Sugarloaf/USA, ME and Snowmass, CO will be featured stops on U.S. Snowboarding's
Grand Prix Tour, featuring top U.S. and international riders. The U.S. Snowboard
Grand Prix Tour is the first step towards determining the best riders to
represent the U.S. when snowboarding makes its Olympic debut at the 1998
Winter Olympic Games in Japan. The two-event series will also mark the first
competitions between riders from both major international circuits, and will
offer the largest cash prizes in U.S. snowboard history.
The inaugural U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix Tour will bring together riders from
the International Ski Federation (FIS) Grundig World Cup and International
Snowboard Federation (ISF) World Pro tours.The tour will kick-off at
Sugarloaf/USA in Maine, Dec. 18-22, marking a historic first, as riders,
regardless of affiliation, compete in anarena. Colorado's Snowmass
resort, near Aspen, is the site of the second event, Jan. 1-5. Each Grand
Prix stop will feature halfpipe and giant slalom competitions. Total purse
for each event will be $75,000.
In addition to the U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix competitions, the Snowmass event
will include the Nike Big Air Invitational. This exhibition-style event will
showcase the explosive air and style of some the world's top riders. The
Nike Big Air Invitational will be held at night in downtown Aspen at the
base of Little Nell.
The International Olympic Committee approved snowboarding in 1994 as the
newest snow sport for the Winter Games with giant slalom and halfpipe
competitions for men and women. U.S. Snowboarding, along with the U.S. Olympic
Committee, is finalizing criteria for Olympic selection.
"These Grand Prix events will be completelyto all riders and will help
educate both the athletes about the Olympic procedure and give coaches and
officials a chance to get a look at the athletes who might be representing
the USA in Nagano," said U.S. Snowboard Director Sharon Harned. "This is
just the beginning of the process to determine the best Olympic riders from
the USA."
She said this season's events will be followed by more Grand Prix competitions
early in the 1997-98 season, leading to the Nagano Olympics. The U.S. Snowboard
Grand Prix Tour will allow all riders to earn FIS points, which are necessary
to qualify riders for Olympic competitions and will be used to seed athletes
at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano.
The 1996-97 Grand Prix schedules:
Sugarloaf/USA
Dec. 18 -- Registration
Dec. 19 -- Halfpipe qualifier
Dec. 20 -- Giant slalom qualifier
Dec. 21 -- Halfpipe finals
Dec. 22 -- GS finals
Snowmass
Jan. 1 -- Registration
Jan. 2 -- GS qualifier
Jan. 3 -- Halfpipe qualifier
Jan. 4 -- GS finals & Nike Big Air Invitational (downtown Aspen)
Jan. 5 -- Halfpipe finals
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