Swatch Boardercross Tour:
Neilson Edges Palmer at Copper
February 21, 1999
by John Stouffer

Complete Boardercross Results

Canadian Drew Neilson upset the Swatch Boardercross World Tour favorite Shaun Palmer at Copper Mountain February 21, 1999 in a truly international final that featured competitors from six countries. But it wasn’t really a surprise for Neilson, who won $10,000: he won this event last season as well. This year, he was followed by Austrian Harald Putz, Swiss Bertrand Denervaud, Norway’s Tor Bruserud, Shaun Palmer, and Italy’s Davide Marciandi.

Neilson was expecting the race to be a bit closer though, but after a bump with Palmer going into the first turn, the Palm actually wiped out and ended up in sixth place. "I looked back and wondered, ‘Where’s Palmer?’", Neilson said.

He thought that the close encounter didn’t actually affect the other rider. "Palmer and I were really wide on the first corner and I had to put my arm out because we were coming together. But I didn’t push him. We stared at each other and then I just got ahead of him and I don’t know what happened after that."

After the race, Neilson went over and talked to Palmer, who was obviously upset and sitting alone at the bottom of the course. "I felt bad because I don’t really like doing that," said Neilson of the near collision. "It wasn’t dirty, but it wasn’t what I like to do. But I had too. I was coming in so fast and the way Shaun was coming into the turn, I would have run right into him. So I put my arm out and gave him a little shove."

On the women’s side, fellow Canadian Mayumi Fukuda bested three Austrians including Nici Pederzolli, Brigitte Koeck, and Catherine Poetzel, as well as Italian Alessia Follador and Norway’s Line Oestvold to win the 5,000 dollar first place prize.

Fukuda, Neilson, and all the competitors were happy with the course, which featured a variety of jumps, banks, and rollers. One series of jumps that went into a nice left-hand bank claimed more than a few riders, including Italian favorite Fabrizio Bonacina.

Consistency was important as racers worked their way through the six-person heats, with the top three advancing in the winners round and the bottom three moving down to the losers brackets in the double elimination format.

While Palmer looked strongest winning his first three heats, he got fourth in his fourth, took first in the loser’s bracket semi final to get to the finals, but then faltered in the final. Neilson, on the other hand, started with a first, then took a second, and then followed with three first places to round out the contest. Although not winning any of his heats, Putz put together a third, then three second places to walk with 5,000 dollars. Third place Denervaud won his first head, took sixth in his second, then battled back in the loser’s bracket with two firsts, a second, another first, and ending with a pair of thirds.

The event was the second of three North American stops for the Swatch Boardercross World Tour. The first, held at Big Bear Mountain in Southern California, was won by Palmer, the only rider to make it to the finals in both events. On the women’s side, Fukuda, took sixth at Bear, while Poetzl took second. The next event will be held at The Canyons March 11 to the 14. Surely, Palmer will be looking for revenge, while Neilson and Fukuda will be gunning for repeats.

Complete Boardercross Results