OLYMPIC GUIDE CONTENDER BIOS JUDGINGEXPLANED BREAKDOWN TRICKTIONARY EVENT SCHEDULE SPECTATOR RIDE (AND PARTY) GUIDE
Shaun White, Cypress Mountain, B.C., Canada. PHOTO: Scott Serfas
PAST OLYMPIC HALFPIPE MEDALISTS NAGANO, JAPAN 1998 Men’s Halfpipe Gold, Gian Simmen, SUI Silver, Daniel Franck, NOR Bronze, Ross Powers, USA Women’s Halfpipe Gold, Nicola Thost, GER Silver, Stine Brun Kjeldaas, NOR Bronze, Shannon Dunn, USA SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 2002 Men’s Halfpipe Gold, Ross Powers, USA Silver, Danny Kass, USA Bronze, J.J. Thomas, USA Women’s Halfpipe Gold, Kelly Clark, USA Silver, Dorianne Vidal, FRA Bronze, Fabienne Reuteler, SUI TORINO, ITALY 2006 Men’s Halfpipe Gold, Shaun White, USA Silver, Danny Kass, USA Bronze, Markku Koski, FIN < Women’s Halfpipe Gold, Hannah Teter, USA Silver, Gretchen Bleiler, USA Bronze, Kjersti Buaas, NOR PHOTO: Kurt Hoy
VANCOUVER GAMES 2010 The long road to the Olympics
stops here. The Vancouver Games have arrived, and after more than a year of qualification and speculation, the riders are ready. And so are the fans. On all fronts, snowboarding looks better than ever. New tricks, new riders, and new nations are entering the competitive arena, making this the most exciting snowboard event of the decade. Hands down. And c’mon—alongside sports like figure skating and curling, it’s easy to see why snowboarding will steal the show. Again. The U.S. is stacked with talent, making America’s odds for Olympic dominance a very possible outcome of these Games. But with the depth of international talent, some medals will surely go to foreign lands. Regardless of how it all shakes out on the score sheets, the Vancouver Games will be one helluva show. Unlike other snowboard competitions, where victory and the prize purse are the goals, an Olympic win brings global prestige and inspires nationalistic
pride. With Olympic team selection comes the sense that each rider is competing for his or her country, for all the people back home, for the nation—and to bring home a medal is a universal symbol of achievement. Maybe that’s the reason there’s so much debate, scrutiny, and opinion surrounding the Olympic games. It’s huge. But the simple fact remains: the Olympics are just another contest. Sure, there’s more pressure, higher stakes, and more exposure for the riders involved, but as always, it will all boil down to the riding. And like you, we’ll be glued to the action. But before you start ringing cowbells, waving your giant foam pointer finger, and totally morph into a screaming, shred superfan, arm yourself with the info in this handy guide to the big show. Yes, it’s go time for the gold. Drop in.—TWS
SHAUN WHITE
PEETU PIIROINEN RECENT RESULTS: 2009 TTR World Tour Title. A quarterpipe win at the O’Neill Evolution and a big air win at the London FIS World Cup, plus second places at the Burton U.S. Open Superpipe, the Nissan X-Trail Jam big air, the Burton European Open slopestyle, and the 2008 Air & Style quarterpipe.
USA AGE: 23 HOMETOWN: Carlsbad, California STANCE: Regular BOARD TEAM: Burton
FINLAND
RECENT RESULTS: Overall title holder of the 2009 Dew Tour. Superpipe and slopestyle wins at the 2009 X Games. Superpipe wins at the 2009 Copper Grand Prix Olympic Qualifier, the Burton New Zealand Open, the Cardrona FIS World Cup, the Cypress Mountain World Cup, and the Park City Intelligent Design, plus a second at the Burton European Open.
AGE: 21 HOMETOWN: Hyvinkää, Finland STANCE: Goofy BOARD TEAM: Burton
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Shaun has shown himself to be unbeatable in more ways than the world thought possible. A born competitor, the Torino gold medalist doesn’t want to just go to the Olympics, he wants to the win them—again. In the competition arena, White is known for his flawless execution and otherworldly consistency. Outside that arena, he has exercised extreme secrecy—honing the moves that will keep him ahead of the pack in a series of ultra-private pipe/ foam-pit sessions. He’s locked the back-to-back double-cork 1080s, a combo that sets him apart from most of the field. He also has a double-cork backside 1080 and some savage switch backside spins—including switch backside nine.
BRING YOUR DOUBLE OR STAY HOME The 2010 Winter Olympics will be known
as the Double-Cork Games. Do you have one? If so, which variations, and what about back-to-back? Since March 2009, when Shaun White set down the first frontside 1080 double-cork at Project X—an ultra-secret Superpipe session involving an aptly placed foam pit—a firestorm has unfolded. Suddenly, riders from Louie Vito and Mason Aguirre to Peetu Piiroinen and iPod are double-hucking. It didn’t matter if they wanted to—they did it because they had to. It’s widely believed that somewhere between the death-defying throes of the double-cork and the impossibly difficult switch backside spin, Vancouver will be won and lost. With that said, Torino’s defending Olympic titleholder is an obvious shoo-in for the gold. But hot on Shaun’s heels are Luke Mitrani, Danny Davis, and Kevin Pearce—with the electricity of the Frends crew status on their side. Many have
LOUIE VITO
also placed their hopes on Louie Vito to topple Shaun, and if he keeps his head cool and his amplitude high, he just might. And although Danny Kass laid low for the 2009 winter, the two-time silver medalist is known for all but disappearing and then exploding back onto the scene with strength. Can he pull it off again? One thing’s for sure, never has any one contest elicited such a trickprogression frenzy. Jobs, pride, and big money are on the line, and the stakes are higher than ever. Simple competitive nature has evolved into a virtual bloodlust. Pull up a seat and see what happens—it’s gonna be good!
USA AGE: 21 HOMETOWN: Highland, Michigan STANCE: Regular BOARD TEAM: Burton
USA AGE: 21 HOMETOWN: Columbus, Ohio STANCE: Goofy BOARD TEAM: O-Matic
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Competing in the Winter Games might be a bit of a letdown after holding his own on Dancing With The Stars … but nevertheless, Olympic domination still seems to be locked into Louie’s crosshairs. Last season saw him stomping back-to-back 1080s consistently, and added to the repertoire this year are back-to-back lofty double-cork 1080s, plus a 1260. At a mere 21 years old, Vito is consistent, experienced, and now has the bag of tricks to really compete at the top level. POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Louie showed that he has what it takes to give Shaun a run for the podium at the 2009 Copper Grand Prix, but will he be able to step up his run even more as Shaun turns on the afterburners? Maybe, just maybe …
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: On the mend from a knee injury incurred at the 2009 X Games, Danny spent a few weeks at a secret Superpipe/ airbag session put on by his Frends crew in Mammoth last May. The result? Well, let’s just say this: the Tahoe-by-way-of-Michigan loc has at least two double-cork 1080s in his bag, and unconfirmed rumors have espoused that he even locked the impossibly sick double-cork switch backside rodeo. Narrowly missing the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team his first year on the pro competition circuit, this Stratton Mountain School graduate is a seasoned competitor with great style, superb switch backside spins, and a whole lot of energy. POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Danny has the tricks, now he just needs to put them down in competition. He failed to do just that on his Cab double-cork 1080 in the first Grand Prix finals. If he does though, it’ll be lethal.
KEVIN PEARCE
RECENT RESULTS: A Superpipe win at the 2008 Breckenridge Grand Prix, a second at the 2009 Copper Grand Prix Olympic Qualifier, a fifth at the Breckenridge Dew Tour, and eighth places at the 2009 X Games and Burton U.S. Open.
PORTRAITS: (clockwise) Frode Sandbech, Chris Wellhausen, Christy Chaloux, Andy Wright
MEN’S CONTENDERS
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Following in the footsteps of other precision pipe killers from Finland (Antti Autti, Risto Mattila, et cetera), Peetu is both highly technical and flawlessly smooth. He’s also a talented all-around rider who clinched the esteemed TTR title for 2009 by reigning over all forms of competition— from big air and slopestyle to quarterpipe and Superpipe. Although he wants the double cork, this coveted trick has remained elusive thus far, but that’s not to say he won’t have one shined up by Olympics time. Regardless, he goes huge and exhibits great style, as well as amazing edging capability and flawless trick execution.
RECENT RESULTS: Wins at the 2009 Breckenridge Dew Tour Superpipe, as well as the Burton European Open and Burton Australian Open slopestyles. Sixth at the Burton Australian Open Superpipe.
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Peetu’s passion for riding all types of terrain might prove a distraction. Can he focus on the singular goal of slaying Superpipe in the months leading up to Vancouver? Only time can tell.
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Let’s face it—Shaun doesn’t like to lose, and heading into Vancouver as an Olympic title defender, the pressure on his shoulders will be unimaginably high. Does Shaun feel pressure? Well, he’s human … isn’t he?
Shaun White’s private Silverton pipe session. PHOTO: Adam Moran
DANNY DAVIS
RECENT RESULTS: A Superpipe win at the Burton European Open, and second places at the 2009 X Games and Mount Snow Dew Tour, plus a fourth at the Burton Australian Open.
USA AGE: 22 HOMETOWN: Norwich, Vermont STANCE: Regular BOARD TEAM: Burton
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: After an insane 2008 season, where he won the Arctic Challenge, the Air & Style, and the TTR World Tour title, Kevin has been hailed by many as the kid who can bring down Shaun. Last year, he eased off on the contest tip to film for Absinthe’s Neverland, but he still found time to climb the podium. Kevin is the proud owner of a massive McTwist, a ten-to-ten-to-nine combo, and at least one double-cork 1080. [Editor’s note: Kevin experienced a traumatic fall while training in the pipe at Park City. As we go to print he is still in critical condition. We’re hoping he is on the road to recovery by the time you read this.]
USA AGE: 19 HOMETOWN: Stratton, Vermont STANCE: Regular BOARD TEAM: Volcom
SETH WESCOTT
RECENT RESULTS: A Superpipe second place at the Burton New Zealand Open, and third places at the Burton U.S. Open and the Park City Intelligent Design.
RECENT RESULTS: A win at the Arosa FIS World Cup, a second place at the Chapelco FIS World Cup, and thirds at the Stoneham and Cypress Mountain FIS World Cups.
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Young Mitrani has a lot of factors going his way right now. He’s riding on the momentum of some big podium finishes and—get this—he has three doubles. That’s right—there’s a switch double backflip melon grab that he’s been stomping for a few years now, plus a double-cork Cab ten, and a double Michalchuk melon. Based on the runs he had early season—big and smooth, with grabs all the way around—Luke is very nearly medal material. The best part? He’s only getting better with each passing week.
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Defending SBX Olympic Gold medalist and an all-around shred veteran, Seth Wescott is an extremely well-rounded rider and seasoned competitor. Not only is he a former alpine racer with an intuitive understanding of speed, he has also spent a month in Alaska every year since 2002 honing the precision board control demanded by death-defying lines. Seth’s mental game is rock solid—he’s methodical and patient, and he generally makes good decisions mid-course where many riders get tripped up. If his body is healthy, there’s no question that Seth can stomp anyone in the world—which is why he’s already wearing one Olympic gold medal around his neck.
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Luke’s biggest weaknesses might be struggles with consistency and a lack of experience with Olympic caliber events—he struggled with his doubles and failed to make it into finals at the Copper Grand Prix Olympic Qualifier, but he has them on lock during practice, so …
USA (SNOWBOARDCROSS) AGE: 33 HOMETOWN: Sugarloaf, Maine STANCE: Goofy
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: No matter who you are, being 100-percent healthy is a make-orbreak factor at an Olympic-caliber competition. With a brutal schedule of five qualifiers in a row before the big show in Vancouver, Seth has to walk that fine line of pushing himself to progress and not getting hurt in the process.
DANNY KASS MATHIEU CRÉPEL
FRANCE AGE: 25 HOMETOWN: Anglet, Basque STANCE: Regular BOARD TEAM: Rossignol
IOURI PODLADTCHIKOV
RECENT RESULTS: A big air win at the Grenoble FIS World Cup and a Superpipe win at the Bardonecchia FIS World Cup. A third place at the FIS World Championships Superpipe in Gangwon, Korea, and a fifth at the Burton European Open slopestyle.
RECENT RESULTS: A big air win at Freestyle.CH and a Superpipe second place at the Cardrona World Cup. Superpipe third places at the Burton European Open, the Cypress Mountain FIS World Cup, and the Bardonecchia FIS World Cup.
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: A favorite on the FIS World Cup circuit, Mathieu is a resilient rider who seems hungry for Olympic glory. In fact, he might even have a bone to pick with the event, having touched down in a lackluster seventeenth place at the Torino Winter Games. Judging by his current trick arsenal, Vancouver might be prime redemption time. Not only does he have back-to-back 1080s, but a banger frontside 1260 tailgrab (Mathieu was the first rider ever to land this trick in competition), as well as the elusive switch backside 900. Yep, it’s got all the makings of a super difficult, highly impressive run—now he’s just gotta put it all together for the big show.
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Born in Moscow and raised in the Swiss Alpine village of Davos, this half-Russian, half-Swiss rider has never-ending stocks of energy and a burgeoning talent that definitely reached podium potential last season. Not only is he consistent and smooth, he goes big and he’s got great style. Armed with a Cab ten double-cork and a potential double-Michalchuk—plus the dizzying front ten to Cab 1080 combo—I-Pod is a fierce contender. He’s actually a former Olympian, too— he attended the 2006 Games for Russia and landed in 37th place. This time around, he’s repping Switzerland and looking for a much higher spot on the results roster.
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Like many of his competitors, Crépel is coming back from an injury—he broke his foot last February in Japan, ending his ’09 season mighty short and leaving him at a bit of a disadvantage, practice-wise.
SWITZERLAND AGE: 21 HOMETOWN: Zurich, Switzerland STANCE: Goofy BOARD TEAM: Volcom
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Although he has former Olympics experience, he doesn’t have former Olympics finals experience, and he’s still a little green compared to two-time Olympic medalists like Danny Kass.
PORTRAITS: (clockwise) Chris Wellhausen, Kurt Hoy, Frode Sandbech, Frode Sandbech, (facing page) Chris Wellhausen
LUKE MITRANI
Danny Kass has been known to come out of nowhere to win big events. Take the 2009 U.S. Open for example. Watch out for this deadly competitor. Breckenridge, Colorado. PHOTO: Christy Chaloux
DANNY KASS, USA
USA
AGE: 27
BOARD TEAM: Gnu
HOMETOWN: Vernon, New Jersey
RECENT RESULTS: A Superpipe win at the
STANCE: Regular
Burton U.S. Open, and a ninth place at the
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Don’t be fooled by Danny’s lack of winning stats in the past season. This is clearly a pattern for him—lay low for a while and then explode back onto the scene with strength. He’s consistent under pressure and a strategic game player—stepping it up and actually riding his best when the stakes are high. Need proof? Simply reference his prior two Olympic silver medals from 2002
and 2006. With that said, he’s still doing what it takes to up the ante with the rest of the field. He spent a few weeks in New Zealand this fall chucking double-corks into an airbag, and he’ll likely have them polished come game time. Add that to a smooth, stylish run with some heavyhitting switch backside spins, and who knows? Another silver medal would probably fit nicely on his mantle.
Burton New Zealand Open.
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Danny Kass is a busy man. He’s taken the Grenade helm, there’s his Danny & the Dingo Show, plus whatever other maniacal projects he’s got popping. Times are good—but gone is the era of riding all day every day. Especially with the talent field exploding like it is right now, he’ll have to focus harder than ever to get in the game.
Kelly Clark won Gold in the 2002 Olympic s and placed fourth in the 2006 Olympics—she’s back for gold. PHOTO: Kurt Hoy
WOMEN’S CONTENDERS The field might be smaller, but the women’s fight to the Olympic podium is every bit as electrifying as the men’s. The established top tier, including usual suspects like Kelly Clark, Gretchen Bleiler, and Torah Bright, are being put to the test by emerging talent from such unsuspecting places as China and Connecticut. So far, though, the top girls are still just that—top. Clark is coming off a rampant winning streak last season with the taste of gold in her mouth and a score to settle with her disappointing fourth place at Torino back in 2006. Meanwhile, Gretchen Bleiler’s bag of tricks gets bigger and more explosive, and while the silver was great in 2006, gold would be greater. Torah Bright, who won the first FIS World Cup of this season in Saas Fee, continues to hone her technical wizardry and find new ways to impress the judges. However, a changing of the guard is loom-
ing in the mist—teenagers Jiayu Liu and Ellery Hollingsworth are ready. An embodiment of the snowboarding revolution hitting China right now, Liu dominated the FIS World Cup circuit last year with amplitude and supreme consistency, while Darien, Connecticut’s Ellery Hollingsworth stomped the first 1080 in women’s competition. Youth has its advantages, but a lot can be said for experience and knowing what it takes to win. Trick-wise, this will mean at least one 900 or a switch backside seven, back-to-back sevens or an invert (preferably both), and serious amplitude will be the keys to dominance. Whether or not Liu and Hollingsworth have the chops to infiltrate the podium, they’re definitely stomping new stuff and breathing down the necks of the more established riders.
TORAH BRIGHT
GRETCHEN BLEILER
KELLY CLARK
USA
AGE: 26 HOMETOWN: West Dover, Vermont STANCE: Regular BOARD TEAM: Burton
RECENT RESULTS: Superpipe wins at the 2009 Mount Snow Dew Tour, the 2009 X Games, the Roxy Chicken Jam, the Burton Asian Open, the Burton European Open, the Burton New Zealand Open, the Cypress
Mountain FIS World Cup, and the 2008 and 2009 Copper Mountain Grand Prix. She also earned the TTR World Tour Title and a second-place finish at the Burton U.S. Open.
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: A two-time Olympian and the first American to win a Superpipe gold in the history of the Games, Kelly Clark is, in all estimations, powerful podium material heading into Vancouver. A strong rider/competitor both mentally and physically, she’s known for going big and doing her tricks with authority. She also has a winning stock
run that includes back-to-back 720s, along with a huge front 900. Although staunchly consistent in the last competition season, Kelly’s riding is nothing if not spectacular— and you have to take chances to pull off that kind of explosiveness. With that said, a crash in Torino led to a disappointing fourth-place finish, and she’s undoubtedly hungry for redemption this time around.
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Hmm, Kelly’s weak spots are few and far between. During the 2009 season, she did fourteen pipe contests and placed first or second in every one. She also won the first Grand Prix Olympic Qualifier of the season, noting that she “felt great.”
PORTRAITS: (left to right) Scott Serfas, Chris Wellhausen, (facing page) Scott Serfas
RECENT RESULTS: Superpipe wins at the 2009 X Games, the 2009 Dew Tour Toyota Championships, and the 2009 Burton U.S. Open.
AUSTRALIA AGE: 23 HOMETOWN: Cooma, New South Wales STANCE: Goofy BOARD TEAM: Roxy
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: The reigning queen of tech-trick wizardry, Torah Bright stood at the top of many a major podium in the past year. Shunning the typical frontside five to seven to nine combinations, she won the U.S. Open last season with a run that included a backside 360, a Crippler, and the über-difficult switch backside 720. Her runs are often flawlessly smooth, but because they’re so technical, they sometimes lack the no-holds-barred explosiveness of Kelly and Gretchen’s riding, for instance. However, she has won time and again against this field with such skillful runs, and like the handful of other riders who barely missed podium status at the last Olympics (she placed fifth in Torino after dislocating her shoulder in the finals), Torah will be gunning for redemption. POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Torah’s runs bank on difficulty more than wow-factor, and you have to be a fellow snowboarder with a keen eye to appreciate this. She has mentioned that she felt like the judges in Torino, um, didn’t. Maybe things will be different this time?
RECENT RESULTS: Superpipe wins at the 2008 Breckenridge Dew Tour and the Snow Angels Invitational. Second place at the 2009 Copper Grand Prix Olympic Qualifier, the Killington Grand Prix, and the Cardrona FIS World Cup, plus a third place at the Bardonecchia FIS World Cup.
USA AGE: 28 HOMETOWN: Aspen/ Snowmass, Colorado STANCE: Goofy BOARD TEAM: K2
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Gretchen is made for this caliber of event. She’s a fierce competitor with tons of contest experience and the consistency that comes with it. Her classic Crippler has recently been upgraded to a Crippler 720—plus, there’s the solid nine and back-to-back fives and sevens. She’s also in the unique position of having prior Olympics medal experience while still being a bit of an underdog. Having touched down in the silver-medal spot behind fellow American Hannah Teter at the Torino Games, Gretchen’s undoubtedly got a fire under her ass to get the gold on this go-round. POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Although she’s a seasoned competitor with consistency on her side, Gretchen’s weakest link is probably her Cab seven, which she struggles to stomp from time to time. Also, coming back from that dramatic crash and head bang during last year’s X Games, there’s a little fear factor surrounding her 900s.
ELLERY HOLLINGSWORTH
RECENT RESULTS: Superpipe wins at the Burton Australian Open and the Boreal Grand Prix, second places at the 2009 Mount Snow Dew Tour and the Bardonecchia FIS World Cup, and third at the 2008 Copper Mountain Grand Prix, the 2008 X Games, the Cypress Mountain FIS World Cup, and the Northstar-at-Tahoe Dew Tour.
USA AGE: 22 HOMETOWN: Belmont, Vermont STANCE: Goofy BOARD TEAM: Burton
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: As defending Olympic gold medalist, Hannah has the power and strength to win and has definitely savored success in the past. The niner is there, as well as fives and sevens. However, she has been somewhat absent in the past four years, battling some knee injuries, as well as taking a step back to do her own thing, including raising money for Darfur and other causes. She has a competitive drive and winning tricks, but her runs are slightly less consistent than Kelly’s and Torah’s, and there have been days when she has seemingly played it safe in qualifiers and not made it to the finals.
USA AGE: 18 HOMETOWN: Darien, Connecticut STANCE: Regular BOARD TEAM: Burton
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Consistency is only part of the winning equation, but it’s an important part, and one that Hannah is definitely trying to dial in right now. She also has been suffering from a trick shoulder that prevented her from competing in the 2009 Copper Grand Prix Olympic qualifier.
LINDSEY JACOBELLIS
USA (SNOWBOARDCROSS) AGE: 24 HOMETOWN: Stratton, Vermont STANCE: Regular BOARD TEAM: Sims
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Lindsey has had a chokehold on women’s SBX for years now. She has clinched X Games gold medals every season since 2003 (except ’07—when she got, gasp, silver!), as well as nineteen World Cup medals to date. This makes her the winningest snowboardcross athlete in history, man or woman. She had a stellar 2009 winter, too, dominating the World Cup circuit with textbook consistency. Heading into this Olympic season, she’s been training like mad and honing a cast-iron mental game. Lindsey is ultra-competitive—she doesn’t like to lose— and she undoubtedly viewed her dramatic second place finish at the 2006 Games more as losing the gold than winning the silver. So, for Vancouver … it’s redemption time! POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Everyone knows Lindsey as the chick who had the Torino Olympics laced up until she stacked on a method right before the finish line. Heading into Vancouver with such a history, she can expect all eyes to be on her. This could either rattle her game—or give her that much more fuel to prove she can do what she didn’t in 2006.
Halfpipe judging, like figure-skating judging, is subjective—in other words, it’s not a timed event. And to make it even more complicated, tricks don’t have an official degree of difficulty or specific points assigned to them. Also, riders don’t have to call out their runs ahead of time, so judges really have to pay attention (truth is, once you hit the Olympics, most riders stick to the run they’ve been doing throughout the Grand Prix qualification series, with strategic variations). The Olympic pipe is scored by seven judges with one overall impression score based on the following criteria: execution of tricks, variety of tricks, difficulty, pipe use, and amplitude.
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: This East Coast upstart has been holding her own in the big leagues recently. She landed the first-ever 1080 in women’s competition—a Cab ten. She also has a Cab 900, back-to-back fives and sevens, and a Michalchuk. Her riding is highly technical, as well as super smooth and stylish—but so far she’s lacked the oomph (amplitude and pizzazz) to crack the upper tier of riders (the realms of Kelly/Gretchen/Torah). However, she’s got youth, energy, determination, and some banger tricks on her side.
ADDING IT ALL UP It all breaks down into three rounds—qualifiers, semifinals, and finals. Each rider initially has two runs to impress the judges in qualifiers, with the top six automatically advancing to the finals. The remaining riders will duel it out in the semifinals for the six remaining spots. That leaves twelve riders chasing gold in the finals, with the better of their two runs as their final score. Each rider can score a maximum of ten points per run, and only five of the seven judges scores count (the highest and lowest are dropped). Earning a perfect score is a difficult task considering these following deductions:
POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Being a relative rookie has its privileges in the pressure department, but a lot can be said for having prior experience with the Olympic qualification process, including the stress and mental freak-outs that often happen in the few weeks before the Olympics.
0.1–0.4 POINTS: Flat landings, instable landings, and small hand touches 0.5–0.9 POINTS: Using hands for stability, hand drags 1.0–1.5 POINTS: Hard touchdowns and minor falls 1.6–1.9 POINTS: Complete falls without a stop or interruption 2 POINTS: Any complete stop 2 POINTS: Failure to do a straight air
JIAYU LIU
RECENT RESULTS: A win at the 2009 X Games and the Overall SBX titleholder for the 2009 FIS World Cup season.
RECENT RESULTS: Superpipe wins at the FIS World Championships in Gangwon, Korea; the World Winter Universiade in Maoershan, China; the Cardrona FIS World Cup; the Valmalenco FIS World Cup; the Saas Fee FIS World Cup; and a second place at the Cypress Mountain FIS World Cup.
CHINA AGE: 19 HOMETOWN: Harbin, China STANCE: Regular BOARD TEAM: Burton
OLYMPIC OUTLOOK: Relatively unknown on the North American scene, Jiayu’s been reigning supreme on the international FIS circuit, clocking three World Cup wins in the ’09 season—plus a gold at the FIS Worlds in Korea. She has all the components of a perfect run— back to back 540s, sevens, and a nice big Cab 900. She goes big, and although her tricks lack a tad bit of finesse (which should come with time), she’s solid and consistent, and riding on some major podium momentum right now. POTENTIAL DOWNFALL: Jiayu doesn’t have any prior Olympic experience, and no matter how prepared you are, there’s a lot of mind games involved with competing on this level— especially considering how seriously China takes the Olympics.
JUDGING CRITERIA HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?
RECENT RESULTS: Superpipe third places at the 2009 Mount Snow Dew Tour, the Burton U.S. Open, and the Snow Angels Invitational. Fourth places at the 2009 X Games and the Northstar-at-Tahoe Dew Tour.
PORTRAITS: (clock wise) Scott Serfas, Chris Wellhausen, Pablo Azocar, Kurt Hoy
HANNAH TETER
FAILING TO DO A STRAIGHT AIR? Though controversial, the straight air rule is in place according to FIS, to “easily relate rudimentary halfpipe skills and style to spectators in an attempt to protect and prolong the sport.“ “Most kids want to imitate their heroes, but massive spins and flips are hard to imagine,” says Olympic pipe judge Steve Brown. “So if they see these riders doing a big method air [or similar], then they have a starting point to go out and try, rather than avoiding the pipe,” he argues. While the FIS also counts air-to-fakies, alley-oops, and 180s as straight airs, this rule is the one discrepancy in FIS/Olympic judging compared to, say, the X Games, because many riders believe this limits their run. “It changes how we ride,” says Olympic hopeful Kevin Pearce. “That says it all. Snowboarding is about self-expression. It’s about doing it your own way and doing your best run, but when the rules start telling you how to do your run, it simply screws things up.” Nonetheless, riders will be strategically stacking their tricks and pelting the pipe with doublecorks for that one perfect run. There’s a lot on the line and it all boils down to a few judges.
Ross Powers scored a 46.1 during his final gold medal run, which started with this world-record eighteen-foot method at the 2002 Olympics. PHOTO: Kurt Hoy
Shaun White switch double McTwist at Silverton, Colorado. PHOTO: Adam Moran
HIT LIST
1
A Breakdown Of The Tricks We’ll See In Vancouver Double-Cork Defined: A double-cork is any trick that incorporates two flips with multiple spins.
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At the last Winter Olympics in Torino, all the talk was about back-to-back tricks. Shaun White won with a straight air, a McTwist, and then back-to-back tens and nines. What a difference four years makes—or really, one year. Just a year ago, double-corks weren’t even considered a pipe trick, now, if you don’t have a double, you don’t have a chance. And that’s going to make for one hell of a show at Cypress. Take Mike Jankowski’s word for it, he’s the U.S. Snowboarding Team’s head halfpipe coach: “The trick combos will be out of this world with backto-back double-cork tens, a backside double-cork 1080, and maybe a switch backside 900 to top it off. There could be a Cab 1260 in there as well for the finishing touch. The top riders will have a deep bag of tricks, so getting creative with the combos will have a big effect on the outcome.” It’s no surprise that Shaun’s a favorite for the 2010 Olympics—he’s got three double-corks dialed, tat this point, all the other riders are really just trying to catch up. Mike adds, “If Shaun goes big and stomps a run that has
three doubles, a switch backside spin and a 1260, it is safe to say that it is going to be extremely hard to beat. There are a few guys out there that already have one or two double-corks in their bag of tricks and will likely add another by the time February comes around.” Those other riders include Luke Mitrani, who we hear has three doubles on lock, specifically a switch double backflip, Cab double-cork 1080, and a double Michalchuk. Kevin Pearce, Danny Davis, Louie Vito, Greg Bretz, and Scotty Lago, also all have at least one double-cork. And let us not forget our friends across the pond—Iouri Podladtchikov of Switzerland, Nathan Johnstone of Australia, and Mathieu Crepel of France all have solid doublecork tens. And it’s anyone’s guess how many other riders will have them come competition day at Cypress. But one thing is for sure: snowboarding will never be the same after the season of 2009/2010. Mike Jankowski sums it up best, “Change does not come often and it does not come easily. The true heroes are these riders who are taking giant leaps into the unknown and exploring the possibilities of what can be done.”
THE LEVEL OF HALFPIPE RIDING HAS SKYROCKETED EXPONENTIALLY BEYOND WHAT ANYONE REALLY EXPECTED TO HAPPEN. THE UPCOMING OLYMPICS DEFINITELY FUELS THE FIRE INTO A FRENZY OF PROGRESSION.”— M i k e J a n k o w s k i
Halfpipe Tricktionary
AIR-TO-FAKIE, ALLEY-OOP, 180: All riders are required to do one straight air in their run (see Judging), like, say, a method or tailgrab, but air-to-fakies, alley-oops, and 180s are considered straight airs and are harder than your standard frontside or backside air (unless it’s colossal), so pay close attention to which straight air riders put up. SWITCH: Every double-cork is impressive, but watch for who is doing them switch, as this is sure to be a determining factor in who ends up on the podium.
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THE 1260: Shaun and Mathieu Crepel have the1260 (three and a half full rotations), and it could very well be their secret weapons at the Olympics. To max out points on this trick, the rider has to hold their grab and pour on the style—no ballerinas.
“SNOWBOARDING IS NOT A DISCIPLINE OF SKIING”
The first Olympic snowboarding gold medal was won by Ross Rebagliati in the 1998 Giant Slalom in Nagano.
The first contest Gian Simmen ever won was the 1998 Olympic halfpipe in Nagano.
The first Olympic pipe at Nagano in 1998 was 394 feet long with eleven-foot walls.
In 1998 Terje Haakonsen proudly proclaimed, “Snowboarding is not a discipline of skiing” and boycotted the Olympics.
Bjorn Leines just missed being on the Nagano Olympic team when the coaches sent Barrett Christy in a strategic medals move.
NBC commentator Todd Richards was expected to win the 1998 Olympic halfpipe after a 1st place season, but finished last.
FRONTSIDE VS. BACKSIDE: Most of the riders are doing frontside double-corks, so anyone who does one backside is sure to distinguish themselves from the field. BACK-TO-BACK: Landing one double-cork is crazy enough, but to put two of them together is really wild. So far Shaun and Louie have both nailed them in competition, and Danny Davis is so very close with others probably landing them by the time you read this.
COMPLETE COVERAGE
SNOWBOARD SCHEDULE
SNOWBOARDCROSS
The newest Olympic sport of boardercross was introduced in Torino in 2006. Four riders descend simultaneously through the banked turns, rollers, and jumps—the first one across the line wins! Contenders include returning Silver Medalist Lindsey Jacobellis and Gold Medalist Seth Wescott. MEN’S SNOWBOARDCROSS: Monday, February 15: qualifiers 10:30 a.m.–12:30 a.m. finals 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. WOMEN’S SNOWBOARDCROSS: Tuesday, February 16: qualifiers 10:00 a.m.–11:15 a.m. finals 12:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
SUPERPIPE
Now in its fourth Olympics—riders will once again drop into the “angled ditch” getting five to six hits on the way down. The pipe has continued to grow in size from eleven-foot walls when it debuted in 1998 Olympics to eighteen-foot walls in 1998 and 2006, and now 22-foot Superpipe walls in 2010 making bigger airs and more spins possible. MEN’S SUPERPIPE: Wednesday, February 17: qualifiers 1:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m. qualifiers 5:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m. finals 7:15 p.m.–8:15 p.m. WOMEN’S SUPERPIPE: Thursday, February 18: qualifiers 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. qualifiers 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. finals 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
OLYMPIC HALFPIPE Steve Petrie and his sixteen-person staff from Arena Snowparks are set to build the biggest halfpipe Canada has ever seen. The Superpipe will be four feet taller than the previous Olympic pipe. Here’s how it’ll break down:
OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDCROSS COURSE The course will be built by Jeff Ihaksi, who lives up the road in Pemberton, B.C. He was also the builder for the 2006 Olympic course in Torino. This course will be on the face of the mountain alongside the pipe—it starts off tight and opens up down below.
WIDTH: 65 feet (19.5 meters)
WALL HEIGHT: 22 feet (6.7 meters) VENUE CAPACITY: 12,000
VERTICAL DROP: 682 feet (208 meters)
LENGTH: 550 feet (165 meters)
NUMBER OF HITS: 5 to 6
Snowboarders on race boards and alpine boots race two at a time head to head through the gates in this timed elimination event—Austrians dominate. WOMEN’S PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM: Friday, February 26: qualifiers 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. finals 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. MEN’S PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM: Saturday, February 27: qualifiers 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. finals 12:15 p.m.–1:45 p.m. Closing Ceremony At BC Place In Vancouver Sunday February 28 5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
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A RUNDOWN OF VANCOUVER AND WHISTLER RESORTS There are plenty of places to ride during the Olympics all day and all night long with prices starting as low as 35 dollars Canadian. Here’s a rundown of where to go.
PARALLEL GIANT SLALOM LENGTH: 3,723 feet (1,135 meters)
A guide to what’s awesome in Vancouver from TransWorld Senior Photographer and Vancouver local Scott Serfas, a.k.a. “Fancy Pants.”
WHERE TO RIDE
VENUE CAPACITY: 8,000
WHERE TO EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY
PHOTO: Scott Serfas
OPENING CEREMONY AT BC PLACE IN VANCOUVER Friday, February 12, 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
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PHOTOS: (clockwise) Scott Serfas, Courtesy of Grouse, Courtesy of Van Oc-covan
All snowboard events will take place at Cypress Mountain in Vancouver, B.C., Canada (not at Whistler). Note that the qualifiers and the finals are on the same day for each event! *All times are in Pacific Standard Time (PST). *Check nbcolympics.com for TV viewing times.
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WHISTLER/BLACKCOMB Ninety percent of Whistler will be open and (we’re predicting) fairly uncrowded during the Olympics. Whistler/Blackcomb is one of the premier snowboard destinations in the world, having won Best Overall Resort in the TWS Resort Poll for five years in a row! One catch, make sure to book your Whistler lodging in advance—from February 11—28 there will be a checkpoint on the Sea to Sky Highway (from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) between Vancouver and Whistler; you’ll be required to show a permit to prove that you’re either a resident or have a lodging reservation to proceed. Web site: whistlerblackcomb.com Stats: 38 lifts/200 plus trails Park/pipe: 5 parks, 1 Superpipe Lift ticket: $89–$91 Night riding: No
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MOUNT SEYMOUR The park goes off at Seymour—with 40 features including fifteen-to-twenty-foot step-downs and 35-to-40-foot tables; down bars, flat rails, butter boxes, and some unique culverts. The freeriding, especially in the backcountry, is where Seymour really shines. Crews head out to build kickers and get a taste of the fresh. Web site: mountseymour.com Location: 35-minute drive from downtown Vancouver, in North Vancouver Stats: 5 lifts/39 trails
TOGO’S—The best sushi ever. Head chef Hidekazu Tojo invented the Cali roll. 1133 West Broadway, Vancouver. (604) 872-8050
VIJ’S—Indian-Pakistani fusion food—make a reservation! 1480 West 11th Avenue, Vancouver. (604) 736-6664
Park/pipe: Three parks, no pipe Lift ticket: $44 adult, $37 youth and student Night riding: $35, 4:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., 12 trails plus all terrain parks Comments: Shuttle service is available from both Parkgate Mall and, during the month of February, Lonsdale Quay
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GROUSE MOUNTAIN The entire resort will be open 24/7—that’s right, all day and all night long during the Olympic games (February 12–28)! Be on the lookout for special ticket pricing. Grouse is famous for the Quiksilver Park, but the freeriding goes off, too—it’s steep and the trees are epic. The views of the city and inlets alone are worth the drive up. Web site: grousemountain.com Location: 15-minute drive from downtown Vancouver, in North Vancouver Stats: 5 lifts/26 trails Park/pipe: Two main parks, no pipe Lift ticket: $55 adult, $45 youth Night riding: $45 adult, $40 youth, after 4:00 p.m.,13 runs Cypress will be closed from February 1 to March 8 for the Olympic events.
CACTUS CLUB CAFE—Good food served by hot chicks. There are five locations around Vancouver. cactusclubcafe.com LOLITA’S—Mexican food with a twist. 1326 Davie Street, Vancouver. (604) 696-9996
THE BOURBON—A nightspot to hang with the scenesters. 50 West Cordova, Vancouver. (604) 684-4214
REEF—Spicy Caribbean food, good brunch, and lots of rum. 4172 Main Street, Vancouver. (604) 874-5375
LAMPLIGHTER PUB—A Gastown bar with live local music. 210 Abbott Street, Vancouver. (604) 681-6666
CRAVE RESTAURANT—A Main Street breakfast spot; there’s usually a line. 3941 Main Street, Vancouver. (604) 872-3663
EL FURNITURE WAREHOUSE—All the food is under five bucks—fun times on weekend and weekday nights. 989 Granville Street, Vancouver. (604) 688-1111
LA TAQUERIA—An authentic Mexican taco shop. 322 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (604) 568-4406
Want more ideas? Hit up vancouverisawesome.com.