Also set to compete are World Cup snowboardcross champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), 15-time World Cup winner Tricia Byrnes (Aspen, CO) and seven other U.S. riders - all with previous World Cup experience. It will be the first time New Zealand has hosted a World Cup event and the earliest start to the World Cup snowboarding calendar in tour history.
"We've got a super-talented team headed to this event," said Halfpipe Head Coach Mike Jankowski. "Between winners like Gretchen and Tommy and young riders with solid experience like Dylan and Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO), Ellery [Hollingsworth - Stratton, VT], Matt Ladley (Steamboat Springs, CO) and Elijah Teter (South Lake Tahoe, CA), we've got a lot of World Cup experience headed to the first event."
A second home for U.S. Snowboarding, the Team spends one month each year training in New Zealand and will move directly to nearby Snow Park NZ for a 10-day camp following competition at Cardrona. During last season's camp at Snow Park, U.S. Snowboarding riders filmed "A Theory of Revolution", an award-winning instructional video designed to fuel halfpipe progression.
"New Zealand has such a great vibe for training, plus their facilities are top-notch. That's really what makes this an ideal place to start the World Cup season. You have to have a good pipe to have a good contest and they always have such awesome competition and training facilities," said Jankowski.
The Team is already on snow in Cardrona in advance of Saturday's competition.
