Bud Light U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix Kicks-Off In Sugarloaf
(December 19, 1996)

SUGARLOAF, Maine -- The inaugural Bud Light U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix presented by Chevy S-10 Trucks kicked off snowboarding's run to the Olympics on Thursday in Sugarloaf with the men's and women's halfpipe qualifiers. The U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix is the first step towards determining the best riders to represent the U.S. when snowboarding makes its Olympic debut at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Japan.

Delays in competition due to fog forced race officials to postpone the men's second qualifying run until Friday. Officials were able to pull off both women's runs in the two-run qualifiers. The top 14 men and six women from the first run of the qualifiers and the top 15 men and six women from the second run of qualifiers will progress to the halfpipe finals on Saturday.

The 29 men and 12 women from halfpipe qualifiers will join riders who have already pre-qualified for the finals, based on 1996 season-ending World Ranking lists on both the FIS (International Ski Federation) and ISF (International Snowboard Federation) points lists, the U.S.Snowboarding points list, and the top riders at the first American Snowboard Tour event ofthe 1996-97 season in Hunter Mountain, N.Y. (Dec. 13-15).

Advancing to the halfpipe finals after Thursday's qualifiers:

Women
First Run:
PL  Name                                    Points 
1.  Shannon Dunn, Midvale, Utah,            23.9 
2.  Tina Basich, Sandy, Utah,               21.8
3.  Athena, Santa Barbara, Calif.,          19.3
4.  Kaori Takeyama, Japan,                  15.3
5.  Amy Rose, Reno, Nev.,                   14.6
6.  Shirley Caron, Canada,                  13.7
Second Run: 
1.   Christy Barrett, (Hometown N/A),       14.4
2.   Kim Stacey, Stratton, Vermont,         12.9
3.   Jessica Spears, (Hometown N/A),        12.3
4.   Sarah Thompson, Cavendish, Vermont,    11.9
5.   Christina Krieg, S. Londonderry, Vermont, 11.6
6.   Rachel Turiel, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.,  10.1
Men                                  
1.   Keir Dillon, East Stroudsburg, Penn., 30.2
2.   Takamasa Imai, (Hometown N/A),        28.4
3.   Ian Spiro, Killington, Vermont,       27.7
4.   Waylon Edwards, Canada,               27.0
5.   Anders Hagman, Sweden,                26.9
6.   Tom Matthews, McCall, Idaho,          26.4
7.   Joe Curtes, Vail, Colo.,              26.4
8.   Jeremy Baye, East Greenbush, N.Y.,    26.3
9.   James Gunnarsson, Sweden,             26.2
10.  Abram Teter, Belmont, Vermont,        26.1
11.  Pontos Stahlkloo, Sweden,             25.7
12.  Doran Andersson, Sweden,              25.4
13.  Ron Chiodi, Bondville, Utah,          25.4
14.  Luke Wynen, Reading, Penn.,           25.3  

The Bud Light Grand Prix Tour continues on Friday with the second run of the men's halfpipe qualifiers. Men's and women's halfpipe finals will be Saturday, with giant slalom finals concluding the inaugural Grand Prix weekend on Sunday. The second Grand Prix event will be at Snowmass,Colo., Jan. 1-5.

PR: College Scholarships to Be Offered at Sugarloaf/USA Competition (12-19-96)