#Breckenridge, Colorado.
 |
| Sebastian Foltz / sfoltz@summitdaily.com |
Dew Tour Mountain Championships officials announced a preliminary lineup of athletes for this year’s event that includes all eight Sochi Olympic gold medalists in freeski and snowboard halfpipe and slopestyle, along with a number of other medalists and top pros.
“Fans will be thrilled to see the stars of this past Winter Olympics up close and personal,” Dew Tour vice president and general manager Chris Stiepock said this week. “We have almost all the Sochi medalists in slopestyle and superpipe confirmed to compete. We’re excited to provide the next platform for these athletes and sports to evolve after a major competition such as the Olympics.”
Snowboarder and former Olympic gold medalist Shaun White was noticeably absent from the initial list, however.
A spokesperson for the Dew Tour said White “had not confirmed at this time,” but would be welcome if he chooses to participate.
While there were rumors after February’s Olympics in Sochi, Russia, that White might retire, he dispelled them in a recent Web interview with Sports Illustrated Now, saying he was more motivated now than before the Olympics.
White has not announced his participation in the Dew Tour, but he plans to host an outdoor big-air competition inside college football’s famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Feb. 21-22, of next year. White told Espn.com that he doesn’t plan to participate in his event since he is also hosting.
A WHO’S WHO
Even without White, the list of participants in this year’s Dew Tour is once again a who’s who of the snowboarding and skiing world.
Back in Februrary, Joss Christensen, Colorado’s own Gus Kenworthy, and Nick Goepper completed the U.S. men’s freeski slopestyle podium sweep in Sochi. All three are confirmed to participate in December’s Dew Tour along with fellow Olympic freeskiers and Breckenridge locals Bobby Brown and Keri Herman.
Women’s slopestyle medalists Dara Howel, Devin Logan and Kim Lamare will also be in the mix, along with U.S. skier halfpipe gold medalists David Wise and Maddie Bowman.
Competition on the snowboarding side will be equally deep, with U.S. slopestyle gold medalists Sage Kotsenburg and Jamie Anderson leading the way. The superpipe competition will include Iouri “Ipod” Podladtchikove and Kaitlyn Farrington, each of whom won gold at Sochi, as well as four-time Olympian Kelly Clark — snowboarding’s most accomplished rider. The annual competition will once again take place in Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 8 terrain park and halfpipe, with a street jam, live music and other festivities downtown.
Now in its 10th year — its seventh at Breckenridge — this year’s Dew Tour events are scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 11-14. They will also be broadcast on NBC and NBCSN, Dec. 13-14.
BRECKENRIDGE ANNOUNCES OPENING-DAY TERRAIN
Officials at Breckenridge announced their opening-day terrain offerings Thursday. The resort plans to have 86 skiable acres available for the Friday, Nov. 14, opening day. All terrain will be accessible from the Peak 8 base area and the newly renovated Colorado SuperChair. The resort will also run its Rip’s Ride beginner chair and beginner magic carpets. To celebrate its opening, the resort will have music and free food for those who arrive prior to 9 a.m. Also on hand will be Breckenridge local and recent Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame inductee C.J. Muller, along with some military veterans to ride first chair as part of a Veterans Day tribute.
Full details on opening-day festivities are available on the resort’s website, www.breckenridge.com.
Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.
