2008 Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup Results
Jacobellis, Baumgartner Sweep SBX Wins
Lake Placid, N.Y. - U.S. Snowboarding riders Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) barreled their way to the top of the podiums Saturday winning the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup at Whiteface Mountain, outside Lake Placid. Both Baumgartner and Jacobellis also were crowned the Visa U.S. SBX champions after their wins.
Fourth Straight at Placid for Jacobellis
It was Jacobellis' fourth consecutive win at Lake Placid dating back to 2005. Jacobellis, who took over the overall FIS Snowboard World Cup standings with her win, sits 350 points behind Canada's Maelle Ricker in the SBX snowboard discipline standings.
"I just tried to stick with my line because I could hear her [Maelle Ricker] the entire time," Jacobellis said. "I love Lake Placid. I feel like I'm coming home because I'm from Vermont and they just make the best course year round here. I really enjoy riding it and I feel great about the whole day."
"Lindsey was super strong. As the rounds went on she just got faster and faster," said U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley. "Even though those guys were breathing down her neck, they didn't have anything for her, really."
First Career Win for Michigan Rider
This was Baumgartner's first career World Cup win, and his best result since taking second in Canada a year ago. In celebration, Baumgartner was on top of the world as his teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders to carry him to the podium.
"It feels so good. I've been riding well all year but I just hadn't been putting it all together and today I put it all together," Baumgartner said. "I took my line and there was no taking it away. I just kept going as hard as I could and made sure I was aggressive with my line."
Baumgartner had to race his semifinal heat twice when a gate malfunction led to an official decision to hold the heat again. He still won the re-run.
"That was so good, especially for him, because he's kind of been having trouble," Foley said. "He's had a big lead a couple times and blown it, so, for him to be that strong to have to take another run but just deal with it was killer."
Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID), coming off his second career World Cup win and leading qualifications Friday, won the men's small final for fifth overall.
"Today was completely unpredictable. I felt like everything was out of my hands," Watanabe said. "It's a hard one because I've gotten comfortable feeling like I can go to any final at this point so my standards have definitely stepped up. To come and win the small final is gratifying, but at the same time I'd much rather be battling it out for the top spot of the podium."
It was a dominating day for U.S. riders. 10 Americans qualified for the 32-rider men's field - nearly a third of the field.
Snowboardcross Results:
Men's (32 make finals)
1. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI
2. Drew Neilson, Canada
3. Tom Velisek, Canada
4. David Speiser, Germany
5. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID
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7. Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, MA
15. Alex Deibold, Manchester Center, VT
17. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA
18. Shaun Palmer, S. Lake Tahoe, CA
25. Jason Smith, Durango, CO
27. Pat Holland, Tahoe City, CA
31. Ben Jacobellis, Bondville, VT
31. Seth Wescott, Carrabassett Valley, ME
Women's (16 make finals)
1. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT
2. Maelle Ricker, Canada
3. Dominique Maltais, Canada
4. Helene Olafsen, Norway
5. Mellie Francon, Switzerland
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6. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK
19. Marni Yamada, Seattle, WA
20. Brooke Shaw, Litchfield, CT
21. Kim Krahulec, Silverthorne, CO
30. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City
32. Lynn Ott, Bend, OR
33. Lynn Neil, Ogden, UT
34. Heather Doolittle, Belgrade, ME
35. Jenna Feldman, Linwood, NJ
Paul Mitchell Session Wows Placid
Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City) and Norway's Stian Sivertzen went big to win the Paul Mitchell Progression Session Saturday night. The jam session added additional flavor for fans during the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup in Lake Placid this weekend.
Versus will air coverage of the Paul Mitchell Progression Session on Sunday, March 16 at 6 p.m. ET.
"I feel great. I've needed a win for a little while and it's good to get that confidence back," Gulini said.
Riders in the Paul Mitchell Progression Session big air competition were ripping it at speeds up to 40 mph behind a snowmobile that took them into a roller. They launched themselves off an incredible 20-foot jump for an alternative means of flying and showcasing big tricks.
Hometown hero Mike Phelabaum (Saranac Lake, NY) landed an epic cork 5 that won him the honor of the Rip It Trick of the Day and padded his pocket with $2,500 in prize money.
Spectators in snowy downtown Lake Placid enjoyed the exciting evening of fireworks and athletes spinning through the air. The crowd gathered next to the Olympic skating arena where the "Miracle on Ice," USA's incredible hockey victory over the Soviet Union, happened during the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.
Paul Mitchell Progression Session Results:
Men's
1. Stian Sivertzen, Norway
2. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI
3. Mike Phelabaum, Saranac Lake, NY
Women's
1. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City
2. Marni Yamada, Seattle, WA
Team SBX Debuts with U.S. Win
U.S. Snowboarding's Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK) capitalized on strong teamwork and all out aggression to win the exhibition Team SBX event at the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup Sunday at Whiteface Mountain outside Lake Placid.
The event will be highlighted during Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup coverage on NBC, Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m. ET, and on Versus Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. ET.
Team SBX pairs two riders on a team. One races the course against three to five other competitors. When they cross the finish line, the gate at the start triggers for the next teammate to begin racing.
"I've always wanted to be a part of the ultracross [Team SBX] because it's been at the X Games for guys but the girls have never been able to experience it," Jacobellis said. "It's a great feeling and it makes it an actual team sport so that's the fun part."
Jacobellis and Chythlook-Sifsof took being teammates to the next level, wearing the 1980s USA hockey jerseys from the famed "Miracle on Ice" game where USA beat the Soviet Union.
"It was so fun. I love my teammate and it's great to finally, after just focusing on yourself, have another person to cheer on with you about your results," Chythlook-Sifsof said. "It's awesome and I love it."
Three-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) and two-time World Cup winner Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) led the U.S. men's results with fourth place.
"It was another great day of racing," Watanabe said. "We didn't quite finish how we wanted to, but it was an amazing first trial of the Team SBX event and I thought it went great."
Watanabe was leading racers in the final heat but caught an edge leaving Holland in the gate.
"Graham was riding killer and it was giving me the open door all the time." Holland said. "I knew that the final was going to come down to a close heat and he gave it all he could. We'll have to get them next time, that's what the plan is."
Overall the event was high-paced excitement that left the spectators wanting to see Team SBX sooner, rather than later.
"I hope it creates another opportunity for the athletes to be able to show what they do and show case snowboardcross," U.S. Snowboarding Program Director Jeremy Forster said. "It was cool to see the teammates celebrate together and celebrate with the nation. It's a different format and it's a great opportunity."
The Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup concludes today in Lake Placid with the men's and women's parallel giant slalom World Cup races.
Team SBX Exhibition Results:
Men
1. France 1 (Vincent Valery, Pierre Vaultier)
2. Canada 1 (Drew Neilson, Tom Velisek)
3. Norway 1 (Stian Sivertzen, Oeystein Wallin)
4. United States 1 (Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID; Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA)
5. United States 2 (Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI; Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, MA)
Women
1. United States 1 (Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT; Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK)
2. Canada 1 (Maelle Ricker, Dominique Maltais)
3. Austria 1 (Susanne Moll, Manuela Riegler)
4. Norway 1 (Helene Olafsen, Stine Walle)
Jewell Second in Lake Placid World Cup
U.S. Snowboarding's Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs, CO) made it to his second career World Cup podium Monday in sunny Lake Placid. Jewell took home second place in a parallel giant slalom at the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup.
"This was great. My family's here and so are my nephews. I wanted to get them here to see this so that they can start snowboarding too," Jewell said. "It's just great to be here on my home turf."
Originally from Massachusetts, Jewell's second place finish moved him up four spots to ninth in the World Cup parallel standings. He was the only U.S. athlete to make it into the quarterfinals. Mathieu Bozzetto of France, who leads the standings, won, and Benjamin Karl of Austria, who sits second in the standings, was third.
"Bozzetto was the winner of the qualifier and he was really strong coming into the finals, and sure enough, watching Tyler, I thought if anyone was going to beat Bozzetto it was going to be Tyler," said Alpine Head Coach Steve Persons. "He had the shot to do it, but he let it get to his head that Bozzetto is a legend in the sport."
Svetlana Boldikove of Russia won the women's races, beating out World Cup leader Nicolien Sauerbreij, who came in seventh. Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli of Switzerland was second and Austrian Heidi Neururer anchored the podium in third. No U.S. women made finals including Michelle Gorgone (Sudbury, MA) who narrowly missed the top-16 finals when she qualified 18th.
It was a big weekend for U.S. Snowboarding athletes at the Visa U.S. Snowboarding Cup. Saturday, Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) swept the World Cup SBX. Jacobellis came back Sunday to pair with teammate Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK) to win an exhibition Team SBX event.
World Cup snowboarding continues March 7-9 in Stoneham, QUE with halfpipe, snowboardcross and parallel giant slalom.
Parallel Giant Slalom Results (16 made finals):
Men
1. Mathieu Bozzetto, France
2. Tyler Jewell, Steamboat Springs, CO
3. Benjamin Karl, Austria
4. Zan Kosir, Slovenia
5. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
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9. Adam Smith, Bend, OR
15. Justin Reiter, Steamboat Springs, CO
22. Vic Wild, White Salmon, WA
24. Zach Kay, Mount Shasta, CA
31. Benjamin Fairchild, Kirkland, WA
36. Joshua Wylie, Londonderry, VT
37. Ryan McDonald, Entiat, WA
49. Dustin Sysko, Boulder, CO
Women
1. Svetlana Boldikove, Russia
2. Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli, Switzerland
3. Heidi Neururer, Austria
4. Claudia Riegler, Austria
5. Doris Guenther, Austria
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22. Michelle Gorgone, Boston
25. Ani Stump, E. Wenatchee, WA
26. Brooke Shaw, Litchfield, CT
36. Lynn Ott, Bend, OR
39 Lindsay Lloyd, Centerville, UT
40. Madeline Wiencke, White Bear Lake, MN
43. Erica Mueller, Steamboat Springs, CO
47. Alyssa Radder, Fort Jones, CA
Monday, March 03rd 2008 @ 08:23 AM.
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