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ASPEN — Aspen’s Gretchen Bleiler is among a group of talented, veteran riders who will compete for U.S Snowboarding this upcoming winter.
The Olympic silver medalist in women’s halfpipe and repeat Winter X Games champion is joined by fellow Aspenite Chris Klug — the bronze medalist in parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Olympics — and Basalt boardercrosser Jason Smith on the roster of 37 athletes that U.S. Snowboarding released Monday.
Klug, named to the men’s alpine B team, is entering his 18th competitive season. He finished the 2008 season on a high note in March, claiming a gold and silver at the U.S. Nationals at Mount Hood Meadows in Oregon to guarantee himself World Cup starts this upcoming winter.
Bleiler is coming off a 2008 season where she won another gold in the halfpipe in front of her hometown fans at the Winter X Games at Buttermilk. She also appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine, and won her first ESPY award in July.
Smith’s 2008-09 season is already underway. A member of the boardercross B team, the Basalt local finished 21st at Saturday’s World Cup opener in Chapelco, Argentina.
Among the other big names to highlight this year’s U.S. Snowboarding roster are: Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, Maine), Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teter (Belmont, Vt.), Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.), Olympian Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.), U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix overall champion Louie Vito (Columbus, Ohio) and four-time Winter X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, Calif.).
Last season, U.S. Snowboarding athletes garnered three Winter X Games gold medals, 20 World Cup podium finishes, seven of which were wins, and 13 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix podiums, four of which were wins.
“We have an incredibly talented group of riders in our 2009 programs. All the major players are back and ready for a busy season with Grand Prix, X Games, Action Sports Tour, and the U.S. Open all taking place,” said Jeremy Forster, U.S. Snowboarding’s program director, in a press release. “This year, the World Cups will be a focus to begin locking down 2010 Olympic start spots and it’s a World Championship season, which is a big focus for the alpine and [boardercross] athletes.”
At the top of the halfpipe A team are Bleiler, Vito, Teter and defending Winter X Games gold medalist Steve Fisher of Breckenridge.
The entire alpine roster will be making a return in 2009 with World Cup podium performers Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs), Michelle Gorgone (Boston, Mass.), Justin Reiter (Steamboat Springs) and Adam Smith (Bend, Ore.) — along with Klug — competing on the World Cup circuit.
The Olympic silver medalist in women’s halfpipe and repeat Winter X Games champion is joined by fellow Aspenite Chris Klug — the bronze medalist in parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Olympics — and Basalt boardercrosser Jason Smith on the roster of 37 athletes that U.S. Snowboarding released Monday.
Klug, named to the men’s alpine B team, is entering his 18th competitive season. He finished the 2008 season on a high note in March, claiming a gold and silver at the U.S. Nationals at Mount Hood Meadows in Oregon to guarantee himself World Cup starts this upcoming winter.
Bleiler is coming off a 2008 season where she won another gold in the halfpipe in front of her hometown fans at the Winter X Games at Buttermilk. She also appeared on the cover of ESPN The Magazine, and won her first ESPY award in July.
Smith’s 2008-09 season is already underway. A member of the boardercross B team, the Basalt local finished 21st at Saturday’s World Cup opener in Chapelco, Argentina.
Among the other big names to highlight this year’s U.S. Snowboarding roster are: Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, Maine), Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teter (Belmont, Vt.), Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.), Olympian Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.), U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix overall champion Louie Vito (Columbus, Ohio) and four-time Winter X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, Calif.).
Last season, U.S. Snowboarding athletes garnered three Winter X Games gold medals, 20 World Cup podium finishes, seven of which were wins, and 13 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix podiums, four of which were wins.
“We have an incredibly talented group of riders in our 2009 programs. All the major players are back and ready for a busy season with Grand Prix, X Games, Action Sports Tour, and the U.S. Open all taking place,” said Jeremy Forster, U.S. Snowboarding’s program director, in a press release. “This year, the World Cups will be a focus to begin locking down 2010 Olympic start spots and it’s a World Championship season, which is a big focus for the alpine and [boardercross] athletes.”
At the top of the halfpipe A team are Bleiler, Vito, Teter and defending Winter X Games gold medalist Steve Fisher of Breckenridge.
The entire alpine roster will be making a return in 2009 with World Cup podium performers Tyler Jewell (Steamboat Springs), Michelle Gorgone (Boston, Mass.), Justin Reiter (Steamboat Springs) and Adam Smith (Bend, Ore.) — along with Klug — competing on the World Cup circuit.
