PR: Olympic Medalists Powers, Dunn Win Grand Prix Halfpipe
Dec. 19, 1998
Mt. Bachelor, Oregon

Mt. BACHELOR, Ore. (Dec. 19) - Olympic medalists Ross Powers (S. Londonderry, VT) and Shannon Dunn (Steamboat Springs, CO) outbattled biting zero-degree, late-day cold Saturday to win the halfpipe competitions at Mt. Bachelor, concluding the first of three Chevy S-10 U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix stops. It was the third victory - all worth $10,000 each -- for both riders in three years of Grand Prix action.

"Today was probably the coldest day I've seen this winter," Powers said after receiving 81.3 points to 79.6 for Canadian Michael Michaelchuck. Adam Petraska (Chester, VT), who lives perhaps 10 miles from Powers. Was third at 77.8. Riders huddled in -2 cold at the start for their final runs. "We were trying to stay warm any way we could," the winner said.

Michaelchuck, Powers, and Petraska. 2, 1, 3.

Powers, who was second to Todd Richards a year ago when Grand Prix results determined the inaugural U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team, noted, "It's nice to win here because I've never won [at Mt. Bachelor]." Winning the World Cup HP event Wednesday at the X-nix Mt. Bachelor Classic was a help, he said, because it helped him know how to deal with the disappearing light by late afternoon.

In the women's competition, Dunn received 67.4 points from the judges for her best two of three rides to 66.5 for Olympic teammate Cara-Beth Burnside (Orange, CA). Tricia Byrnes (New Canaan, CT), who - like Powers - won a World Cup halfpipe Wednesday at Mt. Bachelor, finished third with 66.3.

CB, Shannon, and Tricia. Shannon made it to these awards.

"The sun was out earlier but it really got cold once the sun went down," Dunn said. "We just kept moving up at the top [at the 'pipe start area] so we could keep warm--kept our down jackets on as long as we could.

"This was such a good field, like the Olympics. And the 'pipe was in such good shape. The Grand Prix is so much fun, just the best competitionÖbut it was so-o-o cold, too," she said. "I hadn't even expected to compete in this but I was visiting my friend Leslee [Olson, an ex-world junior champion who lives in Bend] and, well, I'm glad I entered it. The $10,000 will make for nice Christmas shopping."

The Chevy S-10 Grand Prix, starting its third season at Mt. Bachelor, has become the No. 1 domestic series of snowboard events. The next Grand Prix competitions will be Jan. 8-10 at Copper Mountain with the final events Feb. 26-28 at Sunday River, Maine. The top riders will be invited to compete in the Super Finals as part of the X-nix U.S. Snowboard championship March 22-28 at Okemo Mountain, Vt.

CHEVY S-10 U.S. SNOWBOARD GRAND PRIX
Mt. Bachelor, OR - Dec. 19
Men's Halfpipe (12 made Finals)
1. Ross Powers, S. Londonderry, Vt., 81.3 points
2. Michael Michaelchuck, Canada, 79.6
3. Adam Pestraska, Chester, Vt., 77.8
4. Todd Richards, Breckenridge, Colo., 77.7
5. Seth Wescott, Farmington, Maine, 75.1
6. Tommy Czeschin, Crowley Lake, Calif., 74.9 (leads on tiebreaker)
7. Abram Teter, Belmont, Vt., 74.9
8. Fredrik Sterner, Sweden, 72.8
9. Jimi Scott, Carlsbad, Calif., 72.3
10. Ian Spiro, Killington, Vt., 71.8
11. Jeff Anderson, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 66.5
12. Stefan Karlsson, Sweden, 59.1
--
Women's Halfpipe (6 made Finals)
1. Shannon Dunn, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 67.4
2. Cara-beth Burnside, Orange, Calif., 66.5
3. Tricia Byrnes, New Canaan, Conn., 66.3
4. Aurelie Sayres, Haddam, Conn., 65.8
5. Michele Taggart, Salem, Ore., 65.3
6. Kim Stacey, Stratton Mountain, Vt., 62.2