U.S. Chevy Truck Snowboard Grand Prix

Park City, Utah

December 17, 2003

The Chevy Truck Snowboard Grand Prix was my first pro ranked race.  It was a nationally televised event by NBC Sports, OLN, and RSN.  It was my first experience racing with the worlds best athletes and Olympians.  They included the entire national teams from: US, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, France, Norway, and Italy.  I raced with Team Vail out of Vail, Colorado under the coaching of 11 year US Team member and US Slalom Champion, Anton Pogue. 

It was a great experience to see how I raced in a setting with multiple TV cameras, announcers, all my idols, and spectators.  I made it through the course and I didn't fall.  I also met my goal of beating at least 1/3 of the men's field, but I was way too nervous to ride very hard.

Probably the best part of it for me was the fact that the year before, I went to it as a spectator and thought...'That looks like fun'...the next year, I was competing.  I hope I can improve even more for next season!

My favorite picture.  That's me running the gates on the worlds most famous snowboard race course.

 Last minute board tuning in the parking lot before sunrise.

 Look at that blur! Its me running the gates!

 Making the final few turns into the finish area.

 I have to admit, that was pretty cool to see your name on one of those big boards...even if they spell it wrong.  But you can see there, I finished 54th place out of about 80 racers.

 A quick wave as I pass through the finishing/press area.

 I gave it what I could.

 The women's finishers.  Takeuchi Tomoka (Japan - 1st)   Isabell Dal Balcon (Italy - 2nd)   Daniela Meuli  (Switzerland - 3rd)

The men's finishers.  Urs Eiselin  (Switzerland - 1st)  Siegfried Grabner (Austria - 2nd)  Jaquet Gillet (3rd - Switzerland)

 This is Isabella Dal Balcon and me.  We stayed in the same hotel, so we car pooled together.  She was the #1 qualifier and #2 overall.

 Men's halfpipe practice...nope..I didnt compete in that one.

 This is probably the worlds most famous half pipe as site of the 2002 Olympic Games.

Riders went big. 

 Tommy Czeschin showing why he is one of the best the US has to offer.

 After the stress of the race, and few friends from Kalamazoo met up with us and I just got to cruise around the mountain away from coaches, press and competetors.

 Me and my dad.

The whole group getting ready for some extreme riding.  And me proving the fact that 1 out of 4 people snowboard.