"Copper is obviously a really critical event for everyone to get in on their quest to get on the Olympic team," U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski said. "It gives them the opportunity to get in a good 22-foot halfpipe with their teammates and competitors and hopefully will have a great event to kick things off. We're really looking forward to get in the 22 footer to get our first Grand Prix off to a good start."
The competition is the first stop for the five competition series and will feature Olympic champions Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA), Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT) and Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT), Olympic medalists Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), JJ Thomas (Golden, CO) and Danny Kass (Portland, OR) along with snowboarding's many elite as each vies for a spot on the 2010 Olympic halfpipe team.
The Grand Prix at Copper kicks off Dec. 10 with women's qualifiers at 10:30 a.m. Men's qualifications start at 9 a.m on Dec. 11 and finals will be at 11 a.m. on Dec. 12. The Grand Prix at copper will also feature the X Box Junior Jam at 1 p.m. and the Paul Mitchell Progression Session under the lights at 7 p.m. both on Dec. 12.
According to Jankowski spectators can expect to see the men's halfpipers double corking the tricks in their runs.
"The big buzz has been the double corks and the sport being taken to the next level and it truly has by with guys like Louie Vito [Sandy, UT] who are landing double corks already this spring and summer," Jankowski said. "You also have guys like Greg Bretz [Mammoth, CA] who is learning double corks already as well this summer. These guys are a part of the progression and leading the pack in that progression area."
In the women's pipe, Jankowski said the key is having the whole team together driving and pushing each other toward the next level in the sport.
"Our veterans continue on their track of being best in the world. Hannah, Gretchen and Kelly are coming back already having that experience and those Olympic medals under the belts," Jankowski said. "It's really a great situation as a team going into these Grand Prix events and towards the Olympics with talented and experience riders, along with our other women. It's a great formula for success.
"It's really important to have this team together, training together, riding together and competing together. It really is the key to our success being together as a team and doing what we do pushing each other."
Also in the mix and expected to drop in with competitive skills are X Games silver medalist Kevin Pearce (Norwich, VT), Olympic silver medalist Danny Kass (Portland, OR), Olympian Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, CA) and Colorado native Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO).
Just 75 miles from Denver, Copper's superpipe is traditionally the first of the season to open in the U.S. and will provide riders a perfect pipe in which they can start their journey to this February's Olympic Games in Vancouver.
The Copper superpipe also has the upper hand with its location, providing entertainment, shopping and dining for spectators just steps away from the pipe's base at the Village at Copper and Burning Stones Plaza.
"Having the 22-foot halfpipe at Copper is obviously very exciting for the riders. Copper has gone above and beyond and really making sure that the team and the riders are very comfortable and well taken care of while we are there," Jankowski said. "This first one is going to be really exciting to get a kick off and see where things fit after the first standings, and where everyone is sitting in terms of qualification."
