Monday, March 11

Triple Crown Sierra-at-Tahoe Finals

Press Release

With heavy snow falling throughout the day of the Built Ford Tough North American Snowboard Championships, the final stop of the $125,000 Vans Triple Crown of Snowboarding, concluded at Sierra-at-Tahoe on Sunday with 16-year old Ryan Paris winning the Big Air competition. Although Paris was only in his second professional snowboard competition, he wasn't the youngest rider making his mark this weekend. Overcoming an eighth place finish in this weekend's Slopestyle event, 15-year old Shaun White held on to claim the men's overall Vans Triple Crown of Snowboarding title. A first- and second-place finisher in Slopestyle at the first two VTCS stops at Breckenridge, CO and Snow Summit, CA, White won the crown as Todd Richards was absent from the competition and Rham Klampert, needing at least a second place finish, finishing fourth in the Big Air.

White joins 20-year old Gretchen Bleiler, winner of the Halfpipe competitions at each of the first two VTCS stops, as overall champion. White, with a driver's license within his sights, wins a Ford Ranger FX4 and a $10,000 bonus, while Bleiler claims $5,000 for her crown.

Paris captured the Big Air title with a spectacular Cab 1080 nosegrab on his second and last attempt to wrestle first place away from Breckenridge winner Ben Hinkley. Nate Sheehan, second place finisher at Snow Summit, came in third.

Saturday's action, jammed with the Slopestyle and Halfpipe finals, featured even more new faces taking the podium in the Slopestyle comp as Josh Feliciano, Jimi Tomer and Chris Patterson took first through third, while Jana Meyen, Jonnel Janewicz and Dresden Howell placed top three in the women's competition. Late Saturday afternoon, Olympians Tommy Czeschin and Tricia Byrnes, absent from the second VTCS stop in Snow Summit last month due to the Olympics, claimed Halfpipe titles as the sun disappeared over the mountains. Czeschin repeated his first place finish at the first stop of the VTCS in Breckenridge as he posted the day's two top runs. Byrnes' first run 90.8 edged two-time VTCS halpipe winner Bleiler's 90.0.

Concluding the 2001/2002 Vans Triple Crown of Snowboarding season, the Built Ford Tough North American Championships will air March 30 at 5:00 p.m. EST on NBC Sports as part of the network's ongoing coverage of the Vans Triple Crown Series.

Slopestyle Finals - (Saturday, March 9)

Men - Score - Purse
1. Josh Feliciano 77.0 $10,000
2. Jimi Tomer 76.0 $7,500
3. Chris Patterson 75.0 $3,500

Women - Score - Purse
1. Jana Meyen - 76.0 - $7,500
2. Jonnel Janewicz - 65.6 - $4,500
3. Dresden Howell - 64.6 - $2,200

Halfpipe Finals - (Saturday, March 9)

Men - Score - Purse
1. Tommy Czeschin - 94.8 - $10,000
2. Gian Simmen - 90.8 - $6,500
3. Wyatt Caldwell - 86.8 - $4,000

Women Score Purse 1. Tricia Byrnes - 90.8 - $7,500
2. Gretchen Bleiler - 90.0 - $4,500
3. Minna Hesso - 82.5 - $2,200

Big Air Finals - (Men only Sunday, March 10)

Name - Purse
1. Ryan Paris $10,000
2. Ben Hinkley $6,500
3. Nate Sheehan $3,000