By Press Release

March 24, 2000

LUDLOW, VT (Mar. 24) - U.S. Snowboard Team rider Sondra Van Ert (Ketchum, ID) and Canadian Jasey Jay Anderson took wins in giant slalom Friday at the X-Nix U.S. Snowboard Championships at Okemo Mountain.

It was a double win for Van Ert as she also collected the overall Grand Prix alpine title for the season. It was a U.S. Team sweep for the alpine title as Lynn Ott (Bend, OR) was second and Stacia Hookom (Edwards, CO) came in third.

Chris Klug (Aspen, CO), won the title for the men and finished second in the race, but is considered the U.S. GS champ as he was the first American to finish. Anderson placed second in the alpine standings and Denmark's Mike Kildevaeld was third.

For the third day in a row, the weather was perfect with temperatures approaching the 70-degree mark. It was outstanding for spectators and spring riders, but made conditions less than perfect on the race course. As was the case with Thursday's slalom, the first course set was extremely straight down, not allowing for much carving.

Van Ert, who won a super G at Mammoth Mountain, CA to open the Grand Prix season, won Friday with a two run time of 2:58.71. Ott was second in 3:01.37 and Canadian Paule Bertrand was third with a time of 3:04.66.

"The first run was-I love super G (even faster than GS)-and I was scared," said Van Ert. "I love the Nationals and it feels really good to have the season wrapped up now. I love freeriding in the soggy slush, even training in the slush. But the salt (used to harden the course) throws almost everyone a little bit for a loop."

The races took almost a full ski day to run due to a long delay in between first and second runs for work on the course.

Anderson, who was second in Thursday's slalom, won with a time of 2:41.77 and was the leader after the first run as well. Klug, who went out on his first slalom run Thursday, followed in 2:45.97 and Canadian David Vaughan was third in 2:47.17.

Anderson is currently second in the overall Grand Prix standings, with the winner receiving a 2000 Chevy S-10 ZR2 truck. He will compete in snowboardcross Sunday to attempt to up his point total and win the overall series title.

For Klug, it has been an outstanding comeback season after spending much of last year out with an injury. He won the season's first GS at Breckenridge back in January.

"All in all it was a great season," said Klug, who podiumed four times (including one win) on the World Cup tour this year. "It's a great way to end it. Hopefully, I'll have the best season of my career next year."

Klug echoed Van Ert on the course conditions.

"The first run was really straight. It was challenging because it was inconsistent (from the salt). One minute it was hard and the next it was soft. You couldn't really dive into your turns."

The forecast calls for more sunny skies and mild temperatures for Saturday's halfpipe events.

X-NIX U.S. SNOWBOARD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Okemo Mt., Ludlow, VT
March 24, 2000
Giant Slalom

MEN
1. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada, 2:41.77
2. Chris Klug, Aspen, CO, 2:45.97
3. David Vaughan, Canada, 2:47.17
4. Mike Kildevaeld, Denmark, 2:47.59
5. Benjamin Fairchild III, Bothell, WA, 2:48.60
6. Tyler Jewell, Sudbury, MA, 2:48.91
7. Graham Watanabe, Ketchum, ID, 2:48.94
8. Peter Thorndike, Meredith, NH, 2:49.33
9. Ian Hadgkiss, Canada, 2:49.84
10. Eric Warren, Bennington, VT, 2:51.94
11. Felix Antoine Dorval, Canada, 2:52.55
12. Jerred Stradley, Jackson, WY, 2:52.67
13. Adam Casanova, Glenwood Springs, CO, 2:53.65
14. A.J. Johnson, Canada, 2:53.83
15. Colin Merriman, Orondo, WA, 2:53.85

WOMEN
1. Sondra Van Ert, Ketchum, ID, 2:58.71
2. Lynn Ott, Bend, OR, 3:01.37
3. Paule Bertrand, Canada, 3:04.66
4. Melissa Barclay, Canada, 3:04.89
5. Stacia Hookom, Edwards, CO, 3:05.30
6. Michelle Charles, Canada, 3:05.49
7. Ivana Trudel, Canada, 3:07.65
8. Claire Cetera, Sun Valley, ID, 3:09.64
9. Michelle Gorgone, Sudbury, MA, 3:10.63
10. Adryan Ritter, Boulder, CO, 3:17.46
11. Andrea Dobrzelewski, Kalamazoo, MI, 3:18.50
12. Emily Aanestad, Ketchum, ID, 3:20.68
13. Nicole Prefontaine, Plymouth, NH, 3:22.33
14. Helene Cloutier, Canada, 3:22.86
15. Margo Lipman, Stratton Mt., VT, 3:28.60