Women’s Pipe finals at the Roxy Chicken Jam in Mammoth Mountain came to a wrap Saturday in perfect contest conditions, sunny with warm weather. Kelly Clark 1st,  Mercedes  Nicol 2nd, and Sarah Conrad 3rd.  Kelly needs to place 16th or better in the slopestyle finals to take the TTR title and 50Gs! Kelly is sick with a flu and no voice but threw down regardless in pipe. Sick riding! (Pun intended) Kelly has placed 1st or 2nd in EVERY pipe contest she did this season and if she takes TTR it will be her 3rd overall title this year. Slopestyle was postponed today due to winds so check back tomorrow for the latest update.

Photo courtesy or Susie Floros

We had a bit of everything weather wise today, flurries, sun, wind, heavy snow, I think the weather was pretty much changing every 20 minutes so not making the best conditions for the final events of the US Open.  The day started with the slopestyle semi finals. Leanna Pelosie got hurt in practice and had to pull out. Kjersti popped out her shoulder but still dropped in for her run after getting her shoulder taped, what a trouper. Even Torah Bright who had won the day before and had a couple injuries herself competed and with a hard fall in her first run came back to set it down in her second to make it to finals. With Jamie Anderson getting injured in the Silvia Mittermueller had a chance of taking the Open Series title so the pressure was on but she held it together in  the semi’s.  Janna Meyen-Weatherby took the lead in her first run stomping a massice b/s 540 to cap 540. After the semi’s I headed over to check out the Junior Jam finals. There were definitely some young little rippers stomping back to back 720’s, 900’s, cripplers, it was quite impressive.  After a mello wind/snow storm the Women’s finals began unfortunately without Janna who got injured in the practice.  With a 3 run final the girls were really able to step up their runs. Chanelle had a solid run which included a boardslide to 270 out, cab 540, B/S 360 and frontside 540 to take 3rd. After landing a solid run Jenny Jones went for a frontside 900 but couldn’t land it and had to settle with 2nd. It was all Kjersti who just wanted to be in the finals to secure the Volvo overall award but with a stylish and technical run ending with a smooth frontside 720 she took the win and the Volvo!

Roxy TM, Stine Bruen-Jeladas, Burton's Susie Floros, Sina Candrien and Roberta

It was sunny for a bit for Spencer O'Brien

Lisa and Stine help tape up Kjersti's shoulder for semi's

Chanelle and Kjersti warming up in the Athletes lounge

Sarka, Leanne, Spencer, Ebonee, and Silvia watching the Mens slopestyle on the big screen in the athletes lounge

Chanelle was stoked to win a year's supply of Emergen-C with her boardslide to 270 out for Best Trick

3rd Chanelle Sladics, 2nd Jenny JOnes, 1st Kjersti Buass and taking home the Volvo!

Another beautiful sunny day with icy hard pack conditions. While the Halfpipe Semi Finals were going on I hung out at the Men and Women’s slopestyle practice.  With firm conditions the girls were a little hesitant on the jumps not many tricks were going down as the girls just lapped the course getting comfortable with the jumps and waiting for the conditions to improve. Even with the sun out the take offs didn’t soften up at all during practice but the landings did begin to get a bit softer.  Most girls dialed in their rail tricks and a couple spun off the first jump except for Janna Meyen-Weatherly who was getting her run dialed in for the next days competition, which consisted of a boardslide to fakie on the down rail, switch boardslide, backside 540 and a cab 720. Girls on fire!  The afternoon the crowd was in full force for the halfpipe finals. After a huge fall in her first run Elena Hight had to be taken away on a stretcher but that didn’t deter the rest of the 7 finalists from going for it in front of the enthusiastic crowd. Back to back 540’s were like straight airs for all the girls, most were easily doing 720 combo’s all with good amplitude.  Kelly Clark took a strong lead with her first run combining style and amplitude with 540 and 720 combo’s.  In her second run young Ellery Hollinsworth stepped up her 540 and 720 combos finishing off with a cab 900. Torah Bright had troubles with her first two runs but pulled it all together for her final run to take the lead by dropping in switch to a cab 720 and stomping a crippler, b/s 360 and switch B/S 540 in her run. On top of taking the Gold for Pipe Torah also took home the Amp Energy Best Trick Award for her switch B/S 720 taking home an additional $3000.

After qualifying for the pipe finals this morning Kjersti came over for slope practice

Jenny Jones one of the few girls to spin in practice

Janna Meyen Weatherly was all smiles with her runs and with her husband, Kirk being in town to hang!

Leanne Pelosi showed up last minute to the Open looking solid on the rails

Contest Underdog Mary Sallah always looks smooth!

CDN Open Slopestyle winner Silvia Mittermuller

Eventhough it was icy the girls were stoked, Chanelle, Kjersti, Sarka, and Leanne

Kelly has been dominating pipe contests this year with a no lower place then 2nd

The man behind the magic, Beny Bright Torah's brother and coach

Tricia interviews Kelly for GO211

Pipe Podium 1st Torah Bright, 2nd Kelly Clark, 3rd Ellery Hollinsworth

I woke up to super sunny skies and headed up to shred Stratton with Transworld Editor Annie Fast. Even with the sunny skies it was still pretty brisk and the runs were bulletproof but we made the best of it and got a couple hours of boardin’ in before heading over to check out pipe practice.  The pipe was in much better condition today. All the girls were riding strong locking in their runs for tomorrow’s semi’s and finals. After was the Junior Jam practice and it was really cool to see so many mini shredders.  I think it was more hectic then the Men’s and Women’s practice with so many sugar high little kids yelling dropping and amping to go next. There were for sure a couple really solid little guys busting out 720’s, 900’s, cripplers and smooth airs well above the lip.

After a long day on hill it was followed by a long evening watching the QP Finals. A one and a half hour jam format really gave the girls a chance to really push it on the 30 foot quarterpipe.  Kjersti Bruaas was by far going the highest with nice stylish methods, Elena stomped a solid B/S 540, Sarka who had been going huge in the practice couldn’t seem to lock in a solid air in the finals, Lisa Wikk went for it stomping a couple McTwists to take 2nd followed by Elena in 3rd and Kjersti took home 1st.  

Sarka and Lisa were stoked on the QP!

Sarka has style!

Elena Hight

Best female TM's in the biz, Volcom's Ebonee Spence and Burton's Susie Davis

Kjersti goes big!

Going big equals smiles!

TTR's Verena Bossmann enjoying a local waffle!

Girls in the gondola! Annie and friend

Sarka

Kevin Pearce

Well I didn’t quite make it up the hill in time to shred and check out the event. After arriving late last night with Chris Owen and Aaron Leyland we decided to spend the night and Burlington. I’ve never spent any time in Burlington so while we were there seemed like a good opportunity to go by the Burton Headquarters.  Neither Aaron or I had been there before so we got the whole tour, checked out marketing, R & D, Design, The Syndicate, and took a look at the on site Stash which when there is snow I’m sure there are some serious lunch sessions that go down!  Walking through the building is like walking through the history of snowboarding with old photos, boards, posters, that date back to 1977 line the walls. It was actually a great way to start the trip learning more about the brand that started the the US Open of Snowboarding.

We eventually made it up the mountain just before 2pm and although it was slushy and tracked out I had to get my shred on! Can’t wait for tomorrow!