Breckenridge, Colo. -- The Chevrolet U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix kicks off its 12th season with a halfpipe competition Dec. 15 at Breckenridge Resort. The who's who of snowboarding will hit the pipe, including Olympic medalists Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT), Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), and X Games medalists Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO) and Scotty Lago (Seabrook, NH).
"The field for this first major halfpipe competition of the season is deep with talent," said Chevrolet U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix Tour Director Eric Webster. "We have all the top U.S. riders and a strong contingent of international riders, so everyone is excited to see how they match up. The Breckenridge Grand Prix is usually a pretty good indication of how the season will play out."
NBC, Versus and WCSN.com will broadcast coverage from Breckenridge. (See detailed schedule below.)
Through its history, the Chevrolet Grand Prix has evolved into the premier snowboarding competition tour in America, and a place for the next generation and veterans alike to showcase their skills.
"Our team is looking strong. The whole team is here and ready to go," said U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski. "The vets such as Steve and Gretchen are coming back strong and really driven as are the up and comers. We have the full package."
"Breckenridge is rich with snowboard history that dates back to the mid to late '80s when it hosted some of the first halfpipe competitions. It is a privilege for the Grand Prix to kick off the season in Breckenridge and be part of the long-standing tradition," Webster said.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that Breckenridge is home to the Freeway Terrain Park that hosts a halfpipe with a reputation for being the top of its class.
"Breckenridge consistently has one of the best pipes in the world, especially this early in the season," Jankowski said. "We're here in December pretty much every year for the Grand Prix, so it's good for us because it's perfect." This is Breck's fifth year hosting the opening event and its seventh season overall; it hosted the final Olympic-qualifying event in 2002.
Heading into the opening Grand Prix there is a lot of buzz around up-and-coming riders including Louie Vito (Columbus, OH/Sandy, UT), Lago and Ellery Hollingsworth (Stratton, VT) who are poised to infiltrate the world of elite snowboarding through the Grand Prix.
"Every year is a pivotal year for riders trying to make a name for themselves," Webster said. "Every four or five years a group of riders emerges that stakes a claim on the top spots in halfpipe."
"You're riding against a lot of your heroes, a lot of people you looked up to as a kid," Jankowski said. "Matt Ladley [Steamboat Spring, CO] had a breakout season with third place at the Tamarack Grand Prix last season. He's only getting stronger, he's only getting better and he's only getting more focused with the fact that he knows he has what it takes to get on the podium at the Grand Prix."
The competition this year looks to be fierce as the best riders come out to master the halfpipe during the day and compete in the Paul Mitchell Progression Session's "Pipestyle" exhibition under the lights. The Pipestyle will be a one-hour jam session with Captain Harris and DJ Root spinning the tunes. The top five riders move onto finals where the Rip It Trick of the Day also will be awarded.
Following the success of last season, Rip It Energy Drinks again is awarding $2,500 to the rider with the best trick. The men's and women's Grand Prix pipe winners will take home $14,000 each on Saturday. The total purse of the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix events is $300,000 including two new Chevy trucks, which will be awarded to the overall halfpipe champions at the end of the three-stop series.
Breckenridge Competition Schedule: (All competitions take place in the renowned Freeway Terrain Park; all times MT unless indicated)
Friday, Dec. 14
8:30-2p.m., Men's halfpipe qualifiers
Saturday, Dec. 15
8:30-10:30 a.m., Women's halfpipe qualifiers
12-1:30 p.m., Chevrolet U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix - halfpipe finals
7-8:30 p.m., Paul Mitchell Progression Session - Pipestyle competition
Broadcast Schedule:
The Chevrolet Grand Prix boasts one of the best broadcast packages for competitive snowboarding. If you can't make it in-person to Breckenridge, you have several options to tune-in to all the action. New this year is LIVE Webcasting of the Grand Prix on WCSN.com. And NBC, the Olympic network, and Versus also will have all the action coming from the Breckenridge Grand Prix.
Saturday, Dec. 22, 3 p.m. ET on NBC
Chevrolet U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, Breckenridge, CO
Sunday, Dec. 30, 5 p.m. ET on Versus
Chevrolet U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, Breckenridge, CO
Sunday, Jan. 13, 5 p.m. ET on Versus
Paul Mitchell Progression Session, Breckenridge, CO
* Check local listings as air times are subject to change.