Westbound Boarder

As usual and as promised, the sickest links of the week:

• Nike 6.0 To Launch a Women’s Apparel Line: This week, Transworld Business announced that beloved action sports brand Nike 6.0 is launching a women’s apparel line in the fall of 2010.  The line is inspired by Nike 6.0 team athletes Monyca Byrne-Wickey, Ellery Hollingsworth, and Carissa Moore and will be available in retail this fall.
• Secret Sweet Spots: What’s hot in the good ole Oregon? Check out MtHoodTerritory.com to find out and you could win a trip! That is right, all you have to do is watch a video, answer a question and you are entered. Two weeks, two videos and two chances left to enter…it is that simple.
• Don’t forget to check out our recap of the West Coast Invitational!

I’m always stoked to see women-only snowboard comps. which is why the Covergirl Snow Angels Invitational (as well as last weekend’s Roxy Chicken Jam) is hot on our radar.  This year’s event will once again be held at Snowmass this coming weekend, April 2 – 4, and it will feature some of the industry’s best talent.  Competing athletes include Olympic athletes Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, and Elena Hight, as well as Sarah Conrad, Ellery Hollingsworth, Mercedes Nicoll, Linn Haug, Maddy Schaffrick, Haruna Matsumoto, Soko Yamaoka, Sophie Rodriguez, Kelly Marren, Palmer Taylor, Paulina Ligocka and Ursina Holler.  The event will feature a Superpipe contest on Saturday, April 3 in Snowmass. In addition, there will be several lifestyle activities for the riders including a spa day, yoga classes and a girl’s night out on the town.  The girls will all vie for $20,000 in prize money at the superpipe competition in Snowmass on April 3.

This year’s event will feature several new twists on past year’s activities, including the Barbie Little Air (open to the public) where participants 13-years-old and younger will compete on a small jump at the base of Snowmass for prizes from Barbie (totally cute! I wish I could go watch!), an autograph session with the athletes at Spider Sabich below the Snowmass Superpipe, free snowboard demo from K2 Snowboard’s 2011 product and poolside après party at the Viceroy Resorts and Residences.

This event is awesome and so perfect for the female audience because it shows that its okay for women to be hardcore snowboarders while still embracing their inner feminine beauty, despite the fact that action sports is a male-dominated industry.  It’s also a neat way to integrate a non-endemic brand into the snowboard industry.  Kudos!

Catch the full event schedule below, and stay tuned for the highlights!

Thursday, April 1st
9 am – 4 pm: K2 Snowboard Demo – Snowmass Village Mall

Friday, April 2nd
9 am – 4 pm: K2 Snowboard Demo, Oakley and ContourHD demo – Snowmass Village Mall
10 am – 1 pm: Film, photo shoot & freeride day – Snowmass Superpipe
3 pm – 4 pm: Barbie Little Air – Snowmass Fanny Hill

Saturday, April 3rd
9 am – 4 pm: K2 Snowboard Demo, Oakley and ContourHD demo – Snowmass Village Mall
9:30 am – 2 pm: Free superpipe viewing access for foot-passengers – Burlingame lift
10 am: Superpipe practice – Snowmass Superpipe
11:30 am – 12:45 pm: Superpipe Jam Session Competition – Snowmass Superpipe
12 – 2 pm: Lunch specials – Spider Sabich Cabin
1 – 1:30pm: COVERGIRL Snow Angel athlete autograph session – Spider Sabich Cabin
4 – 6 pm: Poolside après party – Viceroy Pool

Sunday April 4th
9 am – 4 pm: Oakley and ContourHD demo – Snowmass Village Mall
10 am – 1 pm: Film, photo shoot & freeride – Snowmass Superpipe
9 pm – 12 am: COVERGIRL Snow Angel night out featuring Danger Kitty – Belly Up Aspen

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

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.