Arosa, Switzerland World Cup 08
Arosa Switzerland World Cup
Coach Ross Hindman Reports
Dec 20th, 2008
WOW. That’s the first thing that comes to mind. It didn’t stop snowing the entire time we were in Switzerland. We woke up to a half a foot of fresh pow every single day. The only drawback was the flat light combined with fog that everyone had to work to overcome; basically, you couldn’t see a thing.
The drive from Zurich to Arosa was pretty scary. The road up to Arosa from Chur was the narrowest I’ve seen in Europe so far. Every time a truck or bus came at us in the opposite lane, it was a cringe moment. Plus, the guard rail, if you could even call it that, was more like a reminder just to stay on the road.
As far as the course, we didn’t really know what to expect, but it was a lot mellower than the Argentine World Cup. The course started with a drop into a roller, into a Wu Tang that was too wide, but easy to make it over, into a berm, a roller into a rolled jump, a couple more rollers, a berm, a rocket booter that shot you to the moon, four more rollers and a showcase booter at the end, The fastest times were around 47 seconds for the men and around a minute for the women.
For wax, we used the Swix Black Wolf Line, with fresh snow falling ever hour, the conditions were challenging for any wax.
During qualifiers, it was snowing hard the entire time, the fog kept rolling in and out and the flat light kept it challenging for everyone. A few athletes were having hard time over shooting the rocket booter and coming in high for the next berm. On a course like this, you couldn’t make any mistakes. After the berm, you had to get the board flat quickly and let inertia carry you to the left side of the jump so that you could land right in the middle and avoid getting shot out of the course. Ziggy (Cowan) made that mistake in her second training run and went right into a foot of pow that killed her speed. Second run, we put some Swix FC8 Rocket Spray on her board for max speed, she pulled hard out the start, made thee tranny, then into the roller, she put too much pressure on her toes and du a trench that cost her the finals.
For the rest of the athletes, when your coach tells you to keep it flat, now you know why!
Ross S. Hindman
Phillip R. Fell
International Snowboard Training Center
(970) 468.9238
(724) 799.5090 - Ross
(435) 640.6946 - Phill
Rhiphotography@mac.com
Phillip.fell@lycos.com
The Wax Report
December 28th, 2008
Arosa, Switzerland
The Weather here at Arosa hasn’t been close to bluebird., Snow, fog and flat light pretty much defined the conditions for the duration of the event. The only nice day was on training day, but other than that, it was challenging wax conditions for any World Cup tech.
With new snow falling at about an inch a minute during qualifiers, it was tough for athletes to keep up their speed and challenging for techs to keep up with the snow. Snow temps were warm underneath, -3, and 2 to 4 degrees Celsius on top. I tried everything I had in different combos but nothing seemed to be doing the job. The boards didn’t feel loose when I put them on new snow. I decided to try the FC8A Rocket Spray, and the boards flew like greased lightening. The athlete I used on it was able to double a set of rollers that no other athlete was doing. Finally, an exceptional product that works on fresh powder!
This is what we used;
Basewax - HFBW 7 & 8
Overlay- FC 8 powder
Top Coat - FC8A Rocket Spray
Being the mate that I am, I shared my info with the Australian National Team for the finals. One of their athletes went on to win every single round until the finals. He ended up 4th with a series of technical mistakes, but the board was running incredibly fast.
Bottom line, if there is one thing you need in your tuning kit, it’s a can of this stuff. All of the top riders were using it at this race and those who didn’t have it, didn’t make it to the finals.
Where to get it; www.SwixSport.com
Swix Cera F Rocket Spray
($90 for 70ml)
Think and Act 360 degrees!
“Athletic Excellence Through Dedication and Healthy Living”
Ross S. Hindman
Phillip R. Fell
International Snowboard Training Center
(970) 468.9238
(724) 799.5090 - Ross
(435) 640.6946 - Phill
Rhiphotography@mac.com
Phillip.fell@lycos.com
US Athletes Prepare for a Stellar 2009
PREVIEW: SNB Ready For More Success in 2009
PARK CITY, UT (Dec. 19) - With five World Cup stops as well as the first U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, presented by Sprint, under its belt, the U.S. Snowboarding halfpipe, snowboardcross and alpine squads are well on track for a season of making their way to the tops of podiums everywhere.
“We had an amazing season last year, but moving ahead we’re looking to push the envelope even further as we look toward the Olympic season,” said U.S. Snowboarding Program Director Jeremy Forster.
The snowboardcross athletes, who saw numerous World Cup and X Games podiums last season, have spent the summer working on individual training. The summer work was capped off by an unprecedented camp in which the athletes trained on one of only two built out cross courses in the world, complete with two start gates, along with the ski cross team at Telluride Resort in Colorado.
“The camp was crucial for us to be prepared to go race a World Cup course. Other nations have all been practicing on glaciers, but I don’t think they’ve been able to build the kind of quality course that we were able to build,” U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley said. “I feel like we’re in a really good position to do well.”
An authority on crushing the field of any competition she comes across, Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) looks to become the winningest athlete, male or female, on the World Cup snowboardcross circuit. Currently, she sits tied for the women’s record at 14 wins with Karine Ruby of France and is two wins away form beating the men’s record of 15 wins, which Jasey Jay Anderson of Canada.
“It’s definitely something I strive for, but my goal is to just go out and do one race at a time and make sure I’m staying healthy and strong,” Jacobellis said.
Jacobellis also looks to defend her X Games gold medalist status in 2009. The powerhouse has won the gold four times in her career.
Also aiming to put his mark in the book of SBX history is Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA). In 2008, Holland became the second man since teammate Shaun Palmer (South Lake Tahoe, CA) to win three consecutive X Games gold medals.
“I always go into a race to win it and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Going into X Games I want to win it again and I think I can,” Holland said. “It’s not going to be easy - I know that. But, it never has been. I really am looking to win, get the four-peat and break the record.”
The rest of the crew will undoubtedly make a splash at competitions around the globe with the likes of snowboarding icon Palmer, Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME), Olympian Jayson Hale (Sierraville, CA) and World Cup winners Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) gracing its A Team.
The U.S. athletes are the ones to beat in the halfpipe this year as Olympic gold medalists Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT) and Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT), X Games gold medalists Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO) and Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), and U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix overall champion Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) stack an ironclad roster.
“We have veterans who have won the Grand Prix series and have won the X Games. Then, we have some up-and-coming young rippers like Greg Bretz [Mammoth Lakes, CA]. We have the perfect combination in the lead up to 2010,” U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski said. “And on the women’s side, to have two gold and a silver Olympic medalist on the team is unparalleled. It’s a stacked roster. It’s exciting and it bodes well for our 2010 medal push.”
Clark, who recently re-joined the U.S. Snowboarding ranks, won the Grand Prix overall title in 2008 and the first stop on the 2009 tour in Copper. She is looking to focus on making strides in her riding as she looks ahead to Vancouver.
“My focus has shifted this year to be more long term. I’m really taking some time to focus on my riding and I’m taking the focus off the events this year because next year, at the first Grand Prix, that’s the event that I want to win,” Clark said. “I’m just taking the time that I need to take to make sure I have every trick learned and everything in the right place to qualify for the Olympics next year.”
Bleiler will also be in the mix, looking to defend her crown as queen of the X Games halfpipe and Teter will be back in the mix hunting for the win as she plans to donate the proceeds of her prize money to a village she sponsors in Kenya.
Fisher plans to take things competition by competition with the end goal being a spot on the 2010 team. Vito, who also won the first stop on the 2009 Grand Prix tour, is looking to make his way into the Olympic field as well.
“Vito kicked off the year with a win against a very competitive field, and Fisher, of course, has what it takes to win contests,” Jankowski said.
The halfpipe crew is also bolstered by a band of rookies who are making their way up the ranks. Most notably, Madeline Schaffrick (Steamboat Springs, CO), Kaitlyn Farrington (Sun Valley, ID), Ross Baker (Squaw Valley, CA) and Broc Waring (Edwards, CO) all made finals at the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix where Schaffrick, 14, finished fourth.
After an incredible season where four riders earned five World Cup podiums for the crew, the alpine snowboarding athletes are ready after a summer of intense physical training to go bigger in 2009.
“This summer was more of a physical training summer to get everyone on the fitness program. We see, going into the season already, that it’s paying off,” U.S. Snowboarding Alpine Head Coach Steve Persons said. “The athletes have bought into it completely and I think the fitness side of it is a big step in the right direction. The biggest thing for us is to watch it unfold on snow.”
Michelle Gorgone (Boston, MA), Justin Reiter (Steamboat Springs, CO), and Adam Smith (Bend, OR), who each had one top-3 finishes, and Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO), who pulled in two podium finishes, headline the roster and are looking to put their names to another historic U.S. Snowboarding season.
The action heads to Arosa, Switzerland this weekend with snowboardcross competing on Saturday and alpine on Sunday.
Friday, December 19, 2008
ANCHORAGE (Dec. 19) - Rising U.S. Snowboarding star Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK), the silver medalist in last year’s World Junior Champonships snowboardcross event, will miss the start of the 2009 season recovering from a fall at a World Cup in Chepelco, Argentina. The 19-year-old suffered a knee injury in September.
“Callan is making great progress in her rehab,” said U.S. Snowboarding Medical Director Richard Quincy. “While we don’t have a return to action date for her, we’re excited about her progress. She’s an outstanding young athlete and taking her rehab very seriously so she can return at full strength to competition.”
Following the injury in South America, she returned to Vail, CO for surgery with U.S. Snowboarding’s Head Physician Dr. Thomas Hackett at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic. The Alaskan snowboarder is rehabbing in Anchorage.
Chythlook-Sifsof has been rising quickly in what is already a star-studded U.S. lineup on the U.S. Snowboarding snowboardcross roster, which is led by Olympic silver medalist and four-time X Games champ Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT).
It was not known if she would return during the 2009 season, but officials felt she would be ready to compete for a spot on the 2010 Olympic Team the following year.
Copper at Snowboarding Forefront
Thursday, December 11, 2008
COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO (Dec. 11) – When the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, presented by Sprint, rolls into Copper Mountain this weekend, it marks another step for the Colorado resort in becoming the hub for snowboarding in America. The biggest international field in the 13-year history of the Grand Prix is in Copper, with Saturday’s finals to be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports and webcast live on Go211.com.
Copper is no stranger to the Grand Prix, having hosted events in 1998 and 1999. Copper has also been the site of a pair of FIS Alpine World Cup events over the years, and still serves as the primary pre-season training base for both the U.S. Alpine Ski Team, as well as top snowboarders from around the world.
The Colorado resort is also a regular stop on the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s Revolution Tour, an important domestic series featuring halfpipe, slopestyle and SBX. And it’s the traditional opening stop on the Race to the Cup Series, USSA’s national alpine snowboarding circuit. Copper is also playing host to an SBX NorAm Cup for the third straight season.
“Copper Mountain has become a big player for snowboarding, attracting riders literally from around the world every November and December,” said USSA’s Snowboarding Director Jeremy Forster. “Copper’s elevation, early season snow and expertise in building a great pipe has become a huge attraction.”
Coaches and riders alike have been praising the pipe at Copper, especially for so early in the season. “Halfpipe is challenging early in the year because of the snow required to build a good pipe,” said Forster. “Copper is perfectly suited geographically at high elevation and in a pattern of good, consistent snow. And the resort has made the commitment to building a really quality pipe that integrates well with base facilities and is a fabulous venue for spectators. And, as recreational skiers and riders have learned over the years, Copper is very accessible with its location right on I-70.”
The Grand Prix is already slated to be back at Copper in December 2009 for the first of three events to qualify for the Olympic halfpipe team. Copper will have a 22-foot Olympic superpipe for those competitions – the first time ever for a major event that early in the season. The three U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix events, featuring five halfpipe competitions, will be used exclusively for determination of the 2010 Olympic halfpipe team next season.
“I’m really excited to have the Grand Prix as an Olympic qualifying event at my home mountain,” said Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO). “I’ve always known that Copper has a lot of great people and great terrain. They’ll do everything they can to make the events amazing and give the athletes a great place to compete.”
The resort’s overall role in the sport is what most excites coaches. “We have some great snowboarding sites around the country who really support the sport,” said Forster. “Copper, though, is really exceptional in that it is supporting events at every level, from USASA grassroots events and USASA Nationals, to our Race to the Cup and Rev Tour competitions. That has really helped Copper to develop a culture around the sport of snowboarding and built great credibility with the riders.”
U.S. Snowboarding officials are also excited about the new Woodward at Copper facility. Woodward is a renowned gymnastics camp program that is pioneering a winter sports venue at Copper, including an indoor training facility.
“Combining Woodward’s off-hill facilities at Copper with the on-snow features creates a perfect training opportunity for every athlete,” said Forster.
The eyes of the world will be on Copper Mountain Saturday with halfpipe finals beginning at 11:00 a.m. local time (1 p.m. ET). The finals will be carried live on Go211.com, with NBC Sports broadcasting nationally on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. ET. Versus will also broadcast coverage on Dec. 27 at 4 p.m. ET. The Paul Mitchell Progression Session, taking place Saturday evening, will also air on Versus Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. ET.
Grand Prix Kicks off at Copper
U.S. Women Dominate Grand Prix Qualis
Thursday, December 11, 2008
COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO (Dec. 11) - U.S. women dominated the international competition Thursday as they took seven of the eight qualification spots for the halfpipe finals at the U.S. Snownboarding Grand Prix, presented by Sprint, at Copper Mountain.
The U.S. Snowboarding all-stars who will appear in the pipe Saturday are Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT), Olympian Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA), X Games gold medalist Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT), Grand Prix podium performer and Copper Mountain athlete Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO), and rookies Kaitlyn Farrington (Bellevue, ID) and Maddline Schaffrick (Steamboat Springs, CO).
Soko Yamaoka of Japan was the only international rider to make finals.
Men’s qualifications begin Friday at 9:00 a.m. MT.
The U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix will be webcast live on go211.com Saturday at 11:00 a.m. MT
Grand Prix Takes on New Sponsors!
Sprint Named Grand Prix Sponsor
COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO (Dec. 10) – One of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s longest standing partners, Sprint, has been named presenting sponsor of the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix. The Grand Prix kicks off this weekend at Colorado’s Copper Mountain resort, featuring one of the strongest international fields in history. The Grand Prix is the longest running snowboarding series in America now in its 13th season.
“Sprint is a fabulous partner of U.S. Snowboarding and we’re excited to be showcasing their brand and technology at snowboarding’s biggest event series in the world,” said USSA Vice President, Sales and Marketing Ted Morris. Sprint has been a USSA partner since 1993
Sprint will be on board for the Dec. 12-13 Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, as well as the big season finale Mar. 13-15 at Vermont’s Killington resort.
The Grand Prix has made a significant mark in snowboarding providing the launching pad for 14 U.S. Olympic medalists in just three Olympics. The 2009-10 Grand Prix will be the halfpipe qualifying series for the U.S. Olympic Team.
The opening Grand Prix will feature one of the strongest international fields in history, with 20 nations expected to compete in the Copper Mountain superpipe with qualifying Thursday, Dec. 11 and Friday, Dec. 12 and finals Saturday, Dec. 13.
The opening event field at Copper Mountain will include Olympic medalists Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT), Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT), Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), X Games medalists Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO) and Scotty Lago (Seabrook, NH), and the men’s 2008 Grand Prix overall champion Louie Vito (Sandy, UT). Olympic champion Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA) and Bleiler opened last year’s Grand Prix with wins.
The event will be broadcast on NBC Sports on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2:00 p.m. ET, and will be carried live on Go211.com at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 13. Versus will carry the superpipe Dec. 27 at 5:00 P.M. ET.
Fan can also watch highlights on their Sprint mobile phones. Sprint’s SnowZone (text SNOW to 7777 for access) offers free ski and snowboarding information such as snow reports, athlete bios and more, including video highlights of the Grand Prix.
Athletes Gear Up Before World Cup in Switzerland
Cross Crews Train at Telluride
TELLURIDE, CO (Dec. 10) – Skiers and snowboarders are working together this week in a unique on-snow camp in Colorado’s Telluride Resort. U.S. Snowboarding athletes and U.S. Freestyle Ski Team members are taking advantage of a rare pre-season opportunity as they train this week on two built out ski and snowboardcross courses.
“They have built us an amazing training course that has two different sections with great jumps and banks. It’s totally world-class training,” U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley said. “We’re super stoked to be here. The partnership that we’re having with Telluride is just amazing. We’re getting better training than anyone in the world right now - by far.”
Athletes training the setup in Telluride include Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME), Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), X-Games champion and four-time Olympian Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO), World Cup icon and X Games champion Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA), four-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), Jeep King of the Mountain champion and snowboarding legend Shaun Palmer (South Lake Tahoe, CA), and World Cup winners Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) and Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID).
In its first year as a team, not to mention being the newest Olympic sport, the ski cross squad is excited to be part of a camp that provides them the opportunity to train on course features as well as learn from their snowboardcross counterparts.
“They made two wonderful sections. The athletes are getting in a ton of laps and a ton of practice on the starts. The athletes are really all pumped on it,” said Ski Cross Head Coach Tyler Shepherd. “People are talking to each other and asking how they do their starts and I think as we move further into the camp we’ll see even more communication between each other in terms of what kind of lines are being taken and stuff like that.
“It’s just a mutual respect for each other because you’re both here trying to do the same thing and get a lot accomplished.”
According to ski cross racer Rahlves, Telluride has gone above and beyond to make the athletes feel at home.
“They’re definitely putting in the effort to accommodate us with hill space and allow us to get done what we need to get done. It’s a great spot and a beautiful place to be,” Rahlves said.
“They’ve rolled out the red carpet here. They just continue to ask ‘what can we do for you’ so it’s been great so far,” Shepherd said.
From the top to bottom, the cross course has two start sections for athletes to work on their starting technique, as well as a number of rollers, turns other features to get the athletes in ready to race.
“I really like having camps where you can ride on actual cross courses. We’ve always just done freeriding to get our bodies ready and all our equipment tuned up, but we’ve never had a course we’ve been able to ride top to bottom,” said Jacobellis. “If I’ve done really well with just going to competitions, imagine the things that I can learn from just having a course to train on a week before going to a competition.”
For Telluride, the training is much more than a one-time deal - it hopes to be able to host a World Cup stop for ski and snowboardcross in the future.
“I think that they’re looking to be partners with world-class athletes and help them succeed. They’re showing that Telluride is a world-class place to ski and snowboard,” Foley said.
“I hope it happens. They seem very excited to have the opportunity to host the world cup and I think it’s a great resort to do it at,” Shepherd said.
The athletes will remain in Telluride for the week before the snowboardcross squad heads to Switzerland for a World Cup on Dec. 20. Ski cross begins its World Cup tour on Jan. 5 in Austria.
US Grand Prix Kicks off in Copper This Weekend!
Grand Prix Set To Rock Copper
COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO (Dec. 5) - Halfpipe superstars from across the globe have descended upon Copper Mountain this week in preparation for the season’s first U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix coming up Dec. 11-13. In its 13th season, the Grand Prix is the longest standing snowboarding circuit in world.
“We’re here at Copper and we have the whole gang here. It’s sunny and the pipe is riding really well,” said U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski. “You can feel the anticipation in the air.”
NBC Sports will feature same weekend coverage with go211.com covering the pipe finals live.
According to U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix Tour Director Eric Webster, the field at Copper Mountain, which includes 20 countries and about 185 athletes, is one for the records.
“To my knowledge it is the biggest international field we have ever had. I think the most nations we have had in the past has been 13,” Webster said. “It brings a lot of talent to the field and a lot of legitimacy to the event. You’ve got most of the best riders in the world competing.”
The Copper pipe, which is the first pipe open in North America for the fourth consecutive season, is set to host some of the best air action this side of the Mississippi with riders like X Games gold medalists Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO) and Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO), Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teter (South Lake Tahoe, CA), Olympian Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA) and reigning Grand Prix overall champions Louie Vito (Sandy, UT) and Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT).
“Honestly, I think anyone can win this contest. Obviously our U.S. riders like Gretchen, Kelly, Hannah and Elena from our Olympic team in ‘06 are super strong - they’re better than ever. We’re definitely looking for those ladies to fill up the podium spots,” Jankowski said. “Then, on the men’s side, we have everyone raising the bar. You’ve got to look out for Louie, last year’s champ of course. Steve Fisher is riding really well - those guys are going to be throwing down.”
Heating up the international squad will be X Games gold medalist Antti Autti of Finland, reigning X Games silver medalists Ryo Aono of Japan and Torah Bright of Austrailia, and Olympians Soko Yamaoka of Japan and Sophie Rodriguez of France.
As far as Jankowski is concerned, the Copper Grand Prix’s list of expected riders will make for a level of competition that’s never been seen at this series.
“The Copper Grand Prix is going to end up being extremely competitive - almost at an Olympic level,” Jankowski said. “All the best riders from all over the world are here and they are going to be competing. It’s going to be a very exciting competition and hopefully U.S. riders will be on top of the podium.”
Also working the pipe in Copper will be U.S. Snowboarding’s Scotty Lago (Seabrook, NH), Elijah Teter (South Lake Tahoe, CA) Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO), Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA), Tommy Czeschin (Mammoth Lakes, CA) and Ellery Hollingsworth (Stratton, VT).
Don’t expect the action in Copper to slow down when the sun sets. Aside from the obvious nightlife, Copper will also host the Paul Mitchell Progression Session nighttime exhibition.
The slopestyle run will consist of a bomb drop into a cliff style step down and finishing with a huge log stall.
“Essentially it is a very progressive two hit slopestyle,” Webster said. “Riders will have a plethora of options on the log stall feature with transition on both sides. The venue is parked right in the Copper Mountain village and will provide a very entertaining and intimate experience for the spectators.
Adding to the night will be the musical stylings of DJ Majai, a longtime DJ with the Grand Prix who is making a special appearance out of retirement for the Copper Mountain stop.
You can catch the Grand Prix live as it is webcast on go211.com, or tune in on TV Dec. 14 on NBC at 2 p.m. ET, or on Versus Dec. 27 at 4 p.m. ET. The Paul Mitchell Progression Session will also air on Versus Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. ET.
Copper Mountain Competition Schedule:
Thursday, Dec. 11
10:30 a.m. - Women’s Halfpipe Qualifiers
Friday, Dec.12
9 a.m.- Men’s Halfpipe Qualifiers
Saturday, Dec. 13
11 a.m. - Halfpipe Finals
7 p.m. - Paul Mitchell Progression Session (night exhibition)
Aspen Gets Ready for Winter X Games 2009
$20million will be spent on improvements ready for the new season, including a new quad lift at Snowmass, a bigger pipe at Buttermilk and more terrain at Highlands
Coming off of a record-setting winter, Aspen Skiing Company announces over $20 million in on-mountain improvements for the 2008/2009 winter season.
The lifts will begin running on November 27, when Snowmass and Aspen Mountain open, with all four open for the season on December 13. Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk will close on April 5, while Snowmass and Aspen Mountain will close on April 12.
World-class events will continue with Women’s World Cup starting the season off immediately on November 28-30, 2008 on Aspen Mountain. ESPN Winter X Games return to Aspen/Snowmass on Buttermilk for the seventh consecutive year, January 22-25, 2009.
In fact, Buttermilk will have a new Olympic-size, 22-foot halfpipe next season, which adds four additional feet to each wall of the pipe, sending skiers and riders higher than ever.
Aspen Highlands will add 18 additional acres of skiing and riding in the Deep Temerity area of the mountain called Canopy Cruiser.
The 2007/2008 season saw record snowfall with 1,142 cm/11.4 meters/ falling over the six month winter. The following months saw impressive snow totals — December = 300 cm/118 inches/nearly 10 ft., January = 241 cm/95 inches/8 ft., February = 220 cm/7.25 ft., March = 223 cm/88 inches/7.33 ft., and April = 130 cm/4.25 ft.
THE RENAISSANCE OF SNOWMASS
Snowmass will experience several on-mountain improvements, including a new lift and on-mountain restaurant that will greet skiers and riders this December.
A new lift will replace the Sheer Bliss lift at Snowmass. The new lift will be a high-speed quad with a nine minute ride, carrying 2,000 people per hour. It will be realigned to provide easy access to the entire Big Burn and Sheer Bliss areas. This region of Snowmass encompasses nearly 285 hectares of spectacular terrain that is the most popular on the mountain.
Also, a new full-service restaurant will open on the top of Sam’s Knob lift with fantastic views and food. It will be an ideal destination for skiers and snowboarders on the Snowmass Village side of the mountain.
“The overall renewal of Snowmass has now seen on-mountain investment of more than $50 US million over just the past three years since the approval of the new base village project. The lift infrastructure of Snowmass has been dramatically overhauled, with two new gondolas and four new lifts to whisk skiers and riders to points all over the mountain,” said David Perry, Senior VP, Mountain Division, Aspen Skiing Company.
Visitors to Snowmass will have an all new Base Village experience this coming winter with more venues to stay and play, with nearly 100 new condominiums, five new restaurants and a dozen new shops. New restaurants include Junk, Liquid sky, the Sweet Life and more. Condominium rentals will be available in Hayden Lodge and Capitol Peak Lodge during the 2008/2009 ski season. Upon completion, the Snowmass Base Village will contain more than one million square feet of residential, hotel, restaurant, retail and conference space. Working in conjunction with Aspen Skiing Company, developer Related WestPac has invested more than a billion dollars in the transformation of the new Base Village.
In addition, Aspen Skiing Company will open a new restaurant, Sneaky’s Tavern, in the base village at Snowmass. Perfect for families and a youthful crowd, Sneaky’s Tavern’s atmosphere will focus on Snowmass’ ranching heritage with a fun, hip and casual atmosphere. The restaurant will feature both indoor and outdoor bars, with a lively après scene. Sneaky’s will be open for lunch and dinner year-round, serving traditional American Bistro fare.
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