A total of three events of the running 2012 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup season are scheduled this week in Telluride. After the season?s first parallel giant slalom on Thursday, the world?s best snowboard cross riders are entering their race for the World Cup Globe on Friday (qualifiers are set to take place on Wednesday). The sole American stop of the international competition series concludes with the sole SBX team event of this winter, which will also take place on the long course built by Jeff Ihaksi on Saturday.
U.S. Snowboarding doesn?t field a parallel team, so it?s pinning all its hopes to earn its first World Cup win in Telluride on the single snowboard cross event. The strong squad is lead by 2006 and 2010 Olympic Gold medalist Seth Wescott as well as boarder cross veterans Nate Holland, Nick Baumgartner and Jonathan Cheever. On the women?s side, the U.S. team has another iron in the fire: reigning World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis.
Snowboarders compete in snowboardcross in Telluride, Colo., during the 2010 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup. (file photo: FIS/Oliver Kraus)
In the two World Cup SBX events hosted thus far in Telluride, however, Canadian riders Maelle Ricker and Dominique Maltais have been way out in front in 2009 and 2010, respectively. On the men?s side, Frenchman Pierre Vaultier thwarted the home country squad?s plans by winning in both 2009 and 2010, last year beating Wescott to the finish line in the course?s final three meters.
?An American has never won a World Cup in Telluride. It would be rad to be the first,? said Holland, ?but many of my team mates are riding pretty well right now, so a U.S. sweep is what I?m looking for.?
In the parallel giant slalom, Austrians have dominated recent races, even though none has yet to win in Telluride. In 2009, Canada?s Jasey Jay Anderson and Matthew Morison won the men?s races, followed by Slovenian Rok Flander in 2010. On the women?s side, Russia?s Alena Zavarzina and Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli of Switzerland won in 2009, the latter repeating in 2010.
It?s been nearly 10 years since the Snowboard World Cup stopped in Finland, but the Scandinavian country is now back on the World Cup map for the third time. On Friday and Saturday, the 2012 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup season?s third halfpipe competition will take place in Ruka, site of this past weekend?s World Cup moguls skiing competition. Qualifiers are scheduled for Friday, while Saturday will bring the semi finals as well as the night finals beginning at 4 p.m. local time.
No Finn has ever won a World Cup Snowboard competition at home, but in 2002 they placed three on the podium when Heidi Kurkinen and Antti Autti finished as runners-up while Miikka Hast claimed his spot on the podium in third. You can be certain that the Finnish squad will be looking to break their home snow curse this weekend in Ruka.
Related stories:U.S. World Cup Ski and Snowboard Events Confirmed
Snowboard World Cup Resumes in Korea Following World Championships
Grand Prix Events Get World Cup Status
Snowboard World Cup Returns to Telluride
Calgary Gearing Up for Snowboard World Cup
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