|
BY HEATHER FOSTER Along with the biggest snowstorm of the season, the USASA Big Mountain West Series rolled into Sun Valley’s Dollar Mountain Jan. 30-Feb. 2 for four days of events, starting with two days and four races in Boardercross followed by two days of Slopestyle. Sun Valley Company did an amazing job with the venues at Dollar Mountain with heavy support from all departments including Race/Events, Snowmaking, Terrain Parks, and Mountain Management. Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Snowboard and SVSEF Freeski staff also provided technical and equipment support, alongside amazing parent volunteers led by Lindsay Armeen. Boardercross kicked things off Thursday and Friday on one of the best tracks Sun Valley and the Series has ever had. SVSEF Snowboarding had several standouts in that discipline, including Camille Armeen with multiple podiums and Rylan Olson in the mix in every heat he ran.
|
|
Rylan Olson, right, happily collected his third-place medal.
|
|
|
Naomi Gorringe continued her habit of winning with four firsts in the 15- to 16-year-old category. Riders were working to gain Regional and National points toward qualifying for the USASA National Championships at Copper Mountain, Colo., in April. + New snow made things a bit slow in some less-than-ideal conditions in the Slopestyle events. But Sun Valley Company provided an amazing park line. And riders rose to the occasion, throwing runs with multiple spinning combos and technical rail tricks giving spectators a good show. Rylan Olson continued to show he is an “ATV” on a snowboard throwing big 720s on Jump Two all weekend and even going for the biggest rotation of the contest with a backside 1080 that took him a little low on the landing but heralded so much to come from this rider.
|
|
Beverly Hay DeChevrieux, a longtime supporter of SVSEF, awarded the annual Beverly Hay Snowboard Cup to London Zarkos and Lincoln Miller for their showing in both the Boardercrosss and Slopestyle events.
|
|
|
Camille Armeen started her runs with a risk-equals-reward approach, spinning a BS 360 on jump one. Charlie Theobald went the biggest of any of the riders on every feature and Viv Smith had nice Method Airs on the second jump. Naomi Gorringe put down some of the most technical runs amongst the women and the most stylish BS 180 of the weekend as she collected two more firsts. Karsen Miller spun on all three features and cleaned the rails on his way to multiple podium spots. + As is traditional to these events, the SVSEF Snowboard Program awarded the Beverly Hay Snowboard Cup to the best overall riders from the combined fourth Boardercross event and the two slopestyle events. The Beverly Hay Snowboard Cup has been awarded since 1999 and past winners include Olympians Graham Watananbe, Sean Fitzsimmons and Olympic Gold Medalist Kaitlyn Farrington. With podiums in all three events, this year’s winners are London Zarkos and Lincoln Miller both from Park City, Utah. Zarkos and Miller were both on hand for the awarding of the trophy by its namesake Beverly (Hay) De Chevrieux, who has championed SVSEF Snowboarding since its inception in 1992.
“Hosting these events each year and awarding the Bev Hay Cup is always a highlight,” said SVSEF Snowboarding Head Coach, Andy Gilbert. “It gives the kids a chance to showcase what they have been working towards in front of the hometown crowd. “It is also the midpoint of the season and really brings into focus what the goals are and what needs work as we head towards the finish line in April. The riders on the SVSEF Snowboard Team are coming into form in a major way and we expect great things from this group.” SVSEF Boardercross Standout Athlete Results: BX 1:
Breaker Girls 13-14: 3rd - Camille Armeen 5th - Vivian Smith Youth Women 15-16:
1st - Naomi Gorringe BX 2: Breaker Boys 13-14: 1st - Rylan Olson
Breaker Girls 13-14: 1st - Camille Armeen 5th - Vivian Smith Youth Men 15-16:
4th - Bixby Swanger Youth Women 15-16: 1st - Naomi Gorringe BX 3:
Breaker Girls 13-14: 1st - Camille Armeen 5th - Vivian Smith Youth Men 15-16:
5th - Charlie Theobald Youth Women 15-16: 1st - Naomi Gorringe BX 4:
Breaker Boys 13-14: 2nd - Rylan Olson Breaker Girls 13-14: 1st - Camille Armeen
5th - Vivian Smith Youth Men 15-16: 6th - Charlie Theobald Youth Women 15-16:
1st - Naomi Gorringe SVSEF Slopestyle Standout Athlete Results: SS1: Breaker Boys 13-14:
3rd - Rylan Olson Breaker Girls 13-14: 2nd - Vivian Smith 3rd - Camille Armeen
Youth Men 15-16: 6th - Bixby Swanger 9th - Charlie Theobald Youth Women 15-16:
1st - Naomi Gorringe Junior Men 17-18: 2nd - Karsen Miller 4th - Uzzi Almaras
SS 2: Breaker Boys 13-14: 4th - Rylan Olson Breaker Girls 13-14:
3rd - Camille Armeen 4th - Vivian Smith Youth Men 15-16: 5th - Charlie Theobald
7th - Bixby Swanger Youth Women 15-16: 1st - Naomi Gorringe Junior Men 17-18:
2nd - Karsen Miller 4th - Uzzi Almaras For complete event results, visit: https://liveheats.com/usasabmw/events
|