Tomorrow (December 10, 2009), on the snowy slopes of the recently sold Copper Mountain Resort in the heart of Summit County Colorado, the big show kicks off with women’s halfpipe qualifiers.
As never before snowboarders are well aware (thank you Shaun White) of what the Olympics can mean for fame, fortune, and everything that goes with it. And for United States halfpipe riders there’s only one way to get into the rings: The US Snowboard Grand Prix.
Top halfpipe riders will get five chances to show their skills: one at Copper Mountain this weekend, two at Mammoth January 4-10, 2010, and the final two at Park City January 20-23, 2010 (click resort names for event info). Then the team is chosen and it’s on to Vancouver.
Follow the jump for the full schedule of Copper Mountain events:
Thursday, December 10, 2009
10:30 am – 11:30 am Women’s Heat # 1 Qualifiers
Located at the Main Vein
11:45 am – 12:45 pm Women’s Heat # 2 Qualifiers
Located at the Main Vein
Friday, December 11, 2009
9:00 am – 10:30 am Men’s Heat # 1 Qualifiers
Located at the Main Vein
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Men’s Heat # 2 Qualifiers
Located at the Main Vein
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Men’s Heat # 3 Qualifiers
Located at the Main Vein
Saturday, December 12, 2009
11:00 am – 12:30 pm Half Pipe Finals
Located at the Main Vein
Awares will be distributed immediately after competition
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Xbox Junior Jam
Located at Copper Plaza
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Paul Mitchell Progression Session
Awards will be distrubted immediately after competition
10 year old kid watches Olympics with parents, Snowboarding gets good airtime. Kid demands that his parents get him a snowboard. they buy him a Burton kit (it’s what they sell at the same store he gets his soccer cleats at and it’s 50% off in February).
He learns to ride and falls in love.
Moves onto junior high, still riding old Burton kit. Other kids clown him. He goes to his mac and starts to watch videos online, see the pros riding the boards that the cool kids at his school are riding. See’s they aren’t hiking pipes but riding rails and going out late at night in the burbs shredding…
Next summer Kid gets summer job for 4.00 an hour from his dad. September rolls around and he clicks on his favorite brands site. Follows their online dealer locator to a core shop. Buys his first legit board.
That winter he realizes that down bars are the shit, he can take skating to the snow…. his little sister or brother inherits his Burton set up and the cycle starts again…
Thank you Olympics!!
Looking forward to being there this year, first Grand Prix to check out. Bummed I’m missing the women’s qualifiers but the finals should be great to see!
Daughter wants to snowboard. Is pretty good at it. Starts competing.
Gets better.
Prequalifies for GP.
Staying on somebodies floor tonight over at Copper.
No sponsors, last year and year before last’s gear.
Disintegrating bindings held together with duct tape.
How the Hell do people get sponsored?
I think she shouldn’t bother trying to compete.
If she breaks the snowboard she has now she’s done anyway.
WHY DOES SHE WANT TO COMPETE?!
It’s crazy. She should just want to ride.
That’s all I really ever wanted was for my daughter to like snowsports.
I don’t like being afraid to answer the phone when she’s away at competitions.
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