Wednesday, March 19

2003 US Open Rail Jam

By Glen Seelenbrandt
EXPN.com

Even though it is one of the longest running snowboard contests in the world, the US Open has certainly changed with the times in order to stay up to date and to keep things interesting for all of us snowboard fans out there. Witness this year's new contest addition, the Friday Night Rail Jam.

The course was designed by the late, and dearly missed, Jeff Anderson and gave the competitors 1 hour and 15 minutes to unleash the gnar-rail-beast within and impress the judges. The course consisted of two stairways -- The first was a 15 flat 15 kinked contraption with a wide flat rail and a standard issue round rail for your jibbing pleasure. The second showcased dueling Hubba style ledges with a standard variety rail in between.

Early session standouts included Ali Goulet, who ollied out 180 over the first set to 50-50 on the bottom both regular and switch. Travis Rice, who threw a 180 on, to kink, to switch frontside slide. And Ryan Lougee, who nailed a cab 270 to revert out on the top rail.

Blinded by the light ... an unidentified afternoon rider gaps to frontside board on the flat rail of the first obstacle.

Being that the event was judged on the average of the rider's three best runs, not the overall beastliness of one individual cleaned rail, meant that some pretty serious consistency was going to take home the $10,000. Travis Rice had 3 solid runs at the beginning and then sat back to see who would catch up.

With about 30 minutes left things did indeed begin to catch fire. Shaun White began his attack with a barrage of spins both on and off the rails. At the top he gave us a cab 270 in, 270 out then repeating the variation on the bottom ledge. Wyatt Caldwell 270'ed to backside lip on the first and then switch buttered into a backside 180 to backwards nose press on the second ... whew!

The heat from the rails also seemed to get the competition for best trick crackling. Ryan Paris stomped a switch frontside 450 to revert and seemed to have all but endorsed that $5,000 best trick check. But 5 minutes later Nick Batko came along and stomped his own 450, but his was backside … was it more difficult? No one could safely say, including the judges, because both riders would go on to share the prize money.

Meanwhile, back in the main contest, other riders began to step it up. Zach Leach switch 180'ed, to 50/50, to 180 out on the top and had some interesting dance like combos on the bottom Hubba ledges. He would move up to take 3rd overall. Shaun White continued his flawless and super stylee riding and ended up grabbing second place. And with about 5 minutes left Rice came back out with one more run to solidify his place and take the win with a frontside 180 onto the kink, to switch 50/50, to 180 out. And a cab nose slide 270 out at the bottom, damn.

Best Trick: Nick Batko and Ryan Paris