Olympic Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT) was killing it as usual Saturday as she landed a run to finish first at the Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix - the first of five Olympic qualification events.
Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO) took the second spot for the women, and Spain's Quera Castellet were third.
With all eyes of the freezing crowd watching to see if he'd be as perfect as they'd heard, White did not fail to deliver a stellar run.
In the women's pipe, Clark set the bar high with a huge first run of frontside air, backside five, frontside 900, backside air, frontside 700, cab 7.
"I liked having the Grand Prix at Copper. They did a great job today and I'm really excited," Clark said. I was really happy with my first run. I've been working really hard on the fitness side of things and really preparing for this season mentally and physically every way I can. I feel like at this point in the season I'm riding better than I ever have."
Clark, who sported a little bit of a black eye following a tumble on her second run, said that for her, everything revolves around the 2010 Games.
"Everything for me this season is leading up to Vancouver and every event I'm using as practice," Clark said. "I'm pushing myself to do my most technical difficult run right now so it becomes a lot easier for me and a lot like second nature so I'm able to build and progress throughout the season. This is a great starting point."
Bleiler echoed Clark that she, too, is putting down some of the best riding of her career this season, which sometimes serves as a double edge for the X Games gold medalist.
"I feel like I've been riding better than I ever have in my entire life. Maybe that led to some of my nerves today because I amped myself up so much," Bleiler said. "It's good practice because this kind of stuff is high pressure. I need to learn to overcome these nerves."
Bleiler had some struggles on her first run, but found her center to land a clean, solid second run to put her in second.
"I had an option to do an easier run, but I didn't want to do that today. I just wanted to throw my run," Bleiler said. "I got around as best I could today and now I know exactly what I need to do in practice. There's more to come."
"Shaun, Louie, Gretchen and Kelly set the bar for the upcoming Grand Prix. The rest of the field can see what it takes to win. It takes big clean explosive progressive runs just like the ones that were thrown down today," U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski said. It's important for everyone to start things on a positive note with a good result and the confidence is there as we go into Mammoth."
The next stop of the Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix rolls into Mammoth Mountain for two competitions Jan. 6-10.
Immediately following the halfpipe competition was an event of smaller proportions, but just as big talent - the Xbox Jr. Jam. The slope and rail setup featured local shredders of a younger generation who slid the rails all for the glory of winning an Xbox. Winning for the young men was 10-year-old Chase Blackwell of Longmont, CO, and for the young women, 13-year-old Arielle Gold who resides in Steamboat Springs.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 U.S. SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX
Copper Mountain, CO - Dec. 12, 2009
Halfpipe
Women
1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 44.50
2. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 42.60
3. Soko Yamaoka, Japan, 40.20
4. Quera Castellet, Spain, 30.50
5. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 35.80
6. Madeline Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, Co, 35.50
7. Holly Crawford, Australia, 24.00
8. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 13.60
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