Photo credit: Snowboarder Magazine
There’s this event going on today, north of the border, maybe you’ve heard something about it? Apparently Vancouver’s got this little grassroots halfpipe competition going on called the Olympics!
That’s right, the stunt ditch will fill up with stars this afternoon, and by bedtime the world will have a new men’s pipe champion. The United States Olympic Team is looking good too.
Shaun White has been training like a man possessed with private pipes and foam pits and he’s coming in hot off an X Games victory. Does the world have a secret weapon out there that can de-throne the defending champ? Iouri Podladtchikov and Kazuhiro Kokubu put up a decent fight at the X Games, too, garnering second and third, respectively.
Joining Shaun for the stars and stripes are Louie Vito and Scotty Lago, two high-flyin’ young guns in search of their first taste of Olympic glory. Both guys have been using this season as a coming out party, affirming that they have the ability to become legitimate contenders on the global stage.
Also making his debut is up and comer Greg Bretz, out of Mammoth Mountain, California. He’s proved to be part of the prestigious double-cork club and could be a serious medal contender after narrowly missing out on a share of the X Games podium.
The United States team already has one gold in the bag, thanks to Mr. Seth Wescott and his photo finish in snowboardcross earlier in the week. Snowboarding action continues tomorrow too, when the women take to the vert, led by Kelly Clark, Elena Hight, Gretchen Bleiler, and Hannah Teter.
Be sure to tune in to NBC for the first man to drop-in at 4:05 ET. Qualifications and Semifinals continue throughout the afternoon, and the first of two final runs are scheduled to begin at 10:15 ET.
Keep checking back here for Olympic updates and beyond!
