Here's who made the cut and will be representing the U.S. of A. up in Canuck land next week.

Men's Halfpipe

Shaun White:

No surprise here right? The U.S. Snowboard team is made up of 18 riders with one man to lead them all... and that man is Shaun. No pressure then, eh?

Click this link to see Shaun's new weapon, the Double-McTwelve.

Louie Vito:

It would have been a little embarrassing for Louie to get all that hype on Dancing With the Stars this fall and not even make it on the Olympic team. But he did, and we're all rooting for the second most famous halfpipe rider in the world to podium in Vancouver. Beside Shaun, Louie is the only other American to have back-to-back double-corks.



Scotty Lago:


This guy wins the vote's for hard-core fan's favorite going to Van next month. Lago will be riding in honor of his injured "Frends" crew member's Kevin Pearce and Danny Davis who, quite frankly, should be on the Olympic team as well.

Greg Bretz:

The darkhorse... Everyone love's a darkhorse right? Bretz, at 19 year's old, won the three-way tie for the fourth ranking spot on the Grand Prix Olympic qualifying series. He just barely beat out Luke Mitrani and J.J. Thomas. Pressure is on kid.

Women's Halfpipe:

Kelly Clark:

Kelly won four of the five Grand Prix Olympic qualifiers this year. The only other person to do that was Shaun. Kelly botched up her 2006 Olympic run, handing over the Gold to teammate Hannah Teter, but she did win us the Gold on our homeland back in 2002. Kelly is kinda like the girls version of Shaun White these days. Pretty much unstoppable.

Gretchen Bleiler:


After narrowly missing the gold in 2006 you can bet that Gretchen wants to take the gold in Vancouver BAD. She only won one of the Grand Prix Olympic qualifiers but that doesn't mean she doesn't have what it takes to score big this February. When Gretchen "GB" Bleiler puts her mind to something she usually accomplishes it, just look at all the X Games she's won.

Hannah Teter:


Hannah's got a heart of gold and an Olympic medal to match it. She donates all of her winnings to children in Africa, except for last week when she donated $10,000 to the Haiti rescue efforts after getting second at the last two Grand Prix Olympic qualifiers. Needy people everywhere are hoping Hannah scores big in Vancouver, because that means they score big.

Elena Hight:

It came down to the wire at the very last Olympic qualifier as far as who would take the fourth spot on the women's halfpipe team. Cutie-pie Elena beat out Ellery Hollingsworth to slide into the coveted team spot and will be aiming for her first podium spot at her second Olympic appearance this February.

Men's Snowboard cross:

Seth Wescott:


Seth won the first ever gold medal in snowboard cross in Turin and you can bet on him going full-out for another gold in Vancouver.

Graham Wantabe:

Graham hails from the not-so-well-known sport of Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom but since his switch into snowboard cross he's been thriving. He is well aware of the dangers of snowboard cross carnage though, his first year on the circuit he saw two-people die during competition. Even with those horrible memories he still charges and is a big threat for Olympic snowboard-cross.

Nate Holland:

Even though Nate fell at the 2006 Turin Olympics he's won four Winter X Games gold medals... so yeah, you can say he has what it takes and plenty of experience to back it up.

Nick Baumgartner:

Nick had to hold his breath for two-whole days to see if he got the fourth spot on the U.S. snowboard cross team. Luckily, the USOC allotted four spots to men's snowboardcross on the 18 man team, and Nick made the cut. He's got some good finishes under his belt, including a second place finish at a recent Spain World Cup, and hopefully he can keep that momentum up for Vancouver.

Women's Snowboard cross:

Lindsey Jacobellis:

Everyone remembers Lindsey, blonde curly mane and all. She was the rider who pulled the method heard 'round the world in 2006- the one she fell on and subsequently gave away her first place lead in the snowboard cross final. But silver's not that bad and now Lindsey is back on top ready for another chance at gold.

Faye Gulini:

At 17 years old this Salt Lake City native is the youngest rider on the U.S. Olympic team. Faye will be juggling the demands of high-school and the Olympics come this February as she goes out for her first Olympic appearance.

Callan Cythlook-Sifsof:

Born and bred in a small town in Alaska, Callan qualified for the U.S. Olympic year after only four year's on the circuit. At 24 she is proud to be the first Yupik/Inuit Eskimo to be on the United States National Ski and Snowboard Team.

Men's Parallel Giant Slalom:

Chris Klug:

Chris Klug has been there, done that, and is coming back for more. In Salt Lake City in 2002, just months after receiving a liver transplant to save him from a rare degenerative condition, Chris won a gold medal in PGS. Chris Klug is a super-hero in his own right, and continues to be a threat in PGS world competition.

Tyler Jewell:

This is Tyler's second time at the Winter Games, he came in 11th at the 2006 Olympics and is ready to best that finish this year in Vancouver. This Steamboat Spring's resident quit snowboarding in the late 90's to pursue an educational degree from Boston College, but came back in '02 to train for his Olympic dreams.

Women's Parallel Giant Slalom:

Michelle Gorgone:

As the sole representation for the U.S. in the women's PGS event, Michelle considers herself a "proud italian" and actually has the nickname 'Pirelli' after the Italian racing tires for her speed on the slopes. This is Michelle's second Olympic appearance.

What's harder than earning a medal in the men's halfpipe at Vancouver? If you ask the American riders, it's simply earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic halfpipe team. So hard, in fact, that after the five Olympic qualifiers, there is a three-way tie for the fourth and final spot on the men's U.S. team.

Shaun White, Louie Vito and Scotty Lago all booked tickets to Vancouver after Saturday night's final qualifier in Park City, Utah. They each secured their spots during the qualifying series and were officially named to the U.S. Olympic team post-competition, but picking the final Olympic team member for the men's halfpipe team won't be easy.

After a grueling five-event qualifying season filled with landmark performances (Danny Davis' landmark run and White's stunning "double McTwist 1260") and serious injuries (Davis' season-ending, back-breaking ATV accident and Kevin Pearce's serious head injury), three riders find themselves tied for the coveted final slot. Luke Mitrani, 2002 bronze medalist J.J. Thomas and Greg Bretz are all in the running for the team's fourth spot. And we won't know who will be given the precious honor until tomorrow.

So the million dollar question is: Who will it be?

Well, there's good reason these three are tied. They're all seriously talented. But each brings something different to the table, which means the final decision could come down to team chemistry.

If experience is the only deciding factor, Thomas wins hands down. He won bronze in Salt Lake City and today, at 28, he's certainly the most battle-hardened of the three. Thomas is consistent and comfortable under pressure, which means he'd be a steady hand, but he is lacking an element that many insiders feel every Olympic halfpipe rider must have: the double-cork, a corkscrewing double backflip, considered to be the most progressive new trick out there.

What Thomas lacks, Bretz has in spades. He's got one of the best looking double-cork 1080's in the game, and he's only 19. Then again, he's only 19. And even though he's been riding since he was five years old, Bretz didn't really burst onto the contest scene until 2008, so his ability to handle the heavy pressure in unknown. That said, he entered the Olympic qualifying season knowing he was a longshot for the Vancouver team and seems to be relishing the role. He's impressed the coaches with his healthy dose of youthful enthusiasm.

Mitrani is another member of the youth brigade. He's only six months older than Bretz, but he's been in the spotlight for years. When he was 12 years old, Mitrani became the youngest member ever to join the U.S. Snowboarding team. Since then he's been a staple at top-tier contests. Mitrani and his older brother, Jack, are key members of the "Frends Crew," a notorious snowboard posse well known for dominating the competitive halfpipe scene.

The influence of that same crew may be what gives Mitrani the edge over the other two contenders. The Frends Crew has suffered two devastating blows in their race to Vancouver when Pearce then Davis, both expected to headline the U.S. Olympic halfpipe team, were taken out of commission. Mitrani has been looking inspired riding in honor of his fallen "Frends," and it's that fire that could lead to big things if he were to make the Vancouver team.

Things aren't nearly as dramatic on the women's side of the halfpipe team, but Ellery Hollingsworth and Elena Hight are still battling for the final slot now that Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter and Gretchen Bleiler are in.

The job for U.S. coaches and officials won't be easy. Not only do they have to weigh each rider's performances and results, they also have to digest and interpret the complex selection rules set forth by the United States Olympic Committee, which is a major feat in itself. It'll likely be a long night for those who have to decide. But they won't be the only ones losing sleep. The entire U.S. Olympic snowboard team - including the final spots for halfpipe, snowboard cross and parallel giant slalom, will be announced Monday.

Photo: Those already named to the 2010 U.S. Olympic halfpipe team celebrated last night in Park City, Utah. But the judges will be fretting all night over their final two choices.

The superpipe at Park City, Utah, the final stop of the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix Olympic Qualifiers, has some serious Mo-Jo leftover from the 2002 Olympics when the American's swept the podium and brought halfpipe into the spotlight. Thousands of spectators added to the good Mo-jo when they came out to watch tonight's qualifier, but no one left the pipe any closer to knowing exactly who will represent the U.S. in Vancouver. They are going to have to come back tomorrow night to find that out.

The only two riders keeping things steady and predictable have already been named to the team. Shaun White and Kelly Clark both took first place under the lights tonight for the men and women, assuring that their spots on the Olympic team are justified- not that anybody ever questioned either of them. As for the other three spots on the four-man and four-woman teams? Your guess is as good as mine, but lets take a look at tonight's results and see how the rankings are stacking up.

Remember, the top two finishes out of the five qualifiers are counted in the rankings for the Olympic qualifying series. A rider that wins two of the qualifiers gets an automatic spot on the Olympic team.

The same four women have been battling for the three spots since Clark was named to the team after winning the first two qualifiers in a row. Gretchen Bleiler still leads the rankings with a first and a second place, and there was determination radiating from her eyes as she dropped into tonight's event. She wants one more win to assure herself a spot on the team, but fate had something else in mind for Bleiler tonight, and she left the pipe in blatant frustration with a disappointing fourth place. This left room for the other three girls to crank up their chances for making the team.

The battle between Ellery Hollingsworth, Elena Hight, and Hannah Teter intensified as each tried to nab the second and third place finishes. It was Teter who pulled it together for second place and Hollingsworth in third. Hight finished just after Bleiler in fifth. With a second place finish at the first Mammoth Mountain qualifier, Teter now sits neck and neck with Bleiler in the rankings, meaning both of them are in pretty good contention for the team. Hollingsworth and Hight will most likely be trying to usurp one another tomorrow night for the coveted fourth spot on the Olympic team.

Now, it's not so simple for the men, which is making it that much more exciting to follow.

The depth of talent runs deep on the men's side. After four of the five Grand Prix's there are six men all sitting in good contention for the three spots on the Vancouver team. While White has won three of the four qualifiers, the rest of the podium finishes have had more changes than a Lady Gaga concert.

Tonight's qualifier put Frend's Crew member and fan-favorite Scotty Lago back into prime contention when he stole the show in his first run with one of his best runs of the season. Greg Bretz, a young newcomer and previous dark-horse landed himself in third, putting himself back in contention as well. Before tonight's event both Bretz and Lago sat on the further end of the bubble in the rankings.

Louie Vito still has the best chances of making the team with two second place finishes, even with his lackluster sixth place finish tonight. Lago, Bretz, J.J. Thomas, Luke Mitrani and Zack Black are all pretty much neck and neck with high finishes in the four qualifiers, which means there is no safe bet on which of them will make the cut. Only what happens at tomorrow's qualifier will seal the deal, and all five men have as much of a chance as the other.

"This year the competition has been crazy. Just the level of progression is so intense." Lago explains, "I mean, everybody's got their tricks and they have them dialed in you know? All the double corks and what not."

Third place finisher Gretz backed up Lago's statement, "[Competition has] just been so crazy with the Olympics and all. Everyone is riding so well, but it's been really fun."

The naming of the U.S. halfpipe teams will come down to the wire in tomorrow nights final qualifier. Same place, same time, but if things keep going the way they have been, then it will be a whole 'nother story than what went down under the lights at Park City tonight. Check back tomorrow to find out who makes the U.S. Olympic halfpipe team.

It's been a turbulent season for the men's U.S. Olympic halfpipe hopefuls. Last month the snowboard community had visions of another American sweep of the podium in Vancouver, as they did in 2002, or the one-two punch of gold and silver, like they did in 2006.

At the tip of the U.S. spear were riders including Shaun White, Kevin Pearce and Danny Davis, who represented a halfpipe dream team for the Americans. Now, with Pearce and Davis both suffering season-ending and career-threatening injuries in the past three weeks, the vision seems like it could be slipping away.

Pearce was the first hopeful to be tragically taken out of the running when he suffered a traumatic brain injury while training. He remains in a Utah hospital in serious condition.

This past Sunday, Davis' dreams also were dashed when he was involved in an ATV accident in Utah. The damage to his back required surgery on his L3 vertebrae.

With two of America's best riders down for the count, the U.S. team is now operating off of Plan B. Yet during practices this week in Park City, Utah, nobody is dwelling on the setbacks. Instead, riders are rallying, pressing forward with the same goal of dominating, only with different players in mind. Morale, surprisingly, is still high.

"What happened to Danny [Davis] and Kevin [Pearce] has been hard on the whole community," says Olympic team contender J.J. Thomas. "I think that it has made us all be a little more thoughtful on and off the hill and it's a reminder to appreciate your health. It's important to remember that Danny and Kevin will comeback and be back at the top. They are both some of the worlds best and if they want they will be right back where they left off."

The idea of a "Dream Team" may be gone, but results of the first three qualifying events indicate that there's still a powerful squad in the works. Each hopeful's top two finishes out of the five qualifiers count toward their ranking.

White, the 2006 Olympic gold medalist, has already secured his slot thanks to two qualifier victories. Louie Vito, the standout on last fall's hit TV show "Dancing With the Stars," has emerged as the No. 2 man heading into the final week of qualifiers. His consistency and technical aptitude have kept him sure-and-steady, but Vito's performances lack the serious risk factor that some of his teammates are famous for.

Davis, for example, is best known for never compromising his radical approach. While not as consistent as Vito, he has wowed fans and judges, as he did two weeks ago when he defeated White via what's widely considered the best run ever in halfpipe competition.

Vito stays within himself, utilizing only tricks he knows he has dialed and keeping his amplitude under control. Whether this is just a tactic Vito is using to secure his slot on the team or if this is the same riding we'll see in Vancouver is anybody's guess, but it's this author's inkling that Vito has a few surprises in store.

While Vito has climbed the ladder, the third and fourth slots on the men's halfpipe team are now wide open to a handful of unassuming rider's to put in their bid for the team.

The names already sitting in the No. 3 and 4 slots headed into this weekend's final selection could be surprising: 2002 Salt Lake City bronze medalist, J.J. Thomas, and the virtually unheard of Zack Black from Breckenridge, Colo.

Thomas, now 28 years old, returned to the competitive scene this season with a new gusto for pipe riding. While he's routinely honored for rounding out the first podium sweep in Salt Lake City, he's considered the "old guy" in the pipe. Yet his years of experience are paying dividends in the qualifiers. Thomas' ease with the contest scene and total show of confidence under pressure is what got him back up on top where, by the looks of it, he never should have left.

The biggest surprise, however, is 18-year-old Black. He's the mysterious dark-horse who no one saw coming and no one knows much about, other than he prefers the same go-for-broke approach that put Davis and Pearce on everybody's watch list. What we do know is that Black has been honing his act in the perfectly cut pipes that Breckenridge is known for.

Other American riders like Luke Mitrani, Scotty Lago and Greg Bretz still have a legitimate shot at a team spot and shouldn't be counted out yet. If there's one thing we've learned in this tumultuous race to Vancouver, things can change in the blink of an eye.

With so much uncertainty now on the halfpipe side of things, the final two qualifying events in Park City, Utah, this weekend promise to be the most exciting events in the series.

"It comes as no surprise to us that it's coming down to the last two events to name the Olympic team," says U.S. Snowboarding halfpipe head coach Mike Jankowski. "With the level of riding that's been going on and the intensity that's increasing, the competition is tight. It's nice to see everyone from people who have been in the game a long time like J.J. [Thomas] and Kelly [Clark], as well as new guys like Zack [Black] and Louie [Vito], who are coming on strong."
Both the men's and the women's U.S. halfpipe teams will be announced after the last event on Saturday, Jan. 23, at Park City Mountain Resort.