KILLINGTON, VT - Olympic champion Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT) continued her dominance of the sport with a huge win over Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO) in the final stop of the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix presented by Sprint at Killington.
With huge crowds lining the pipe and bluebird skies for her win on Saturday, Clark distinguished herself as back-to-back-to-back winner of the overall Grand Prix title, which she says is helping build her momentum for 2010.
"Anytime that you do well in events in a row or even back-to-back years it's a great feeling, so I am looking forward to carrying this momentum into next season," Clark said.
Truly a woman who progresses the direction of the sport, Clark landed a run of frontside air, backside five, frontside five, backside air, frontside seven, cab seven, to wow the Vermont home crowd.
"My family is up here and I always love doing well in Vermont. It was really nice that the weather changed. It got a bit softer today and I was able to just let it go a little more," Clark said. "It's pretty hard to be progressive in an icy halfpipe, but when it's slushy like this you get to see a lot of good riding."
Best Day for Bleiler For Bleiler, the day was marked down as a success thanks to what she said was some of her best riding this season.
"I am really stoked on my first run today. I felt like I was really letting it go and going bigger than I have all season. I'm psyched on my riding," Bleiler said. "This pipe was awesome today. Overall it was a successful day."
Rounding out the women's podium was 14 year old Madeline Schaffrick (Steamboat Springs, CO) who marked her first time in the Grand Prix top three with a straight air, back five, front five, air to fakie, switchback five, cab three.
"I am so pumped I can't even stand it. I don't even know how to put it right now, I don't think it's hit me yet," Schaffrick said of being on the podium with Olympic medalists Clark and Bleiler.
The Grand Prix action continues Sunday at Killington Resort with the Paul Mitchell Progression Session.
OFFICIAL RESULTS 2009 U.S. SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX - PRESENTED BY SPRINT Killington Resort, VT - March 14, 2009 Halfpipe
Women 1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 45.70 2. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 35.50 3. Madeline Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 32.10 4. Lizzy Beerman, Stratton, VT, 29.30 5. Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID, 27.60 # # #
