Stratton Mountain, Vt.s, Lindsey Jacobellis Continues Winning Streak with Victory in Women’s Snowboard Cross Finals
February 10th, 2008
By Photographer Name Here
In a scene straight out of a Squallywood script, the final snowboard cross heat at today’s Jeep King of the Mountain competition at 48Straight in Squaw Valley, California featured two good friends and longtime rivals from the area’s north and south shores dueling for bragging rights and an inside track at a lion’s share of the $250,000 prize payout and keys to a new Jeep.
At the end of the day, Shaun Palmer, the five-time snowboarding world champion, six-time X Games gold medalist and mountain biking world champion from South Lake Tahoe bested X Games three-peat gold medalist Nate Holland from Squaw Valley to bring home his second straight Jeep King of the Mountain title.
Following this morning’s practice session, I felt good and knew that I was on pace, said Palmer. I’m not one to float my own boat, but I think I was pretty good out there today. It felt great to get back-to-back wins, especially in front of my family and friends.
The American podium sweep was completed when the fellow U.S. Snowboard team members were joined by teammate Nick Baumgartner of Iron River, Mich. who captured third. The American men also swept the podium at the first race of the season in Telluride, Colo, and have been on a tear at the X Games, on the FIS World Cup stage and the most recent Olympic Games in Torino, Italy.
The American team is so good and our dynamic as a squad is amazing, said Holland. We train against each other every day, and no other country has the depth we have right now.
Rounding out the top eight on the men’s side included World Cup titlist Michael Layer of Germany, former Jeep King of the Mountain champion and the world’s No. 4-ranked Drew Neilson of Canada, U.S. Snowboard team member Jonathan Cheever of Park City, Utah, Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott of Farmington, Maine, and Mario Fuchs of Austria, currently ranked No. 2 in the world.
The American women were equally as brilliant, placing five athletes in the top eight. They were led by Stratton Mountain, Vermounts, Lindsey Jacobellis, who earned her fifth straight Jeep King of the Mountain title to complement a 2008 X Games gold medal and No. 2 ranking in the world. Right behind her was South Lake Tahoe’s Joanie Anderson, one of many local racers earning praise from the partisan crowd. Doris Guenther of Austria placed third, followed by Julie Lundholdt of Denmark, Susanne Moll of Austria, Callan Chythlook-Sifsof of Girdwood, Alaska, Marni Yamada of Seattle, Wash., and Lynn Ott of Bend, Ore.
This has been a great year for me thus far, and a big part of that is due to the fact that I’ve been able to stay in one piece, said Jacobellis. “I felt strong and confident out there, and the racecourse with its rollers really worked to my strengths.
Next up at the Jeep King of the Mountain at 48Straight is Saturday’s ski cross competition, with local racers Daron Rhalves and Errol Kerr of nearby Truckee taking on the world’s best, including Casey Puckett of Aspen, Colo., Stanley Hayer of Canada, Ted Piccard of France and Tomas Kraus of the Czech Republic. The women’s competition will be led by Ophelie David of France, with other contenders including Canada’s Anik Demers Wild of Truckee, Jenny Owens of Australia, Meryll Boulangeat of France and Magdalena Jonsson of Sweden.
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 http://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.
JEEP KING OF THE MOUNTAIN AT 48STRAIGHT
FINAL RESULTS – MEN’S & WOMEN’S SNOWBOARD CROSS
Squaw Valley USA, Calif. – February 8, 2008
MEN’S RESULTS
1. Shaun Palmer USA
2. Nate Holland USA
3. Nick Baumgartner USA
4. Michael Layer GER
SMALL FINALS
5. Drew Neilson CAN
6. Jonathan Cheever USA
7. Seth Wescott USA
8. Mario Fuchs AUT
WOMEN’S RESULTS
FINALS
1. Lindsey Jacobellis USA
2. Joanie Anderson USA
3. Doris Guenther AUT
4. Julie Lundholdt DEN
SMALL FINALS
5. Susanne Moll AUT
6. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof USA
7. Marni Yamada USA
8. Lynn Ott USA
