Red Gerard (Silverthorne Colo.) won the 2019 U.S. Burton Open slopestyle finals on Friday at Vail Mountain Resort in Colorado. It was clear this victory really struck a chord with the modest 2018 PyeongChang Olympic gold medalist.

“I don’t know man, I feel insane, this is crazy,” said Gerard. “I never expected that I would even be in the finals at the open. To win at the here with an insane podium is incredible. I’m speechless.”

Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.) finished in second-place to collect her second consecutive Burton U.S. Open podium as she finished in third in 2018.

I was really happy to end up on the podium again this year," said Marino. "The conditions weren’t ideal but I’m super happy and impressed on how all of the girls pushed through it and threw down!"

The women dropped in first and put on a style clinic for the Vail crowd. Marino and Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.) both came out of the gate on a mission putting together complete top to bottom runs with a high level of difficulty. Langland would earn a score of 77.5 with a technical rail line and a polished backside 540 of the transition jump. She would hold onto that score and finish fourth just outside the podium.

Marino landed a cab double underflip on run one and earned a score for 80.3 which would also be her top score of the day. Landing run one proved to be beneficial for Marino as winds increased and the course slowed down causing riders to struggle finding the sweet spot as the day went on.

New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott’s finished in first-place completing an unofficial triple crown in snowboarding as she recently just earned the gold medal at X Games Aspen and the FIS World Championships. Also, Miyabi Onitsuka of Japan closed out the podium in third.

For the men, it was unclear if the event was going to run due to wind and snow, but upon getting the green light, all of the riders did not hesitate. Gerard’s win was also a result of his first run. He came out with noticeably more speed than the rest of the pack putting down a technical combination in the upper rail section, starting off with a noseslide to frontside boardslide to fakie, into a half-Cab 50-50 on backside 360 melon out, into a boardslide 450 Indy underflip out, he sped into the jump section starting off with a switch backside 1260 Indy, into a frontside double cork 1080 Indy on the transition feature and finishing with a huge backside triple cork 1440 mute on the final hit to roaring cheers from the crowd. 

“I was pretty scared dropping in,” said Gerard. “Practice was crazy with the fresh snow and I’m just really happy I landed one. To keep my speed, I only changed one rail trick doing a 540 off instead of a 900.”

Gerard, the number one qualifier, would jump into first place and remain there for the rest of the competition. Four-time U.S. Open slopestyle champion Mark McMorris from Canada had a chance to challenge the top spot on his last run, but couldn’t land his back triple cork 1620 on the last jump. As the rest of the field completed their final runs and the reality of a victory lap set in for Gerard, he seemed to show a level of excitement that has yet to be seen from the 18-year-old. The true spirit of the U.S. Open came to light as the entire field of riders tackled Gerard in the finish corral in a celebratory fashion.

Gerard was no the only U.S. Snowboard Team member who had a good day on Friday. Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.) finished fourth and Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii) finished in fifth just outside the podium completing an amazing day for the U.S. Snowboard Team. Earlier in the week in an interview with the U.S. Open, Winkelmann said, “I’m just out here trying to lace,” and lace he did landing his second run as the rest of the field looked on in approval of the young rider.

In addition, Farrell had himself a day landing his first run stomping a backside 1260 and a cab 1260. Also, Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), who broke his back in an avalanche in Whistler, Canada last April, rode his way into the finals and finished 10th. The fact that Crouch is back on snow riding with the best in the world is a victory in itself.

Sweden’s Sven Thorgren finished second and Canada’s Mark McMorris finished in third.

The final day of competition takes place tomorrow at the 2019 Burton U.S. Open with men’s and women’s halfpipe finals. Tune in live at BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV.

RESULTS
Men’s and women’s snowboard slopestyle

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
Live webcasts on BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV

Saturday, March 2
1:00 p.m. - Women’s halfpipe finals - Vail, Colo.
4:00 p.m. - Men’s halfpipe finals - Vail, Colo.
 

The time has come and athletes from across the globe have arrived at California’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for one of the final FIS Freeski and Snowboard World Cup events of the season. WIth numerous U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes at the top of the World Cup standings battling for the coveted Crystal Globe, it should make for an exciting week of slopestyle and halfpipe competition.

David Wise (Reno, Nev.) currently sits third in the FIS World Cup halfpipe standings, chasing New Zealand’s Nico Porteous for the freeski halfpipe title. Wise considers Mammoth familiar territory and is feeling positive going into the competition.

“I consider the Mammoth Grand Prix my “home turf” event,” said Wise. “I’ve been training and competing in Mammoth for months out of the year since I was 10 years old. It feels like home. Mammoth is only three hours from my hometown, so the Reno cheering crew will certainly be out in force. There is no greater way to wrap up the contest season than at home and to be able to do so while chasing the crystal globe is an added bonus.“

Brita Sigourney is also in the hunt for a Crystal Globe, but needs to surpass a strong list of Canadian freeskiers including World Cup leader Rachael Karker, and teammate Cassie Sharpe, who have both been on a tear since the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Also, just ahead of Sigourney is China’s Kexin Zhang and Li Fanghui. Sigourney has the skills to take home the victory and has been skiing strong all year long. Look for her to make a run at the title.

“I’m so excited to go back to Mammoth this year, especially with their record-breaking snowfall over the last month,” said Sigourney, who has been ripping backcountry powder when she’s not training in the halfpipe. “It’s always a fun event, whether we are competing or being forced to ski pow due to weather. I’m looking forward to ending my competition season on a high note and hopefully grabbing another podium!”

For the snowboarders, the U.S. women’s halfpipe team has strong rankings in the cup standings. Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.) currently sits in third behind Cai Xuetong from China and Queralt Castellet of Spain. Unfortunately, Kim sustained an ankle injury that will keep her from competing this week. Also, in the top-10 of the World Cup standings is another Mammoth Mountain star in Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.). Mastro is coming off a historic win at the Burton U.S. Open where she not only earned her first-ever U.S. Open victory but also made history landing the first ever double crippler in women’s halfpipe competition. She is unlikely to compete as she's dealing with an injured foot, but both Mastro and Kim will still be supporting their teammates and saying hello to the local fan base at the Mammoth Grand Prix. 

“I’m really excited to head back to Mammoth,” said Mastro. “It’s my second home and my favorite place in the winter. I grew up there, so it’s always nice to have a contest on your home turf. Mammoth has the best park and pipe lap in my biased opinion, so I think it’s a great place to end the contest season."

U.S. Rookie Team member Tessa Maud (Carlsbad, Calif.) will compete for the women. For the men, U.S. Pro Team members Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho), Ryan Wachendorfer (Edwards, Colo.), Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Chase Blackwell (Longmont, Colo.) and Jake Pates (Eagle, Colo.) are set to ride. In addition, U.S. Rookie Team members Jason Wolle (Winter Park Colo.), and Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.) will challenge a strong international field.

In women’s snowboard slopestyle, U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team member Jade Thurgood (Salt Lake City, Utah) will compete. For the men, FIS Slopestyle World Cup leader, Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.), 2019 U.S. Open champion Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.), Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.), Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska), Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii), Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Chandler Hunt (Park City, Utah) will represent the U.S. Pro Team. In addition, U.S. Rookie Team members Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.), Sean Fitzsimons (Hood River, Ore.) and Dusty Henricksen (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) are set to compete.

In women’s freeski halfpipe, the U.S. Pro Team will be represented by Sigourney, Olympic gold medalist Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.) and Annalisa Drew (Andover, Mass.). U.S. Rookie Team athletes competing include Abigale Hansen (June Lake, Calif.) and Svea Irving (Winter Park, Colo.). For the men, U.S. Pro Team members Wise, 2019 World Champion Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.), Lyman Currier (Boulder, Colo.) and Birk Irving (Winter Park, Colo.) will battle it out in the pipe. U.S. Rookie Team members dropping in include Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo.), Sammy Schuiling (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.) and Dylan Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.).

In women’s freeski slopestyle, Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.), Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.), Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.), and Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.) will represent the U.S. Pro Team. Also, U.S. Rookie Team members Marin Hamill (Park City, Utah) and Rell Harwood (Park City, Utah) will make a run at their first Grand Prix podium. For the men, double-Olympic medalist Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.), Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah) and Joss Christensen (Park City, Utah) will lay down their best runs in the Unbound Terrain Park. Also, Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.) will represent the U.S. Rookie Team.

With 18 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes in the top-10 of freeski and snowboard slopestyle and halfpipe FIS Cup Standings and very few events left to go, there is a lot on the line at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Mammoth has a history of intense competition, record snowfall, world-class courses and a large collection of U.S. athletes that call the ski and snowboard Mecca home. Catch the action live and head out to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, or tune in on NBC.

ATHLETE QUOTES

Nick Goepper - “Mammoth is always a classic spot to go back to. So many fun memories and challenging ones also. The Mammoth Unbound Terrain Park is world class and I can’t wait for the Grand Prix.”

Gus Kenworthy - "Mammoth is always such a fun venue. They build a great slope course and I have had some of the best days in the pipe at this venue too. Looking forward to seeing all the fans and competing this coming weekend at the Toyota Grand Prix."

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard & Mammoth Mountain Ski Area

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Andrew Gauthier
Marketing and Communications Manager
U.S. Ski & Snowboard
+1.775.342.7056
andrew.gauthier@usskiandsnowboard.org

FOR ACCREDITED MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Lauren Burke
Communications Director
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
+1.858.775.5803
lburke@mammothresorts.com

FIS CUP STANDINGS
FREESKI
Men’s halfpipe
Women’s halfpipe
Men’s slopestyle
Women’s slopestyle

SNOWBOARD
Men’s halfpipe
Women’s halfpipe
Men’s slopestyle
Women’s slopestyle

SCHEDULE
All times PST (local time)

Saturday, March  9.
9:30 a.m. - Men’s snowboard slopestyle finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
12:00 p.m. -  Men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
2:30 p.m. - Men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

Sunday, March 10. 
7:30 a.m. -  Men’s and women’s freeski slopestyle qualifications & finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast
***Delayed broadcast

FREESKIING
Saturday, March 9
5:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 10
4:45 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Thursday, March 14
12:30 a.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN***

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, March 9
12:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men's slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold
3:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Tuesday, March 12
10:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN***

Sunday, March 17
12:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBC***

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.
 

PARK CITY, UTAH – U.S. Ski & Snowboard has confirmed today that Devin Logan, an athlete on the U.S. Freeski Team, has accepted a three-month sanction from USADA for an anti-doping rule violation regarding the use of a CBD product that contained higher than labeled levels of THC. The original sanction of six months was reduced to three months following Logan’s completion of a USADA anti-doping educational tutorial.

Logan’s three-month period of ineligibility began on December 7, 2018, the date she accepted a provisional suspension, and ends on March 6, 2019. Additionally, as the use of any illegal substance by U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes is expressly forbidden by the terms of the agreement U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes sign when they join the team, further corrective action was taken by U.S. Ski & Snowboard with Devin Logan as a result of the USADA tests.

“I made a serious mistake and I accept that completely,” said Logan. “I was using a CBD product that I felt was helping me, but I trusted that the product did not contain any more than the tiny trace elements of THC that it said on the packaging. After I was notified by USADA that I’d tested positive for THC we tested the product I was using and it was immediately clear that the levels of THC in the product were, in fact, much higher than labeled. However, I know this is not an excuse. I should not have trusted the product and I want this to be a serious lesson for anyone using CBD products. They may have benefits, but using CBD products comes with major risks and I am the proof of those risks. Whether you’re an athlete or anyone using CBD, be really careful, that’s what I want people to take from what I have been through. I certainly won’t be making that mistake again.”

“Devin has accepted full responsibility for the mistake she made, and this is an important lesson for anyone using CBD products,” said Tiger Shaw, President, and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Devin’s tests showed that she had ingested THC but she was unaware that the product she was using would lead to this sanction. That is not an excuse in any way, but it is an important point to note. Anybody using CBD products should be aware that they may contain THC, whatever the packaging says.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is a leading voice in the international fight against doping of all kinds, aiming to rid the world of the scourge of performance-enhancing drugs used by athletes to gain an unfair advantage, and the organization hopes that the lessons learned by Devin Logan will be taken on board by athletes worldwide.

The U.S. men’s relay team skied a gutsy race to finish ninth at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria, on Friday. The U.S. team had an early morning roster adjustment for anchor skier Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Co.), who woke up with a sore throat and was replaced with Kyle Bratrud (Eden Prairie, Minn.).

Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) was the lead skier in the first of the classic legs, skiing brilliantly in fourth place before tagging off to Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska).

“Erik skied a really smart and gutsy race and is obviously skiing well,” said U.S. Cross Country Team World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb. “We were starting 12th and there are only two tracks in the relay, so his challenge today was to be aggressive early and get into the break when it happens. Because of his tactics he was able to hand off to Scott just 4-seconds behind the leaders. Scott kept things very close for a long time before he got snapped off the group. Unfortunately, David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska) and Bratrud had to ski in no man’s land out there by themselves.”

It was a dramatically different weather day with steady rain and cooler temperatures, a welcome break from the extreme warmth that has plagued the Championships so far.

“Erik handed off to me in fourth, right behind the leaders,” said Patterson. “It grouped up pretty well soon afterwards and I was skiing with the front teams. It was fun for a while until they picked up the pace on the hills and I popped kind of hard.  I was hoping to give David and Kyle a better group to ski with but ended up on my own.”

“We started bib 12th and ended ninth,” continued Whitcomb. “We are feeling really physed on the skis today and very excited for the 30k and 50k coming up.”

Team Norway took the gold - their 10th-consecutive team relay World Championship title - with Russia winning the silver, and France just edging Finland at the line to take the bronze.

The Championships continue Saturday with the women’s 30k freestyle. U.S. starters will be Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.), Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah), Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.), and Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury, Vt.)

RESULTS
Men’s 4x10k relay

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Saturday, March 2
6:15 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 30k - Seefeld, AUT - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 30k - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, March 3
5:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 50k - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

Day two of the Burton U.S. Open on Thursday at Vail Mountain Resort in Colorado did not disappoint with the men’s and women’s halfpipe semi-finals, and four U.S. Snowboard Team athletes qualified through to the finals.

For the women, U.S. Snowboard Team members led the way with Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.), Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.) qualifying in the top three spots. All three athletes came out firing with consistent amplitude, style, and perfect landings throughout their runs. Battling an ankle injury, Kim still managed to claim the top spot with two completely different runs scoring in the 90s.

“It's so nice to come out here with perfect conditions. The pipe was perfect since the first day of practice which doesn't really happen very often. Everyone's really excited and I am really looking forward to Saturday.”
 - Chloe Kim

For the men, Jake Pates (Eagle, Colo.) was in finals contention after his first run, but went on to improve his standing with his second run and finished fifth overall. Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho) put down two complete runs but was unable to break the bubble spot finishing 11th. American Danny Davis (Truckee, Calif.) also qualified through to finals in 10th.

Other notable performances from U.S. Snowboard Team members include rookie team athlete Tessa Maud (Carlsbad, Calif.) who put down a beautiful run proving she can hang with the world’s top halfpipe riders. In addition, Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.) also landed a strong run complete with a massive double crippler traveling down the pipe.

The halfpipe proved to be very friendly to the riders, accommodating high speeds, huge airs, and numerous complete top to bottom runs. After Thursday’s show and high level of riding across the board, it’s hard not to anticipate Kim trying her frontside double cork 1080 and Mastro her double crippler in finals, which they both have yet to land in a competitive environment. The Burton U.S. Open halfpipe finals are set up to be one of the most exciting and progressive halfpipe competitions of the 2018/19 season.

The competition will continue tomorrow with men’s and women’s slopestyle finals. Tune in live at BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
Live webcasts on BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV

SNOWBOARD
Friday, March 1
1:00 p.m. - Women’s slopestyle finals - Vail, Colo.
4:00 p.m. - Men’s slopestyle finals - Vail, Colo.
 

The U.S. women’s relay team skied to a fifth-place finish at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria, Thursday. The team of Sadie Bjornsen (Anchorage, Alaska), Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah), and Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) welcomed newcomer Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.) to her first World Championship relay with an exciting and challenging finish down the stretch.

“It was hot and hard, really tough skiing out there,” said Kern, who skied the lead-off classic leg. “I had the most epic blow-up of my life, but I have no regrets, I put it all out there.”

“It is so challenging to be tagged off behind a group as you just want to close the gap as fast as you can,” said Brennan, who skied the second leg before tagging of to Bjornsen. “I tried to take the first kilometer and just breath and then hammer after that. The hills are running hills and those are my strength, but it’s crazy how hard it is to catch a group that is working together.  As soon as I caught that group I told myself just don’t sit behind, keep making every second.”

Brennan, skiing the first freestyle leg posted the third-fastest time of the day at the 2.5k mark, and the fourth-fastest 5k total time of the day.

“My strategy was to make sure that any of those guys behind me weren’t getting a free ride, then I started to focus on pulling in time on Finland,” Brennan added. “I tried to ski as relaxed and strong as I could.”

The atmosphere was truly phenomenal as almost 15,000 spectators cheered on the athletes on a warm, sunny day.

“That was a ton of fun out there and so awesome to cross that finish line and have all my teammates there,” said Diggins, the final skier of the relay team. “I am so proud of this group because relay days need a little magic for the results to come in and we did the best we could.”

Team Sweden took the gold, with Norway in the silver-medal position, and Russia taking the bronze.

“It was definitely an exciting day and one of those classic relays where how things are in the beginning is so different in the end,” said U.S., Cross Country Ski Team World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb. ”We had a new team today with the addition of Julia Kern. She skied to our expectations and really skied her heart out today, she will be one for the future. The girls, one after the next, slowly and steadily started working their way up the ranks and got to within 20 seconds of fourth place. I know we can do better, but I am very proud of these women today.”

The Championships continue Friday with the men’s relay team of Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) and Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska) both skiing classic legs with, David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska) and Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Co.) skiing the skate legs.

RESULTS
Women’s team relay

HOW TO WATCH
*Same-day broadcast

Thursday, Feb. 28
1:00 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 15k - Seefeld, AUT - NBCSN**
7:00 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 4x5k relay - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Friday, March 1
7:15 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 4x10k relay - Seefeld, AUT - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 4x10k relay - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV*

Saturday, March 2
6:15 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 30k - Seefeld, AUT - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 30k - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, March 3
5:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 50k - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold andOlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

The 37th annual Burton U.S. Open kicked off Wednesday at Vail Mountain Resort in Colorado with slopestyle semi finals, and four American men qualifying through to finals.

U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member and 2018 PyeongChang Olympic slopestyle gold medalist Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) qualified in the top spot and will drop last in finals. He put down two clean runs, bettering his score on his second run with super technical and clean rail combinations up top including a boardslide 810 out. He took full advantage of the speed on the course putting down a switch backside 1260 mute, to frontside double cork 1080 Indy, and finishing with a backside triple cork 1440 mute.

“I’m psyched I made it to finals especially with such a heavy crew and all my buddies," said Gerard. "I was super psyched on the course, it was one of the better courses I think we’ve ever ridden—the mandatory side hit [transition feature] is probably my favorite feature.”

Teammate Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii) qualified sixth, U.S. Rookie Team member Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.) qualified seventh, and Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) closed out the qualified group of athletes in 10th. Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.), who currently leads the FIS World Cup slopestyle standings, was unable to land his run and did not advance to the finals.

For the women, they had a difficult task ahead of them in the semi final round of competition with only six women making it through to the finals. Last year’s bronze medalist Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.) qualified second, and Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.) qualified fifth. Both Langland and Marino will compete in the final round of competition on Friday. Defending U.S. Open Champion Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.) finished seventh and was unable to qualify through to finals.

Competition will continue tomorrow with men’s and women’s halfpipe semi-finals. Tune in live at BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
Live webcasts on BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV

SNOWBOARD
Thursday, February 28
12:00 p.m. - Women’s halfpipe semi-finals - Vail, Colo.
2:30 p.m. - Men’s halfpipe semi-finals - Vail, Colo.
 

Fifteen American riders are set to race at the Baqueira Beret World Cup Snowboardcross event in Spain this weekend, March 1-2. The competition will replace the originally scheduled La Molina event. It will be the Snowboardcross World Cup's second visit to the largest and most-visited mountain resort in Spain after it stood in at the last minute to host the competition in 2015-16, when another Spanish resort was forced to pull out. U.S. Snowboardcross Team members are excited to head back to what historically has been a very exciting and challenging course.

“I’m really looking forward to racing again in Baqueira,” said 2019 World Champion Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.). “We raced there a few years ago and it is an awesome resort and the course really tested our abilities with some big jumps and high speeds. I’m really excited for something similar this year. I can’t wait to get back in the gate and hunt for that podium again.”

According to FIS, the 2019 version of the course may offer a different approach as it’s taking place on a new fall line. During an inspection prior to the season, FIS Snowboard race director Uwe Beier, along with technical advisor Alberto Schiavon, assessed the course slope, establishing a slightly adjusted line from the 2015-16 version of the Baqueira Beret event to better utilise the trail for snowboardcross action.

The U.S. has a very impressive roster ready to tackle the course including U.S. Snowboardcross Team members Dierdorff, Alex Deibold (Manchester, Vt.), Hagen Kearney (Norwood, Colo.), Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, Mass.), Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.), 2018 Junior World Champion Jake Vedder, as well as Development Team members Senna Leith (Vail, Colo.), Cole Johnson (Reno, Nev.) and Mikey Lacroix (Shrewsbury, Mass.). For the ladies, U.S. Snowboardcross Team members competing include six-time World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt. ), Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, Utah), Stacy Gaskill (Golden, Colo.), Meghan Tierney as well as Livia Molodyh (Hubbard, Ore.) and Nelly Steinhoff (Colfax, Calif.).

There is a huge level of interest in Europe in snowboarding following the 2017 Snowboard World Championships at Sierra Nevada, Spain. In addition, Spanish winter sports enthusiasts are still buzzing from the achievement of Regino Hernandez of Spain, who won bronze at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics. Expect riders to feed of this energy and put on a great show at the second to last snowboardcross World Cup event of the season. With seven Americans in the top twenty of the FIS Cup Standings, the battle for the overall World Cup title is on.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, February 2. 

7:30 a.m. - Men's and women's snowboardcross - Baqueira Beret, Spain FIS World Cup -  OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold. 
 

Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) skied to an impressive - and career-best - 17th-place finish in the 15k classic individual start at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria, Wednesday.

Bjornsen, in the mix with the other three U.S. starters, was 21st at the first split time at 2.3k, and steadily gained time throughout the race.

“It was a really hot, tough course with super soft conditions in the sunny sections,” said Bjornsen. “I decided to go for speedy skis today instead of good kick, so I didn’t feel good on the hills, but was trying to work the flats and use my double pole to my advantage. I was feeling really good yesterday and had high hopes today and was wanting to get a top 15 or 20 today.”

Norwegian Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway won the gold, with Alexander Bessmertnykh of Russia taking the silver, and Ivo Niskanen of Finland winning the bronze. The entire U.S. men’s team skied well in the race with Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska) finishing 30th, Kyle Bratrud (Eden Prairie, Minn.) just missing the top 30, finishing 31st, with Ben Lustgarten (Burlington, Vt.) in 45th.

“I am definitely proud of the efforts of all four of the guys out there, they were absolutely giving it all,” said U.S. Cross Country Head Coach Chris Grover. “I am also really proud of the service team as today was one of the more challenging days for them as half the course was in the sun and half was in the shade creating widely variable conditions. Erik was fighting for a top-15 result and just missed it by a bit at the end, but a really great result.”

The World Championships continue Thursday with the women’s relay. U.S. starters are Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.), Sadie Bjornsen (Anchorage, Alaska), Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah), and Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.).

RESULTS
Men’s 15k classic

HOW TO WATCH
*Same-day broadcast

Thursday, Feb. 28
1:00 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 15k - Seefeld, AUT - NBCSN**
7:00 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 4x5k relay - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Friday, March 1
7:15 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 4x10k relay - Seefeld, AUT - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 4x10k relay - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV*

Saturday, March 2
6:15 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 30k - Seefeld, AUT - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 30k - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, March 3
5:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 50k - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

The FIS Junior World Ski Championships wrapped up with women's downhill on Wednesday, and the Americans landing in third in the Marc Hodler Trophy standings - an award given out for overall team performance throughout the series. 

Switzerland won the Marc Hodler Trophy, with 107 points, followed by Norway with 86 points, and USA rounding out the podium with 80 points. The U.S. has been steadily working towards the podium, getting fifth in the standings in Åre, Sweden in 2017, and fourth in Davos, Switzerland in 2018. U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Development Director Chip Knight noted that "being in the top three was a stretch goal, so it's a tremendous result for us!"

The importance of the Marc Hodler Trophy was evident across the team, and definitely on their mind throughout the week. As double gold winner River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.) said after his giant slalom gold on Monday, "I was hyped up by my teammates today. We had six in the top 30 - way more than any other nation - so to have that sort of strong showing is amazing. I was just feeding off of their energy and they were feeding off of mine, and we were just trying to shoot for top-10s and get that Hodler Cup podium.  We’ve been shut out of the Hodler Cup the last two years that I’ve been racing, so it was a really big goal of mine to try to get us on the podium this year. We had another strong showing today, and we’re sitting in third looking good, trying to close it out the last couple of races.”

Though AJ Hurt (Squaw Valley, Calif.) had been under the weather the last few days, she was tenth in Wednesday's downhill, while Keely Cashman (Strawberry, Calif.) was 11th. Cashman posted the fastest second training run time on Tuesday, but her high start number on Wednesday provided challenges, as the temperatures were warm and the track was deteriorating. She walked away with two top-5 results - fourth in the alpine combined, and fifth in the super-G, respectively. 

Team USA will walk away from Val di Fassa, Italy with their heads held high, and look to continue to carry that momentum towards the future. Congratulations, once again, to this team for their outstanding performances. 

2019 FIS ALPINE JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
Name, Hometown; Team Affiliation; Club (Birthdate)

Women

• Keely Cashman, Strawberry, Calif; Squaw Valley Ski Team (4/4/1999)
• Katie Hensien, Redmond, Wash.; Rowmark Ski Academy and University of Denver (12/1/1999)
• AJ Hurt, Carnelian Bay, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team (12/5/2000)
• Nellie-Rose Talbot, Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (8/24/1999)
• Claire Thomas, Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard and Dartmouth College (3/11/1998)
• Alix Wilkinson, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team (8/2/2000)

Men

• Cooper Cornelius, Glenwood Springs, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski Club (2/20/1999)
• Jacob Dilling, Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (10/19/1999)
• Bridger Gile, Aspen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski Club and Ski & Snowboard Club Vail(10/15/1999)
• Jimmy Krupka, Waitsfield, Vt.; Green Mountain Valley School and Dartmouth College (7/15/1998)
• Kyle Negomir, Littleton, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (10/03/1998)
• River Radamus, Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (2/12/1998)
• Ben Ritchie, Waitsfield, Vt.; Green Mountain Valley School (9/5/2000)
• Jett Seymour, Steamboat, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and University of Denver (11/5/1998)

2019 MEDAL TALLY
Gold, Super-G, River Radamus
Silver, Team Event, Katie Hensien, AJ Hurt, River Radamus and Ben Ritchie 
Gold, Giant Slalom, River Radamus
Silver, Slalom, Ben Ritchie
Bronze, Marc Hodler Trophy, Team

OTHER TOP TEN RESULTS
4th, Alpine Combined, Keely Cashman
4th, Alpine Combined, River Radamus
5th, Super-G, Keely Cashman
6th, Slalom, Jimmy Krupka
6th, Downhill, Kyle Negomir
7th, Giant Slalom, AJ Hurt
8th, Downhill, River Radamus
8th, Alpine Combined, Kyle Negomir
10th, Slalom, Jett Seymour
10th, Slalom, Katie Hensien
10th, Downhill, AJ Hurt

RESULTS
Marc Hodler Trophy
Women's downhill