Stoneham (QC), Canada – With bright, sunny skies and crisp temperatures, Saturday was a perfect day at Stoneham Resort in Québec to kick off the 2010 Canada~Snowboard Nationals. The best Canadian Halfpipe riders dropped in the Olympic-size halfpipe to compete for the top Canadian honors on Saturday, with Brad Martin and Palmer Taylor defeating the country’s best for the titles.nMartin, of Ancaster, Ontario, took the victory in the men’s contest to win his fourth consecutive Canadian title by scoring 44.8 points in his first run in the Finals.

“It feels good to have four national titles in a row,” said Martin. “I was just having fun, riding with my friends. That is what snowboarding is all about. It was a good contest to end the season. I am always happy when the sun is out!

“It’s good to see lots of kids coming up from all over the place. At Nationals, you get to see all these riders come together, and see who’s been riding well and who’s coming up,” added Martin. “My first Nationals, I was 13, right here in Stoneham. I landed on my head and bruised my knee and wasn’t able to do my second run. It’s great for Canadian snowboarding that these kids are doing what they are doing today, harder tricks at a younger age. They have been snowboarding for a few years, and now they are landing them competing against guys against the national team.”

Justin Lamoureux of Squamish, British Columbia, winner of the 2010 FIS World Cup Crystal Globe, took second place Saturday with 43.0 points, while junior rider Trevor Niblett, of Toronto, Ontario, took third place with 38.7 points.

In the women’s contest, 17-year-old Taylor won her first Canadian title. The Olympic rider executed a great run in the finals with lots of amplitude and style, scoring 43.3 points.

Taylor, the youngest 2010 Olympian, recently received the 2010 Neil Daffern Award from Canada~Snowboard. Taylor also took the junior title.

Mercedes Nicoll, of Whistler, British Columbia, who ended the season with back-to-back World Cup podiums in La Molina, Spain, and Valmalenco, Italy, came second with 42.2 points followed by Katie Tsuyuki, also of Whistler, in third with 39.2 points.

Martin and Taylor each won CAN$1500 each in prize money for their victories. The top four riders at each contest took home a purse for their performance.

The Canada~Snowboard Nationals will now move to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, for the Slopestyle, Snowboardcross and Parallel disciplines today through Saturday.