Ski & Snowboard Club Vail riders thrive at nationals

COPPER MOUNTAIN — Ski & Snowboard Club Vail qualified 22 riders to compete in the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association Snowboard Nationals which took place recently at Copper Mountain.

This event hosts the top USASA snowboard athletes in the U.S. ages 5 through 60 and older in slopestyle, halfpipe, boardercross, slalom and giant slalom along with the rail jam and banked slalom events. Riders were required to qualify from their local USASA region in order to compete in this exciting season-culminating event in either the open class (all ages) or age class division.

The following club riders qualified for USASA nationals from the Rocky Mountain Region based on results throughout the season: Lyndsey Anderson, Jeremy Baxter, Montana Braden, Fynn Bullock, Cesare Chittaro, Jack Coyne, Wyat Fisher, Kaitlin Hancock, Barrett Hendrix, Devin Hendrix, Gabriel Irlandini, Ian Kalapos, Cole Kirkham, Kade Martin, Oliver Martin, Finn Moran Rey, Dylan Okurowski, Nathan Panlilio, Tyler Robison, Carter Shonk, Cooper Shonk and Skogen Wachter.

Podium finishes Abundant

Ski & Snowboard Club Vail full-time riders took several podiums throughout the week in their age class with Bullock taking second in slopestyle, Kalapos taking second in halfpipe, Okurowski taking third in rail jam, Coyne taking third in halfpipe and second in rail jam and Braden taking third in boardercross.

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There were also several podium finishes among Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s younger part-time mini-shred’s program members in their respective age class with Ollie Martin topping the podium in halfpipe and capturing a third place finish in boardercross, Watcher taking third in halfpipe and Carter Shonk and Kade Martin each landing on top of the podium in their respective age class in boardercross.

Zoe Kalapos and Ryan Wachendorfer, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail alumni and Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy graduates, stood on top of the podium in the women’s and men’s open age class, respectively, in halfpipe.

“Year after year, USASA Nationals is an amazing event for riders of all ages,” Ski & Snowboard Club Vail snowboard program director Chris Laske said. “Although we were dealing with some soft snow and slower conditions than what we had been accustomed to for most of the season, our riders gave it their all and showed off to the field and a huge crowd of spectators that their hard work in the gym, on the tramps and on snow really paid off.”