Snowboarders ride into Stratton

Author: Elspeth Pierson

If you're like most Midd-kids, you've likely reached that point in the ski season where you have skied the Snow Bowl slopes to the point of collapse - but by no means are you ready for the season to end. This weekend, head to Stratton to enjoy the sparkle of some fresh slopes and catch a glimpse of the U.S. Open Snowboarding Competition while you are at it. The event, hosted each year at the Stratton Sunbowl Area, draws the best riders from all over the world to compete for both titles and prizes, though this year's prizes - $200,000 in cold, hard cash, two brand new Volvos and two Ski-Doo snowmobiles - certainly provide ample registration incentive.

The event was founded in 1982 by Jake Burton Carpenter, the owner of Burton Snowboards, in an effort to bring riders together from all over the globe and to determine who are truly the sport's best. Carpenter, now 45-years-old and considered by many to be the "inventor" of snowboarding, has a long history with Stratton Mountain. He said of the resort, "Stratton Mountain down in southern Vermont was really the first major area to give [snowboarding] a shot."

In the 23 years since the competition's birth, the event has grown from a grassroots gathering to an international showcase of the world's most famous riders. In addition to the U.S. Snowboarding Open held here in Vermont, Burton also now sponsors an international championship series with competitions held in other parts of the United States, Europe, Japan and New Zealand.

The Stratton Mountain weekend-long spectacle now draws tens of thousands of viewers annually, with the three-day event format allowing plenty of time for both spectating and riding. All events are free to the public for viewing, including the post-awards outdoor concerts scheduled for both Friday and Saturday evenings. The entire weekend is planned by the riders, from the event formats to the prize money to the legendary late night parties. The weekend is also a chance for Burton to show off their 2006 line to the crowds, who have the opportunity to try out unreleased company products at the company's largest public product demo of the year.

Besides sponsorship by Burton and Stratton Mountain, financial support for the event comes from big names such as Volvo, SoBe Beverages, Motorola, Paul Mitchell, Nintendo, GORE-TEX and FHM. On the media side of things, the weekend is being covered by NBC and will air on April 9 from 2-4 p.m. EST. If last year's display of talent means anything for the 2005 Open, the show is sure to be an exciting one. The 2004 Open was full of landmark moments, with the addition of a women's Rail Jam, in which Leanne Pelosi captured the top spot as the highlight.

The schedule for the upcoming weekend is as follows. To be held on Friday, March 18 are the halfpipe qualifiers (9:15-11:45 a.m.), the Rail Jam Qualifiers (5:00-7:00 p.m.), and the Rail Jam Finals (7:45-8:45 p.m.) with a musical act and awards to follow. On Saturday, March 19 will be the Halfpipe Semi-finals (9:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.), and the Halfpipe Finals (1:30-3:30 p.m.), also followed by a performer and awards, and on Sunday, March 20 the Slopestyle Semi-Finals (9:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.), the Slopestyle Finals (1:15-3:45 p.m.) and the Junior Jam (9:15am-3pm).