On June 2nd, Nike 6.0 is launching something massive. The Chosen, featuring Louie Vito, Greg Bretz, Peetu Piiroinen and others is gearing up to be a mega cinematic event.

The details of this event are few and far between and that's just how Nike wants it. The teaser for Chosen just dropped but that's about all we're going to get until the June 2nd event.

Will Chosen be a full length snowboard film? Is it going to be a commercial, a web-series, or a combination of both?

Peep the teaser and decide for yourself.



Be the first in the know and register to live like a Nike Pro by RSVPing here.

Photo: Alli Sports

Yesterday's blue bird skies and prime conditions were drastically different from the blizzard that set the scene for today's men's and women's pipe finals at first stop of the Winter Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Mother Nature decided she had blessed Breckenridge with enough sun over the past two days and promptly turned her thoughts to snow early this morning. With powder pounding down throughout the day, it was was clear that today's pipe finals would be challenging for the riders. The conditions were ideal for ripping pow, but absolutely terrible for shredding pipe. The only thing clear about the day was that the victors would be the ones that could adjust their runs to the inclement weather. Naturally, this proved harder for some than others, making today's contest anything but predictable.

Kicking off the snow show were the top five ladies from yesterday's qualifiers who joined Kaitlyn Farrington, who was pre-qualified. The first runs for the ladies proved disastrous as everyone except for Sohie Rodriguez fell. Halfpipe hero, Kelly Clark went down in both of her runs which was super uncharacteristic for the multiple X-Games medalist and Olympian. Clark qualified in first place yesterday with a score of 97.00 but today was not her day as she landed in last place, which may actually be a first for her.

After these tragic first runs, it was clear that the heavy flakes were hindering the riders tremendously. As the ladies suited up for their second runs, the highest score of the day was a mere 53. In order to top that, the ladies simply needed to lay down a solid, bobble-free run. Sophie Rodriguez and Soko Yamoka fell right off the bat and eliminated their chance for any Dew Tour victory.

Spanish rider Queralt Castellet wasn't going to let the snow stop her again and stomped an impressive run that included a front 9 and back to back 5s.Castellet was able to get the amplitude needed for these spins by pumping the tranny and landing high on the walls. Her technical run earned an 85.5 which held up throughout the rest of competition, and assured the 21 year old the coveted victory of the day.

Elena Hight nabbed the second plcae by scoring 80.50 in her second run which included her signature back 9.

Rounding out the top three was Kaitlyn Farrington who pleased the judges with fakie to fakie 9s. Amplitude was definitely an issue for Farrington and it was impressive that she was able to get around three rotations inside the walls of the pipe.

The conditions continued to worsen as the men geared up to get their game on. Louie Vito, qualified dead last yesterday making him the first to drop today. He banged out two doubles near the the top of the course, and attempted a back ten at the bottom but slipped out on the landing.

Matt Ladley was the next to drop and threw down a run that was filled with amplitude despite the quarter-sized flakes falling from the sky. Ladley's big back 10s earned him 75.00 which held up for the rest of day for a second place finish.

A few minutes after Ladley's run, the power went out in the announcers booth and the big screen went blank. The boisterous atmosphere was quickly replaced with an eerie calm. There was confusion and calamity as riders continued to drop and the blizzard made it hard to tell who was who until they neared the bottom of the pipe.

Despite the confusion, Greg Bretz put down an awesome run that included back to back doubles and a front 10. Bretz's run scored a 73.75 which put him right below Ladley going into the second attempts.

Right as Vito was dropping in for his second run, the power came back on in full force. This was just the electricity needed to pump up the 'Tiny Dancer'. Vito nailed huge back to back doubles, back to back Michael Chucks, and two tens. This was the run of the day scoring a whopping 90.25.

The remaining eleven riders to drop were plagued with untimely falls that were clearly due to the heavy slough in the middle of the pipe. JJ Thomas was the last rider to drop and after falling in his first run, his sights were set on stomping his second. He dropped back to back tens at an impressive hight, but bobbled a little bit near the bottom. He was awarded a 69.50 for his efforts, but this wasn't enough to oust Bretz for a podium finish.

In the end it was Vito, Ladley, and Bretz who showed up and dominated despite the sketchy conditions.

The power mishap coupled with incessant snow fall made today's pipe finals more interesting than most. It was as if today was mother nature's way of saying get out of the U-tube and go ride pow.

Tomorrow slopestyle finals are taking place and it will be interesting to see if the weather will be as integral as it was today.. Stay tuned.

Photos: Aaron Dodds

Forty-two of the world's best halfpipe riders awoke this morning to sunny, cloudless skies in Breckenridge, Colorado. They suited up in their best gear and set out with their freshly waxed boards to compete in the superpipe prelims at the first stop of the Winter Dew Tour. When they reached the mountain they were welcomed by the sight of the immaculate 22' pipe located in the middle of Peak 8.

The pipe was the place for all the action and within it's walls held the fate of the anxious riders. Nerves may have been an issue for some, but others were uneaffected by these feelings and destroyed the pipe landing some of the most progressive runs of the season. Out of the forty-two competitors, only five women and ten men were chosen to advance to Saturday's final event.

The women kicked things off promptly at 10 am under bright blue skies. Seventeen ladies took to the pipe and laid it all on the line in their two qualifying runs. Kelly Clark was the lady of the day scoring a 94.5 on her first run. This score was only to be outdone by her second score of 97. Clark's amplitude was unmatched by any of the other riders and her technical back nines helped her score a whopping ten points higher than any of the other ladies.

This large gap in points was due to the fact that many of the top riders were having an off-day and simply could not land their runs. Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teter bobbled in her first run and had a pretty scary fall in her second, eliminating her chances of advancing. Burton rider, Ellery Hollingsworth was also slated to do well, but was unfortunately unable to land her tricks solidly.

Elena Hight also fell in her first run, but held it together for her second and scored an 87, landing her in second place. Spanish rider, Queralt Castellet, was riding strong all day and qualified in 3rd place. Rounding out the top three was Japan's Soko Yamaoka, and Sophie Rodriguez. Joining these five ladies for the finals is Kaitlyn Farrington who is last year's reigning Dew Tour champ.

Immediately following the ladies contest, spectators turned their attention to the twenty-five men who were more than ready to ride. The international field was slacked with Olympians, X Games medalists, and prior Dew Tour champs.

Greg Bretz out of Mammoth Lakes, CA destroyed the pipe and was dropping hammers all the way through. His double-cork 1080s looked effortless and he stomped them cleanly in both runs. His first run earned him a solid 92, which was only outdone by his second score of 94.5. It was clear that Bretz was fired up from his unimpressive showing at last week's Grand Prix and he was determined to do well at Dew. Hopefully he can keep this momentum going into Saturday's finals.

Following Bretz was fellow Olympian Scotty Lago who scored an 85.5 in his first run. Lago chose not to take his second run in order to save energy for slopestyle preliminaries which are taking place later today.

Some of the men experienced similar fate as the women and were unable to execute their desired runs. Louie Vito fell in his first run and experienced what he called, "the sketchiest run of the season" in his second. The run may have been a bit sketch, but it earned him a 53.25 which put him in the 10th place 'bubble spot'.

Vito waited with baited breath as five guys dropped after him each trying to score higher than the 'Tiny Dancer'. Four out of those five guys fell, but not the fifth and last to drop. Jack Mitrani laid down an absolutely stellar run that was smooth and filled with amplitude, style, and the largest straight air of the day. Apparently the judges were watching a different contest because they scored Jack super low and only gave him 48.25 for his efforts. In essence, Jack got jacked by the judges, which allowed Vito to eek his way through to the finals.

The men's preliminary round was action packed and produced the top ten riders who will advance to Saturday's finals. On saturday the men will meet with JJ Thomas and Steven Fisher for the ultimate superpipe showdown.

Today's prelims were only a taste of intensity that is sure is to go down on Saturday, so check back for more updates from the Dew Tour coming soon!

Women's Results: Top five advance to finals


Men's Results: Top ten advance to finals

GrindTV Newswire, Via US Snowboarding: COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO (Nov. 30) - On the eve of the season opening Visa U.S. Halfpipe Grand Prix, U.S. Snowboarding's 2011 halfpipe teams were announced Tuesday alongside the cavernous 22-foot halfpipe at Copper Mountain. Highlighting the 17 riders named to the Pro and Rookie Team rosters are five Olympians including two-time Olympic medalist Kelly Clark (Mount Snow, VT) Olympic silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO) and two-time Grand Prix champion Louie Vito (Sandy, UT).

The team was in Copper tuning up for the Saturday, Dec. 10 Visa U.S. Halfpipe Grand Prix, the opening event of the three-stop tour.

"With five Olympians returning to the Pro Team and the amazing talent on the Rookie Team, the 2011 U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe program is better than ever." said U.S. Snowboarding Director Jeremy Forster. "We're looking forward to carrying the momentum from the 2010 Olympics into this season."

Returning to the eight rider Pro Team are two Olympic medalists, Clark and Bleiler, plus three fellow Olympians. Among those riders are Vito, World Cup winner Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA), 2010 Mammoth Mountain Grand Prix runner-up Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA) and Kaitlyn Farrington (Sun Valley, ID), who came on strong at the end of the 2010 season earning Pro Team status.

"I'm really stoked to be on the Team," said Vito. "We have a good squad of people on the Team and it's not just about the Olympic year, it's every year."

Vito should know. The Ohio native already owns a pair of season-long Grand Prix crowns and helped lead the charge among riders pioneering the double corks during the Olympic season. Vito's charismatic personality pervades the sport and was showcased a year ago when he was a standout on ABC's Dancing with the Stars dancing with Chelsea Hightower.

While Clark and Bleiler were in the spotlight once again last year, the rookie Farrington was making her own waves with a post-Olympic gold in the Euro-X Games, the Dew Tour title and second in the U.S. Open.

Hoping to join former Rookie Team riders, Vito and Farrington, on the Pro Team in the near future are nine riders from the ages 16-20. Like the Pro Team, the Rookie crew consists of many returning riders including Matt Ladley (Steamboat Springs, CO) and Zack Black (Breckenridge, CO) and newcomer Paul Brichta (Burnsville, MN).

The Rookie Team, first deployed for the 2008 season has been an amazing proving ground for young talent.

Although 2011 isn't an Olympic year, the stakes are still high for these riders as they begin to progress the next wave of tricks that will be launched in 2014 in Sochi. The 2010 season was all about the double cork, make sure to stay tuned to see what will be the tricks of 2011.

The teams will ride a diverse slate of events, foremost among them the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix with halfpipe stops in Copper Mountain and Mammoth Mountain. Other majors on tap include the Dew Tour, X Games and U.S. Open. The Rookie Team will also mix in some World Cups and Revolution Tour stops.

2011 U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe Roster
(Name, Hometown, Date of Birth)
* Denotes Olympian

Pro Team
Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 8/7/1987
Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 4/10/1981*
Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 12/19/1990*
Kelly Clark, Mount Snow, VT, 7/26/1983*
Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID, 12/18/1989
Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 8/17/1989*
Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 9/2/1991
Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 3/20/1988*

Rookie Team
Lizzy Beerman, Weston, VT, 7/18/1991 **
Dylan Bidez, Minturn, CO, 9/11/1990
Zack Black, Breckenridge, CO, 8/1/1990
Paul Brichta, Burnsville, MN, 8/24/1991 **
Matt Ladley, Steamboat Springs, CO, 5/17/1991
Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA, 8/22/1991
Madeline Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 4/24/1994
Broc Waring, Edwards, CO, 6/3/1992
Ben Watts, Bend, OR, 9/6/1993

** Attending Westminster College in Salt Lake City as a part of U.S. Snowboarding's partnership program.

Shaun White's post-Olympic request finally came true. The two-time Olympic gold medalist got his wish to meet the Big O. He already graced the stage of one 'Big O' earlier this year in Chicago, but this time Mr. White and the rest of the Olympic Snowboard team got their chance meet our nation's main man, the notorious 'Big O,' President Barack Obama.

Over 200 Olympic athletes were greeted by the President and First Lady at a white house reception on Wednesday, April 21.

US Olympic Snowboarders at the White House: Greg Bretz, Louie Vito, Gretchen Beiler, Kelly Clark, Elena Hight. Photo: @louieVito

The day was spent touring 1600 Pennsylvania Lane, while waiting for the President to greet each athlete individually. According to Louie Vito, upon meeting our President, Mr. Obama remarked "Now that's what I expected a snowboarder to look like."

The comment came regarding Vito's attire which consisted of a signature "LV" silver and diamond necklace, a black beanie, kakis pants and a white tee. We wonder what Vito thought about Prez's attire...

Vito looking fly at the White House. photo: @louievito

It was Greg Bretz's first time touring the White House, and he seemed to really embrace occasion and posted this picture Abe Lincoln and himself on his Twitter account, claiming "Abe Lincoln is really tall!"

Greg Bretz and our 16th President.

Bronze medalist Scotty Lago was a little more camera shy during the tour, and posted a picture of himself hiding behind curtains in the White house. Perhaps he's training to be in the Secret Service??

Photo: @scottylago

Shaun White also enjoyed himself and was snapped eating a Presidential Club Sandwich in the White House.


Mr. White looks like he really enjoyed that sandwich. photo: @coachjanks

Following the quick meet and greet with the President, many of the athletes headed over to the Pentagon for a tour of our Nation's Department of Defense.

With the contest season coming to close, this was a great way for all the Olympic Athletes to get together and celebrate their great accomplishments at the 2010 Winter Games.