Snowboarders stick around for training

Published 4:00 am Wednesday, January 12, 2005

The U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix at Mount Bachelor ended on Sunday, but that did not mean the U.S. team was done.

The team decided to stay a few days to, uh, train.

”We’re doing some training, but mostly just riding powder,” Mike Jankowski, the assistant halfpipe coach and team manager, said on Tuesday. ”That’s what you do on days like these.”

Snow fell heavily throughout much of the Grand Prix, and while riders were focused on competing over the weekend, once the contest was over they had time to enjoy the powder.

And it wasn’t just the Americans who decided to stay. The Finnish, German and Swiss teams also extended their stays at Mount Bachelor.

With the Snowboard World Championships in Whistler, British Columbia, starting on Saturday, several teams and riders set up camp at Bachelor as part of their preparation.

Several big-name boarders have been reveling in Bachelor’s pristine snow conditions for the past two days, including Mike Rosengren (second place in boarder-cross at the Grand Prix), Lindsey Jacobellis (also second place in boarder-cross), Seth Wescott (boarder-cross), Tommy Czeschin (halfpipe), and Steve Fisher (halfpipe).

A few snowboarders were being filmed as part of NBC’s television coverage of the Grand Prix, and the U.S. Snowboard team was also filming a DVD it will release next year. Sunny conditions on Monday and Tuesday were ideal for filming, Jankowski said.

”It’s blue-bird and sunny and we were blessed with this good amount of snow,” Jankowski said. ”We’ve been riding and having a great time. The snow is fabulous up here, and the locals have all been great.”

The snowboarders are preparing to compete in halfpipe, boarder-cross and big-air competitions at the World Championships, which run through Jan. 23.

The U.S. team is scheduled to leave Central Oregon today, with the boarder-cross and halfpipe riders headed for Whistler, and several slopestyle boarders going to Vail, Colo., for The Session, a slopestyle contest.

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