P: courtesy of ESPN.com

The first-ever Ride Shakedown on U.S. soil went down (check the video) this past weekend at Summit at Snoqualmie and it was a hit sans the dumping snow that began pretty much at the beginning of the three hour semi finals. Pretty sure mother nature didn't realize she was dealing with rail lovers instead of tree hugging, powder slashing hippies. Anyways, the riders trucked through it, all of them after the cold hard cash. Semi's ended at sun down and the finals kicked off under the night sky.

Matts Kulesik took first place for the little boys and hometown hero, Megan Ginter got the win for the ladies; something about competing on the hill she learned to snowboard on amped her up for the contest. Ya think?

Here are the rest of the details:

Men

1. Matts Kulesik
2. Manuel Diaz
3. E-man Anderson

Ladies

1. Megan Ginter
2. Hana Beaman
3. Megan Whiteside

Be sure to keep up with the next Ride Shakedown that's kicking off April 2nd.


P: ESPN.com

I-Pod P: Courtesy of ESPN.com

After a video was uploaded all over the inter-web a week ago of Iouri Podladtchikov landing "Shaun White's trick", the Double McTwist 1260 on the second try, an idea was sparked and people began to question: "Would it be possible to beat Shaun White?" After all, the Olympics just came to a close and after White's perfection of a halfpipe run with the debut of a brand new trick, it seemed pretty much impossible. However, I-Pod answered this question with an apparent, "heck no it's not impossible" attitude and set out to show us why.

In the middle of his second run at the Euro X Games, he laid out the Double McTwist 1260 flawlessly after a Cab double cork 10 and an inverted front 5. He didn't stop there, Iouri completed the run with a front 10 and Cab 7. This inconceivable display of riding earned him a 98.00 - the highest score ever in X Games history. On ESPN.com, I-Pod even admitted to having another double he's never shown in competition. It appears that White is not the only rider ready with not only some surprises, but surprises they can actually pull off. Shaun White might be regretting not showing up to Tignes right about now. When these two guys finally get to hit the same halfpipe at the Burton US Open, we can be sure that it will be riding for the books.

Earning the silver medal was France's Mathieu Crepel with a 95.00 run topped with a front double cork 10, front 12, and an alley oop rodeo. Rounding out the men's snowboard halfpipe podium was America's dancing sensation, Louie Vito with a 92.33. Vito threw three double cork 10s back-to-back-to-back, which some believe deserved the silver.
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Men's Snowboard Superpipe Final Results

1. Iouri Podladtchikov 98.00
2. Mathieu Crepel 95.00
3. Louie Vito 92.33
4. Markus Malin 90.33
5. Aluan Ricciardi 88.66
6. Christian Haller 85.00
7. Luke Mitrani 82.33
8. JJ Thomas 79.66


Jenny Jones P: Courtesy of ESPN.com

The riders at the European X Games are simply showing us what's up. With improved conditions on the demanding slopestyle course, the ladies had their opportunity laid out in front of them and they decided to spin to win.

Jenny Jones came in hot and clinched gold, adding to her X Games medal collection, while Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas nabbed the silver, her first X games medal since her first appearance in the games in 2002. The bronze medal went home with X games newbie, Swiss rider Sina Candrian.

Each one of the ladies on the podium stomped a 7 in their run, no doubt epitomizing the progression of women's snowboarding in that a chick throwing a 7, grabbing, and landing it was unheard of a few seasons ago. The long and unique set up at the European X Games provided a different competitive experience for the ladies - allowing them to focus more on their riding rather than their speed.

Jones' winning run was made up of a 5-0, front 3, back 3, front 5, Cab 5, 50/50, and a front 7. Her known top competitor, Jamie Anderson was taken out of the contest with a practice injury earlier in the week while Sarka Pancochova was also missing from the finals due to a foot injury. Jenny Jones is a the top of her game right now and it doesn't look like she's going anywhere anytime soon.

Women's Slopestyle Final Results

1. Jenny Jones 92.33
2. Kjersti Oestgaard Buass 86.66
3. Sina Candrian 83.00
4. Spencer O'Brien 80.66
5. Silje Norendal 63.00
6. Charlotte van Gils 48.33


The riding this winter is staggering - almost stupidly good. No one knows what to expect, including the riders. The US Open begins next week - tune in only if you want to witness the snowboard world change as you know it, again.

P: Courtesy of tignes.net

Colorado native, Eric Willet, finally got his at the European Winter X Games. After taking home the silver in the Winter X Games in Aspen, Willett stomped his run in Tignes to get the Gold. With a tiring and demanding eight feature course at the event, all the riders seemed to be leaning toward the haggard side with their strength running thin. However, after a night of drawing runs and brainstorming, two Americans, Sage Kotsenburg and Eric Willett, landed the top two spots on the podium, followed by Slovenia's Marko Grilc.

Willett's gold-worthy run was made up of a half Cab 5-0 to backside 180 on the "Railway to Heaven", Cab 9, back 7, front double cork 1080, one clean backside rodeo, switch back 9, 50/50, and a double back rodeo. Chasing after him with the silver was the Dew Tour Slopestyle Champ, Sage Kotsenburg.

Men's Slopestyle Final

1st - Eric Willett 91.00
2nd - Sage Kotsenburg 85.33
3rd - Marko Grilc 83.66
4th - Stephan Maurer 82.66
5th - Chas Guldemond 70.66
6th - Christian Haller 67.66
7th - Travis Rice 50.33
8th - Iouri Podlatchikov 49.33


P: Courtesy of tignes.net

What the women's superpipe lacked in faces that have been blasted all over the media with the Olympic frenzy including Kelly Clark and Gretchen Bleiler, it did not lack in banger riding.

With most riders admitting that it'd be impossible to take on Olympic gold medalist, Torah Bright, it didn't seem like it would be much of a different result than that of Vancouver. However, the spectators and competitors were proved wrong by 20-year-old Dew Tour Superpipe Champ, Kaitlyn Farrington with her first X Games gold.

Going into finals it was head to head with Torah in the lead, but when Farrington laid down her second run loaded with a text book back 9, inverted frontside 7, Cab 7, and an alley oop 5, all was said and done. It earned her a 97.00, moving her above Torah's 95.00 top score. Rounding out the podium with the bronze was France's, Sophie Rodriguez.

Women's Superpipe Final

1st - Kaitlyn Farrington 97.00
2nd - Torah Bright 95.00
3rd - Sophie Rodriguez 87.00
4th - Mercedes Nicoll 82.33
5th - Ellery Hollingsworth 79.00
6th - Kjersti Oestgaard Buass 78.66

France scored a gold and silver at home in Men's Ski Superpipe on Wednesday night when Kevin Rolland and Xavier Bertoni both threw down technical and difficult runs. Rolland's run, however, was unmatched. His winning run was complete with two double flips and double cork 1260 mute grab. He was the first skier to ever throw this in competition at the Winter X Games in Aspen and the only skier to land it in competition. These two frenchmen were more than stoked to claim the number one and two spots.

The bronze belonged to Canadian Justin Dorey with his back to back doubles.

Men's Ski Superpipe Final

1st - Kevin Rolland 95.66
2nd - Xavier Bertoni 92.00
3rd - Justin Dorey 86.66
4th - Mike Riddle 85.00
5th - Byron Weels 84.33
6th - Jossi Wells 82.66
7th - Tucker Perkins 80.33
8th - AJ Kemppainen 75.33


P: Courtesy of tignes.net


More final results to come!

P: Courtesy of Ride Snowboards

Canada's most popular and most nutty event, the Ride Shakedown put on by Ride Snowboards, will be cruising south of the border for the first time to Summit at Snoqualmie in Seattle, Washington. The event starts March 12 - read the press release below and peep the event page HERE.


SEATTLE (Feb. 22, 2010) - Snowboarding is riding a global high this season with the introduction of awe-inducing tricks in the park and half pipe and extensive media coverage. The action continues with the RIDE Shakedown, annually Canada's largest and most popular snowboard event, that will debut in the U.S. at Washington State's Summit-at-Snoqualmie (Summit West), March 12-13. FUEL.tv will air a live webcast of the event on March 13 beginning at 2 p.m. Now in its ninth season in Canada, the jam-style event which has drawn upwards of 20,000 spectators, is recognized for its spectacular urban rail features and 50-foot jump that is only unveiled to the athletes the day of the competition. The RIDE Shakedown is the only major snowboarding event that features a big air jump followed by a rail set up, in addition to the popular "Jam Format" competition.

Top pros, including Seattle's-own Austin Hironaka, Darrell Mathes,teen phenom and two-time Shakedown champion Seb Toutant, Hana Beaman,who won Shakedown's first women's edition last year, and Leanne Pelosi, will showcase their abilities in the event's signature thrill-a-minute format. With $35,000 in cash prizes for the top performers, the U.S. stop looks to continue the trend while putting a unique Northwest spin to it.

Spectator events begin at 10 a.m., March 12, with amateur qualifications, followed by Rail Jam qualifications at 4 p.m. and the Rail Jam main event at 6:30 p.m. Festivities begin at noon on March 13 with the Snowboarder Magazine pro athlete autograph session, semi finals in the afternoon, and a pro skateboard half-time show, then end with the Big Air finals from 8-9:30 p.m. The RIDE Shakedown after party, presented by SKDW MFG, will be held at Hard Rock Cafe in Seattle both nights with doors opening at 9 p.m. (21 and over).


RIDE Shakedown Schedule:

(free admission)

March 12, 2010

10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Amateur qualification

4 p.m.-6 p.m. Rail Jam qualifications

6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Rail Jam

9 p.m. SKDW MFG presents the RIDE Shakedown after party

Hard Rock, Seattle, $10 in advance, $15 at the door (21-and-over)

March 13, 2010

Noon-1 p.m. Snowboarder Magazine autograph session
with the pros

2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. RIDE Shakedown semi-finals

6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Halftime show (pro skateboard session on the
snowboard rail set up)

7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Warm up for RIDE Shakedown finals

8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. RIDE Shakedown finals and awards

9 p.m. SKDW MFG presents the RIDE Shakedown
afterparty

Hard Rock, Seattle, $10 in advance, $15 at the door (21-and-over)

RIDE Shakedown is the creation of Canadian's Brendan O'Dowd and Patryck Bernier who nine years ago set out to create a snowboarding event that would be more fun for both athletes and spectators. Annually, the festival's unique format and terrain park features take the world's top snowboarders to the brink of their abilities, which makes it extra entertaining for the audience, according to O'Dowd.


"The event is a spectacle," he said. "It's fun for everyone whether or not you're a core snowboarder or just want to experience the culture. We involve spectators throughout the event. Everything is close-in and the pros are accessible to anyone who comes up to the Summit at Snoqualmie."

Here we go - now everyone is hucking themselves into foam pits and gigantic air cushions. Iouri Podladtchikov hopped on the "let's start getting ridiculous" train and landed the Double Mctwist 1260 while sessioning the pipe in Davos, SUI. Those Germans over at Twoleftfeet also claim he stomped it second try...

What do we say to this claiming? Prove it. So they did.

Oh yes, this was documented in a video...





Now little I-Pod has three double corks and the Double Double hold the tomato (I give full credit to Todd Richards for that statement) in his bag of tricks. Watch out kids, just cause the Olympics are over doesn't mean the halfpipe isn't going to still be going off in the rest of the world. Next time Iouri will get the chance to go up against the man who invented this trick (I refuse to type that name for at least...a week) will be the Burton US Open.