Thursday, December 6

U.S. Open Championship Adds Slopestyle to 2002 Event Line Up

Press Release

The 20th Annual U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, the most anticipated snowboarding event of the year, will be held at Stratton Mountain, Vermont, from March 14-17, 2002. Big changes are in store for this year's U.S. Open, as a new and exciting discipline has been added to the 2002 event line up: Men's and Women's Slopestyle.

"At this year's event we have another solid opportunity to service the rider's requests," U.S. Open Manager Barry Dugan said. "Bringing a world class Slopestyle course to the U.S. Open will definitely improve both the rider's and the spectator's event experience."

Created by snowboarders, specifically for snowboarders, the U.S. Open has always been committed to both the progression of the sport as well as the specific wishes and wants of the riders. For the past two decades, the U.S. Open has perpetually evolved and expanded in breadth as a result of insightful rider feedback, with last year's 2001 event seeing the addition of the massively successful Quarterpipe event featuring a gigantic 22-foot tall Quarterpipe that towered high above a sea of energized spectators.

In this spirit, Slopestyle will replace Boardercross at the 2002 U.S. Open, as once again, this is what the majority of rider's requested. "This year's Slopestyle course will be created exclusively for the U.S. Open by Pat Malendoski's Planet Construction, with pro riders Dave Downing, Jussi Oksanen, and Shaun White providing authentic feedback on the overall course design," commented Dugan.

Slopestyle, a heavily skate-influenced discipline, combines multiple freestyle elements set within a unique course that features a variety of jumps, rails, hips, and other snowboard-specific obstacles, that not only challenge each rider's skills, but also their creativity. Utilizing a jam format, consistent with all other U.S. Open event disciplines, male and female riders will choose their own unique lines through the course, thereby allowing them to showcase their individual riding styles and strengths. The top riders in the world will battle it out on Stratton's hallowed slopes in the hopes of taking home the inaugural U.S. Open Slopestyle crown on Sunday, March 17, 2002.

In addition to Slopestyle, over 500 male and female riders representing 15 countries will also vie for top spots in the Quarterpipe, Halfpipe, and Junior Jam Halfpipe competitions, and a piece of the event's sizeable cash purse. Stratton's Sunbowl Area will once again support the entire event, with the riders, spectators, and sponsors all merging to create one of the most exciting and centralized snowboarding experiences in the world.

To date, the 2002 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships see support from Burton Snowboards as Owner/Presenting Sponsor, Right Guard Xtreme Sport as Presenting Sponsor, SoBe Beverages and Volkswagen as Supporting Sponsors, FHM as Media Partner, and Stratton Mountain Resort as Event Host. Look for network-televised coverage of the 20th Annual U.S. Open this April 2002 - stay tuned for the complete broadcast schedule.

To stay in the know on all pertinent 2002 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships event information, please visit the official website located at: www.opensnowboarding.com.