THE 20th ANNUAL U.S. OPEN SNOWBOARDING CHAMPIONSHIPS IS COMPLETE

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Burlington, VT (March 19, 2002) · For the 20th consecutive year, the global snowboarding community descended upon Stratton Mountain, Vermont, from March 14-17, 2002, to witness world class competitive snowboarding at the premier event of the season. The 2002 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships wrapped up on Sunday, March 17, 2002, with the Junior Jam Halfpipe event and the inaugural Men·s and Women·s Slopestyle competition.

A staple at the U.S. Open, the Boy·s and Girl·s Junior Jam Halfpipe event (open to riders age thirteen and under) went down on Sunday, March 17th in the same Superpipe that the men and women competed in a day earlier. The airs may not have been as high, but these up-and-coming riders showed the same style and pulled many of the same tricks as the seasoned pros. Eleven-year old Luke Mitrani (USA), who barely missed qualifying for the Men ·s Halfpipe competition earlier in the week, wowed spectators and judges alike as he consistently boosted airs double his own height. Luke was rewarded with the top podium spot for his efforts, with Oliver Gittler (FRA) and Adam Dyroff (USA) finishing in second and third, respectively. For the girl·s it was Eliza Greene (USA) who landed herself on top of the podium by riding consistently and pulling stylish methods and smooth airs to fakie. Danielle Kain (USA) took home second place honors, and Brooke Shaw (USA) rounded out the top three.

On Sunday afternoon, March 17th, blue skies and mild temperatures ushered in the first ever Men·s and Women·s Slopestyle final at the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships. An enthusiastic crowd and an excellent course packed with jumps, gaps, hips, rails and a vert wall pushed the riders to the next level. In both the men·s and women·s final, the crowd was treated to creative lines and ultra technical handrail mastery by the best riders in the world. When it was all said and done, it was Vermont·s own Rahm Klampert (USA) who took home the inaugural Slopestyle crown for the men, with Travis Rice (USA) and Ryan Paris (USA) finishing close behind in second and third, respectively. On the women·s front, it was Annie Boulanger (CAN) whose consistent riding earned her the top podium spot, with the battle for second and third a true nail biter as Hannah Teter (USA) narrowly edged out fellow countrywoman Jaime MacLeod (USA) by only one-tenth of a point to secure second place honors, leaving MacLeod in third.

On Saturday · March 16, 2002 · the top riders in the world took to the pipe and threw it all on the line in the Men·s and Women·s Halfpipe final. Ten men and ten women competed in a jam format, and when the 60-minute jam session came to an end, it was Danny Kass (USA) who took it home for the men, with Markku Koski (FIN) in second and Keir Dillon (USA) in third. For the women, Kelly Clark (USA) kept her golden streak alive as her smooth McTwist·s and lofty spins earned her a first place finish. Perennial ripper Tricia Byrnes (USA) took home second place honors, and Stine Brun Kjeldaas (NOR) rounded out the women·s top three.

The 2002 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships has come to close, and there is already a sense of excitement that permeates the air in anticipation of next year·s Open. As has been the case for the past twenty years, there is no doubt that the global snowboarding community will once again flock to Southern Vermont come mid-March for another weekend of world class competitive snowboarding at its very best.

A huge thank you goes out to all of the 2002 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships sponsors including Burton Snowboards as Owner/Presenting Sponsor, Right Guard Xtreme Sport as Presenting Sponsor, SoBe Beverages and Volkswagen as Supporting Sponsors, FHM, Gore-Tex, Activision02, Sports Illustrated Women, and Feria as Associate Sponsors, Clif Bar as Display Sponsor, and Stratton Mountain Resort as Event Host. Look for network-televised coverage of the 20th Annual U.S. Open this April 2002 on Fox Sports Net · April 15th, 17th, and 22nd.

2002 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships Complete Results:

Men’s Quarterpipe
1. Travis Rice – USA
2. Keir Dillon – USA
3. Dylan Butt – NZE

Women’s Quarterpipe
1. Kelly Clark – USA
2. Jaime MacLeod – USA
3. Hannah Teter – USA

Men’s Halfpipe
1. Danny Kass – USA
2. Markku Koski – FIN
3. Keir Dillon – USA

Women’s Halfpipe
1. Kelly Clark – USA
2. Tricia Byrnes – USA
3. Stine Brun Kjeldaas - NOR

Men’s Slopestyle
1. Rahm Klampert – USA
2. Travis Rice – USA
3. Ryan Paris – USA

Women’s Slopestyle
1. Annie Boulanger – CAN
2. Hannah Teter – USA
3. Jaime MacLeod – USA

Boy’s Junior Jam Halfpipe
1. Luke Mitrani – USA
2. Oliver Gittler – FRA
3. Adam Dyroff – USA

Girl’s Junior Jam Halfpipe
1. Eliza Greene – USA
2. Danielle Kain – USA
3. Brooke Shaw – USA

Please visit the official U.S. Open website for a complete broadcast schedule. www.usopen-snowboarding.com

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