Neither of them needed to win an event to get into the Olympics because both Kelly Clark and Shaun White already on the team. That didn’t stop either of them from throwing down their best runs of the season tonight and winning in halfpipe number one at for the US Snowboarding Grand Prix at Park City. Shaun even threw in his 1260 double McTwist.
“It was just the run of my life, I don’t know how to say it,” White said. “I’ve basically been practicing this trick for as long as I can remember, and I don’t think I’ve crashed as much (as I have) in the last couple years I’ve been learning it.. . . The wild part about that trick is, the way I’m spinning the double cork hasn’t really been done before by anyone except myself,” White said. “Kevin Pearce was the only one trying something similar in a way, he was doing a double front flip – which is like a 900 but just spinning that way is really difficult.”
Kelly Clark saved her best run for last. ““I’ve always loved competing in Park City,” said Clark, who won Olympic gold in the same pipe in 2002, “They build amazing halfpipes, and it’s always fun for me to come back to get to compete and do well. . . I think I will need a tougher run than tonight in Vancouver. I’m definitely working my way up to it.”
The real battles for Olympic glory are going on directly below them on the results where there are six spots on the US Olympic Snowboard team still up for grabs. But tonight things are definitely beginning to get more sorted out. Here are the results from Park City halfpipe number one, January 22, 2010 (click the headers for full scoring).
Men’s Results
1. Shaun White 49
2. Scotty Lago 47.7
3. Greg Bretz 46.7
4. Elijah Teter 44
5. Luke Mitrani 44
6. Louie Vito 43.3
7. JJ Thomas 43
8. Danny Kass 42.7
9. Steve Fisher 42
10. Dylan Bidez 41.
Women’s overall
1. Kelly Clark 45.2
2. Hannah Teter 44.8
3. Ellery Hollingsworth 43.6
4. Gretchen Bleiler 42.5
5. Elena Hight
Tomorrow there will be no real reason for monitoring the as the entire US Snowboarding Grand Prix will be live on Fuel.TV. Follow the jump for the current US Snowboard Grand Prix standings.
[Coverage and scores thanks to: @686snow, @tbyrnes, @FuelTV, @Burtonsnowboard. We will have the official results up as soon as they are available. ]
Overall Standings
Average of best two results (ties broken)
Men
1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 1000
2. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 800
3. Scotty Lago, Seabrook, NH, 700
4. JJ Thomas, Golden, CO, 550
5. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 525
6. Zack Black, Breckenridge, CO, 525
7. Elijah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 475
8. Luke Mitrani, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 475
9. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, CO, 400
10. Jack Mitrani, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 340
Women
1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 1000
2. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 900
3. Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT, 800
4. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 650
5. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 600
6. Maddy Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 475
7. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 425
8. Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID, 400
9. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA, 305
