February 10th, 2008
By Photographer Name Here
Following a day of snowboard cross action that saw Americans Shaun Palmer and Lindsey Jacobellis capture titles at the Jeep King of the Mountain competition at 48Straight in Squaw Valley, Calif., today’s thrilling ski cross competition was dominated by the world’s elite foreign talent, with two familiar faces earning top honors on the podium.
Tomas Kraus of the Czech Republic and Ophelie David of France, both ranked No. 1 in the FIS World Cup standings, took advantage of tremendous snow conditions and favorable weather to outlast an extremely deep field of contenders and make a strong case for themselves as ones to watch when the sport makes its debut at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
The men’s finals lived up to its billing with three of the world’s top four racers in contention for the crown, including Kraus, Casey Puckett of Aspen, Colo. and the Swiss tandem of Michael Schmid and Andreas Steffen. Puckett, a four-time Olympian and three-time Jeep King of the Mountain champion, bravely fought off a shoulder injury all day before coming up just short of the Czech standout.
“It was a really hard fought final, and I just ran out of real estate,” said Puckett. “I was actually happy to gain second place, since after the injury I wasn’t really expecting to be able to compete again this season. Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
In gaining the victory, Kraus continuously displayed the fast starts that have gained recognition by his peers and paved the way for his success this season on the World Cup circuit and at other major events.
“It was important to come out fast in each heat today to gain an advantage over the other racers and to gain the line I was seeking,” said Kraus. “I have won one previous Jeep King of the Mountain race, and it was great to come here and get a second win.”
Rounding out the top eight included local favorite Errol Kerr from Truckee, Calif., X Games silver medalist Stanley Hayer of Canada, Ted Piccard of France and Canadian Chris Del Bosco, who resides in Vail, Colo. Hometown legend Daron Rahlves, the 2008 X Games gold medal winner and one of the most decorated male downhill and super G skiers in American history, was upset in the quarterfinals much to the chagrin of his many fans lining the racecourse.
In the women’s ski cross competition, David once again displayed the brilliance that has become commonplace in this still-early season. Thus far she’s won a World Cup race and captured gold at the X Games, and dating back to 2005 has never lost a Jeep King of the Mountain race or been in danger of relinquishing her John Paul Mitchell Systems leader’s jersey. Even though David was feeling the effects of a long five-week swing that had her feeling a bit tired and homesick, she didn’t show any sign of weakness once the starting gates opened.
The toughest battle of the day for David came in the finals, where she found herself matched up against fellow Frenchwoman Meryl Boulangeat, ranked No. 2 in the world, No. 3 ranked Sasa Faric of Slovakia and 2008 X Games bronze medalist Magdalena Jonsson of Sweden. With her eye on a share of the $250,000 cash purse and the keys to a new Jeep, the young phenom quickly grabbed the lead and reached the finish corral well ahead of her competitors.
“I am always so happy to finish well at the Jeep events, and the conditions here in Squaw were outstanding,” said David. “To have good starts today was critical, but also important were the landings, allowing you to keep a smooth line to the very end.”
The remainder of the top eight finishers included Hedda Berntsen of Norway, Jenny Owens of Australia, Julia Murray of Canada and Noriko Fushima of Japan.
On Sunday, the ski halfpipe athletes will take center stage at 48Straight, led by the world’s No. 1 ranked Matthew Hayward of Canada, No. 2 ranked Kevin Rolland of France and No. 3 ranked Justin Dorey of Canada, among others, trying to unseat Simon Dumont, an X Games gold medalist and last season’s Ski Tour champion. On the women’s side, the line-up includes tremendous talent, led by three of the four top ranked athletes in the world, including No. 1 ranked Sarah Burke of Canada, No. 2 ranked Jennifer Hudak of Park City, Utah, and No. 4 ranked Rosalind Groenewoud of Canada.
Billed as the “Loudest Show on Snow,” 48STRAIGHT is a jam-packed weekend of on-snow and off-snow activities designed to celebrate the mountain culture. In addition to the Jeep King of the Mountain races, the event will include a ski and snowboard halfpipe competition, a dozen live concerts, street parties, fashion shows and environmental expos.
Coverage of the action from Squaw Valley will be televised to a national broadcast audience on February 23 and 24 on CBS Sports and on nationally syndicated television beginning February 23. Videos from today’s races may be found at www.jeepskiing.com/jsmedia_videos.aspx
The Jeep King of the Mountain and 48Straight winter season will conclude on March 14-16 at Sun Valley, Idaho.
The Jeep King of the Mountain was established in 1993, and Jeep serves as the event’s title sponsor. The winter series, now in its 15th season, is the sister event to the Mountain Biking World Professional Championships. Other marketing partners for the Jeep King of the Mountain Series include Crocs, Firm Green, Infinity, John Paul Mitchell Systems, Monster, Scott USA, Sprint, Spyder, Squaw Valley USA and Village at Squaw Valley USA.
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FINAL RESULTS – MEN’S & WOMEN’S SNOWBOARD CROSS
Squaw Valley USA, Calif. – February 9, 2008
MEN’S RESULTS
1. Tomas Kraus CZE
2. Casey Puckett, Aspen, Colo.
3. Michael Schmid SUI
4. Andreas Steffen SUI
5. Errol Kerr, Truckee, Calif.
6. Stanley Hayer CAN
7. Ted Piccard FRA
8. Chris Del Bosco CAN
WOMEN’S RESULTS
FINALS
1. Ophelie David FRA
2. Sasa Faric SLO
3. Magdalena Jonsson SWE
4. Meryll Boulangeat FRA
5. Hedda Berntsen NOR
6. Jenny Owens AUS
7. Julia Murrray CAN
8. Noriko Fushima JPN
