Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s Kade Martin (center) stands on top of the podium in bordercross for the Grommet Boys (ages 8-9) at the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association’s Snowboard Nationals held at Copper Mountain this past week.  Cooper Provencher (left) took second and Noah Avallone (right) took third in the same event.

Ian Kalapos 2nd

Among the many SSCV podium finishes at United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association’s Snowboard Nationals held at Copper Mountain this past week, pictured above from left to right are Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s Ian Kalapos in second place, Michael Warneke in first place and Jandon Konkel in third place in halfpipe for the Junior Men (ages 16-17).

Ski & Snowboard Club Vail qualified twenty-two riders to compete in the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association Snowboard Nationals which took place from April 3 through 7 at Copper Mountain. This event hosts the top USASA snowboard athletes in the United States ages five through 60+ in slopestyle, halfpipe, boardercross, slalom and giant slalom along with the rail jam and banked slalom events. Riders were required to qualify from their local USASA region in order to compete in this exciting season-culminating event in either the open class (all ages) or age class division.

The following SSCV riders qualified for USASA nationals from the Rocky Mountain Region based on results throughout the season, a huge accomplishment in and of itself in the most competitive USASA region in the country:

Lyndsey Anderson

Jeremy Baxter

Montana Braden

Fynn Bullock-Womble

Cesare Chittaro

Jack Coyne

Wyat Fisher

Kaitlin Hancock

Barrett Hendrix

Devin Hendrix

Gabriel Irlandini

Ian Kalapos

Cole Kirkham

Kade Martin

Oliver Martin

Finn Moran Rey

Dylan Okurowski

Nathan Panlilio

Tyler Robison

Carter Shonk

Cooper Shonk

Skogen Wachter

Ski & Snowboard Club Vail full-time riders took several podiums throughout the week in their age class with Fynn Bullock taking second in slopestyle, Ian Kalapos taking second in halfpipe, Dylan Okurowski taking third in rail jam, Jack Coyne taking third in halfpipe and second in rail jam and Montana Braden taking third in boardercross.

There were also several podium finishes among Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s younger part-time mini-shred’s program members in their respective age class with Ollie Martin topping the podium in halfpipe and capturing a third place finish in boardercross, Skogen Watcher taking third in halfpipe and Carter Shonk and Kade Martin each landing on top of the podium in their respective age class in boardercross.

Zoe Kalapos and Ryan Wachendorfer, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail alumni and Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy graduates, stood on top of the podium in the women’s and men’s open age class, respectively, in halfpipe.

Ski & Snowboard Club Vail Snowboard Program Director Chris Laske commented on the excitement of his athletes and the series, “Year after year, USASA Nationals is an amazing event for riders of all ages. Although we were dealing with some soft snow and slower conditions than what we had been accustomed to for most of the season, our riders gave it their all and showed off to the field and a huge crowd of spectators that their hard work in the gym, on the tramps and on snow really paid off.”

Laske continued, “I couldn’t be prouder of where we’ve come as a team and of the individual accomplishments of our riders of all ages. These young rippers are the future of our snowboard program.”

For a complete list of results go to www.usasa.org.