Copper Mountain, CO – The USA’s Spencer Shaw and Allyson Carroll landed the top steps of the podium at the U.S. Revolution Tour’s halfpipe snowboarding contest held on Tuesday at Copper Mountain ski resort in Colorado.nIn a contest stacked with international and national riders, including Olympians, X Games and World Cup medalists, the USA swept the top spots. In addition to the challenging field of riders, athletes were faced with a long day attributed to the huge field forcing finals well into the late afternoon.
“This morning it was really nice. It was bluebird skies and warm. All the girls were happy and ready to go,” explained Carroll, of Truckee, Calif., who clinched the win with her first run. “But the day kind of slowed down and we had to wait because things were running late. Finally, finals came and everyone got pumped up again. We took our last run when the moon was coming up. It was pretty cool – a really long day. But it was worth it.”
Carroll, who landed both runs claimed the “W” with a frontside straight air to a backside straight air into a frontside straight air followed by a back 5 to a frontside straight air into a back 7, ending her run with a switchback 5. Sitting in second and third behind Carroll were Kirby Kelly (Algonquin, Ill.) and Jenna Dramise (Henderson, Nev.).
“My runs went really well. I was just happy to land them because visibility was so tough,” Carroll said. “Landing back-to-back runs is such an awesome feeling.”
In the men’s contest, Shaw, who hails from Winhall, Vt., came back from a fall in his first run to throw down his second run for the win – although it didn’t go exactly how he planned.
“I was really nervous, I didn’t know if I was going to land my run,” admitted Shaw. “I put my run down, but made a mistake. I was planning on doing a frontside air into a back 12 but I was really focused on not falling because I couldn’t see anything.”
Despite his impromptu run, Shaw landed his tricks, consisting of a frontside 1080 tail grab into a cab 7 to a font 9 into a backside air followed by a frontside 12, to clinch the win. Joining Shaw on the podium was Japan’s Kazuumi Fujita and Ryo Aono in second and third.
The U.S. Revolution Tour at Copper continues today with the men’s and women’s slopestyle snowboarding contest.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
U.S. Revolution Tour
Copper Mountain, CO – December 14, 2010
Halfpipe
Men
1. Spencer Shaw, Winhall, VT
2. Kazuumi Fujita, Japan
3. Ryo Aono, Japan
Women
1. Allyson Carroll, Truckee, CA
2. Kirby Kelly, Algonquin, IL
3. Jenna Dramise, Henderson, NV