instead of playing it safe and tweaked out a styish method, only to catch an edge and fall … essentially handing the gold away on a silver platter.  This year, Lindsey had hoped (and most had expected) to redeem herself, however, she didn’t even make the medal round.  During the snowboardcross event prelims, Lindsey clumsily fell over a jump, lost her balance, flew off one of the berms and crashed into a gate, ending any shot she had at a podium finish.

I find this so unfortunate, namely becase Lindsey has worked so hard to redeem herself from her last Olympic mishap.  And she really has proven herself, winning comp after comp the past few years (even several X Games titles), but when it comes to the one that really matters, a slight mishap cost her years of training.  Boardercross isn’t like most Olympic events, namely because it mixes a little bit of talent with a little bit of luck.  This time around, Lindsey’s bad luck came back to haunt her, costing her the gold, as well as her shot at redeeming herself in the public eye from 2006.

However, the good news is that three ladies did bring home medals to their respective countries, with Canada’s own Maelle Ricker taking home the gold.  Ricker saw her own douse of bad luck in the 2006 games, crashing and suffering a severe concussion.  But this year was her moment to shine, as she easily defeated her competitors and rode across the finish line with the Gold in sight.  France’s Deborah Anthonioz won the silver, while Olivia Olafsen from Switzerland took home the bronze.  Nice job ladies!