Pates goes gold again in Youth Olympics
LILLEHAMMER, Norway — Local Jake Pates has made a name for himself in halfpipe snowboarding in recent years. But if his country calls on him to throw down in slopestyle, then he’s certainly up to the task.
At the Youth Olympic Games in Norway on Friday, Pates impressed the judges with a variety of tricks in the slopestyle competition, blending multiple flips, spins and even multiple grabs into his jumps. The dominant performance earned Pates his second gold medal of the Winter Youth Olympic Games, which are held every four years and invite one male and female competitor between the ages of 15 and 18 to compete in each of the winter sports disciplines.
String of Top Performances
The slopestyle victory follows a string of top performances in halfpipe, where Pates won the U.S. Grand Prix tour this season with two top-five finishes and also qualified for this week’s European X Games in Oslo, Norway. It will be the 17-year-old’s first X Games performance. Following that you can catch Pates here in Vail for the Burton U.S. Open.
“This season’s travel schedule has been non stop,” said Amy Pates, Jake’s mother, who traveled with to Norway along with his sister, Charlie Sue. “We are all very proud of him. Jake really appreciates every opportunity he has been given, he knows he is lucky to have this life but he does not take it for granted. He trains hard and is always looking for ways to give back.
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“We are all so grateful from the support he received from our community, family and friends and he is grateful for everything,” Amy Pates added.
Following the Burton U.S. Open Feb. 29 through March 5, Pates heads to Yabuli, China, for the World Championships of Snowboarding.