go back to Szine Newsletter IndexThe Snowboard Szine
Vol. 1, Issue 7
2/06/04
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In This Issue
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1.Chevy
Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix at Mountain Creek, NJ this Weekend
Ross Powers will battle Andy Finch for the Keys!
Televised on NBC Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m. ET
2. Report from Ross Powers Camp at Belleayre, NY Jan. 31
3. Snowboard Diary from Lauren - I'm glad I was wearing my helmet!
4. Ross Powers Camp Coming to Mountain Creek, NJ Feb 11 and 12 (and
Stratton in March)
5. OP Girls Learn to Ride Program at Mountain Creek Feb. 15
6. Snowboard Events Calendar
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Sorry I haven't been in touch sooner. January was a wicked busy month,
starting with Barret Christy's Snowboard Camp in Vail. Then a trip to
Florida, then SIA in Las Vegas (the big snowboard tradeshow), then Ross
Powers Camp. But it's been a great month. Hope yours has too and that
you've gotten out on the snow to have fun!
Lauren
1. Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix at Mountain Creek, NJ this
Weekend
Ross Powers will battle Andy Finch for the Keys!
Televised on NBC Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m. ET
The Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix, the premier snowboard series in
the world, makes its final stop in the series this weekend at New Jersey's
Mountain Creek Resort Feb. 6-8, less than an hour's drive from New York
City. The halfpipe is located at the bottom of the mountain, so spectators
can easily view the event. The event will be televised on NBC Feb. 22 at
2:00 p.m. ET.
Letting loose are riders like four-time Grand Prix winner and recent X
Games halfpipe champion Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT), World Championship
silver medalist and men’s X Games halfpipe winner Steve Fisher (St. Louis
Park, MN), along with Olympic gold medalist and Mammoth Grand Prix winner
Ross Powers (South Londonderry, VT).
With the first two Grand Prix victories already in her back pocket, Teter
has locked up the women’s crown and the brand new Chevrolet Colorado that
goes with it, but the men’s overall is still up for grabs. Both Powers and
California bulldog Andy Finch (Fresno, CA) each have one win, setting
Mountain Creek as the battle ground for the men’s set of keys.
(Interested in what top competitors Hannah Teter, Steve Fisher, and
Lindsey Jacobellis have to say about competing in the Grand Prix at
Mountain Creek?
Read the transcript of their interview here.
Record spectator crowds are expected with the event's close (47 miles
away) proximity to New York City. Mountain Creek, a popular ski/snowboard
area is quickly becoming established as a top snowboarding venue boasting
a world-class superpipe and terrain park. It has hosted several snowboard
events, including the Specialty Sports Pro/Am Jam drawing some of the
nation's top riders each year. New Jersey's own Danny Kass, who hails from
nearby Hamburg, put New Jersey on the snowboarding map and his fame has
assisted in building the scene at Mountain Creek.
"Mountain Creek is honored to be asked to host the Grand Prix," said
Mountain Creek Director of Marketing Bill Benneyan. "For five years we've
been working for this opportunity and now we're ready. We've established
ourselves as a serious suburban backyard playground with our cutting-edge
parks and pipes and being close to a major metro area sets Mountain Creek
as the perfect place to open a lot of eyes to world-class snowboarding."
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2. Report from Ross Powers Camp at Belleayre, NY Jan. 31
I attended Ross Powers snowboard camp at Belleayre Mountain, in the
Catskill Mountains of NY state on January 31 and Feb. 1, 2004. In case you
need a refresher, Ross won the gold medal in halfpipe in the last
Olympics, (Park City) and bronze at the Nagano (first snowboard!)
Olympics. He has a long list of other wins. It was the first time he
brought his successful snowboard camp from Stratton, VT, to NY, and riders
from the NY metro area gave hearty approval to the idea of having a great
camp nearby.
32 campers attended the camp, and they ranged in age from 7 to 47.
They ranged in ability from beginners to competition level. Campers were
grouped by ability and interest. Intermediate and advanced riders spent
their time in Belleayre's halfpipe. And in the park, where we worked on
straight air jumps, hips and spines, and an assortment of rails. Coaches
worked our group on riding switch. And doing 180s over small jumps. And we
had a fun run through steep bumps covered deep in untouched powder. Most
of us fell down there, but it was playful and joyous.
The camp was produced by Gerry Pallor of RadX Sports, http://www.radxsports.com
and much of the camp was filmed by his group. Campers will be able to
buy the video, which will help them improve by watching what they do right
and wrong, as well as provide fond memories of a great weekend. Ross
Powers will show up on tape throwing down his tricks too. This camp was
held the weekend before Ross's big showdown with rider Andy Finch for the
Chevy Grand Prix Finals at Mountain Creek.
This was the 5th snowboard camp I have attended since July, and this one
was right up there at the top of the pack as far as organization,
progression, and FUN! Ross is personable and as well as being a good
speaker who can command the room when he speaks, in a friendly and down to
earth way. On the mountain he spent time with each group. The coaches who
worked with us were helpful and skilled. Dave "Goes Big" Meckes, Avery
Jenkins, Georgia LoPresti and Jamie Rizza from Belleayre's snowboard
school led groups. Jamie Rizza has been teaching at Belleayre for 9 years
and was particularly clear and effective as a teacher at camp. Ross's
buddy Carter Olcott coached us also.
We had orientation the first night, and after Ross introduced himself, he
asked for questions from the group. Everyone was too shy to ask a thing.
But this same group was comfortable and loud and happy together by the
last day. A bonus was the delicious camp lunch of baked ziti we had on
Sunday. Props to Gerry and Ross for running a successful and fun camp on
their first endeavor together.
Read the full article about going to Ross Powers Camp
here
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3. Snowboard Diary from Lauren
I'm glad I was wearing my helmet and padding!
I was riding down a not-very-steep slope at Ross Powers Snowboard Camp,
right behind Ross. Maybe going a little faster than was comfortable.
Suddenly, I hit a patch with loose icy crud, and the next thing I knew, I
was tumbling, then lying on the snow. As I vaguely recall, I did a
somersault, and heard the back of my helmet clunk against the hard snow. I
was conscious the whole time, just couldn't process exactly what I did -
It happened so fast!
Ross came over to see if I was ok. This was right after I took him and
another of my chairlift mates down, getting off the steep lift hump at the
top of that hill. Fortunately, and miraculously, I was fine both times,
with no ill after-effects. If I hadn't been wearing my helmet and butt and
knee padding, I know I would not have been fine. Would probably have had
to miss the 2nd day of camp, with a concussion or bad headache and
bruises.
Ironically this little accident occurred while I was free-riding. And my
time in the pipe and park were injury free. Oh, I fell down plenty in
there, trying new things in the park and pipe, but my Azzpadz hard plastic
butt protector and Rollerblade kneepads, and helmet kept me uninjured.
Explain this to me: Football players wear helmets and padding, and nobody
thinks they're wusses.
Snowboarding involves slippery surfaces and equipment with knife-sharp
edges. And uncontrolled human projectiles bombing down the mountain at
you.
And it's all about the challenge of learning new tricks, and going bigger
and faster. So why is there a stigma against wearing safety padding for
snowboarders? It doesn't make sense. It's guaranteed you'll fall sometimes
if you try to progress. Stay healthy and whole to ride another day. Don't
be a fashion slave. Wear a helmet and padding!
"Snowboarders are people who know how to fall, and then get back up on
their feet!"
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AZZPADZ hard plastic tailbone and butt protector
Tell them you heard about AZZPADZ here from Lauren at SnowboardSecrets.com
. Thanks!
More Info and Photos Here
Call toll free -866 299 -7239 -if you want to order.
(They're in Ontario, Canada, on Eastern Standard Time.)
The owners Neil and Jason are friendly snowboarder guys who want to make
sure you order the right size.
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4. Ross Powers Camp Coming to Mountain Creek NJ Feb 11 and 12
If you're sorry you missed Ross Powers Camp at Belleayre. you've got
another chance. Ross and famous pro friends Tricia Byrnes and Andy Finch
will be giving a camp in New Jersey Feb 11 and 12 at Mountain Creek.
More info here:
Ross Powers is running his camp at Stratton too, March 24-26, 2004.
More
info on Ross's Stratton camp here.
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5. OP Girls Learn to Ride Program at Mountain Creek Feb. 15
This is an introduction to snowboarding for girls/women who are have never
snowboarded or have very little experience with snowboarding. Open to
girls and women ages 8 and older.
More info here:
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6. Snowboard Events Calendar
Our Snowboard Events Calendar has over 160 events on it now from over 30
mountains, from Maine down to Pennsylvania. TV snowboard listings too.
Find contests and clinics going on near you and snowboarding on the telly
at
http://www.whatsonsnow.com/
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That’s it for now!
Thanks for reading The Snowboard Szine!
Lauren
Editor