NEWS: Snow Blankets Second Day of US Grand Prix by Lee Crane US Grand Prix competitors were greeted Thursday morning with over a foot of fresh Mammoth Mountain snow, stalling the halfpipe practice till noon and completely eliminating the Giant Slalom training. In less that six hours the snow went from firm pack which GS racer Nate Simms described as perfect for racing, to drifts of unusually light Sierra snow. No one seemed too upset about it. John Sommers, Jeff Anderson, and Jeff Brushie checking out the Erik Leines show By noon workers had cleared the halfpipe and competitors began practicing. Todd Richards didn't take long to get his line wired. He mixed up his 720s and 540s with speed and seemed to be having no problems with the visibility. Ross Powers was riding so strong that it would take some kind of horrible mishap if he doesn't make the podium and the Olympic Team. Ron Chiodi was flying high, Jimi Scott mixed down his tricks, and the Leines brothers were blowing minds. While Bjorn was riding fast and huge as usual, Erik focused on the last hit of the pipe. John Sommers, Jeff Anderson, and Jeff Brushie stopped as they were walking back up the pipe to watch. "Did you see Erik's backside 900," John Sommers asked from the deck of the pipe. Erik Leines backside 900. Word. I turned just as Erik, wearing a bright yellow Volcom t-shirt, charged down the deck, dropped in, crossed the flat bottom, and exploded off the lip in a spin that is nearly impossible to count. It starts out looking like a McTwist but the rotations just keep going. Halfway through it looked like there was no way Erik would land it, but as he approached the transition the board swung right back underneath him and he rode away. Jimi Scott tried the Erik method on one run. "Erik told me to just go as fast as I can," Jimi laughed. "I tried it and I fell." While the halfpipe riders were practicing in the pipe the GS riders where charging the fresh snow on their race boards hoping that they didn't do too much damage to their boards on the shallow reef. The US Grand Prix finals begin Friday with the Halfpipe Finals. OTHER NEWS The Mammoth Mountain Pipe Ready for Action Fri. (Jan. 30 @ 12:19:AM est) U.S. GRAND PRIX NAVIGATION: Event Coverage | Results | Audio Clips | Photos | Medal Challenge | USGP Mammoth Mt. Index | USGP Mt. Bachelor Index |Solympics Index SOL NAVIGATION: SOL | Scoop | Hardware | Industry | Circleplus | Push | Travel | Interact | School | Weather | Terrain | Compete | Mediator