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Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships return to Vail

The Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships is again nominated for a Vail Daily Best of the Vail Valley Award.
Townsend Bessent | Daily file photo |

Event schedule

Monday:

Halfpipe and slopestyle practice

Tuesday:

Halfpipe and slopestyle practice

Junior Jam

Wednesday:

Slopestyle semifinals

Halfpipe practice

Broomball Tournament

Free concert

Junior Jam Awards

Chill Party

Thursday:

Halfpipe semifinals

Slopestyle practice

Broomball Tournament

Free concert

Friday:

Slopestyle finals

Halfpipe practice

Burton Girls Ride and Apres

Autograph session

Free concert

Saturday:

Halfpipe finals

Autograph session

Free concert

Closing Party

VAIL — It’s been five years since the Burton U.S. Open Snowboard Championships moved from Vermont to Vail, and the longest-running snowboard competition returns again this year, today through Saturday.

By day, world-class snowboarding competitions are on the hill. At night, the momentum continues with the free concerts, events and activities for all ages.

The competitions are free, as well is the music in the heart of Vail Village starting Wednesday night.



Olympic medalists scheduled to compete include Shaun White, Kelly Clark, Mark McMorris, Jamie Anderson, Iouri Podladtchikov, Ayumu Hirano and Taku Hiraoka.

“I’ve been riding at the Open since I was a little kid, and it’s always a good time,” said White, a two-time Olympic gold medalist. “Last year’s Open was one of the best for me — I broke my old record of 24 feet out of the halfpipe with a 26-foot air on the first hit. All of the riders step up their game at the Open, especially with the Olympics less than a year out. I can’t wait to see how the contest shapes up this time around.”

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The Burton U.S. Open is one of the last major contests ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Schedule of events

Today, halfpipe and slopestyle practice gets underway in Vail at 10 a.m. and continues until 3 p.m.

Practice continues Tuesday, and the halfpipe Junior Jam kicks off competition from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Junior Jam features the top young competitors from around the world battling it out to secure a spot along the pros in the halfpipe semifinals Thursday.

Last year, Judd Henkes, 14, won the Junior Jam with a winning run that included leaping 20 feet out of the pipe multiple times. As White said, his own record is 26 feet.

Tessa Maud, 12, won last year’s female Junior Jam and got to compete against legends including Chloe Kim, Maddie Mastro and Clark.

Things start getting serious Wednesday as the men’s and women’s slopestyle semifinals get underway and halfpipe practice continues. The Broomball Tournament kicks off Wednesday as well, and the free music in Solaris Plaza.

Thursday is the halfpipe semifinals with a slopestyle practice later in the day, and the Broomball Tournament continues at the Solaris ice rink. Twiddle performs a special double set at Solaris Plaza starting at 7 p.m.

Finals start Friday with slopestyle, and Gramatik and Lizzo provide the music starting at 6 p.m.

The Burton U.S. Open wraps up Saturday with halfpipe finals, live music and the U.S. Open Closing Party at Dobson Ice Arena from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Each finals will include 10 men and six women competing for equal shares of the overall $343,000 prize purse in a progression-promoting three-run format.

Off the Hill

There’s plenty of action off the hill as well with the live music in Solaris Plaza, autograph signing throughout the week and an expo village to peruse.

For details on all things Burton Open, follow the hashtag #BurtonUSOpen and visit BurtonUSOpen.com.

All of the action will be online via live webcasts, and Friday’s and Saturday’s finals will be broadcast live on Red Bull TV.

Reporter Ross Leonhart can be reached at 970-748-2915 and rleonhart@vaildaily.com. Follow him on Instagram at colorado_livin_on_the_hill.


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