The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Direct line to USASA Nationals
Attention local rippers: Crested Butte Mountain Resort will host the 2008-2009 DC Southwest Colorado Series this weekend.
The Southwest Colorado Series is a regional series of the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA) and age group winners from the series automatically qualify for the USASA National Championships in Copper April 5-10. The Copper event is the largest ski and snowboard event in the world.
The USASA is a grassroots organization that has been around for 20 years. It is the same organization that most, if not all, current professional snowboarders followed in their ascent to snowboard prominence. Shaun White, Danny Kass, Lindsey Jacobellis, to name a few, all got their start in the USASA world.
“It’s a true grassroots organization,” says CBMR’s Drew Cesati. “It’s a springboard to the USSA,” the United States Ski and Snowboard Association.
Now, that world is coming to Crested Butte.
Thanks to the efforts of director of the Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team Drew Cesati and assistant director Christian Robertson, Crested Butte Mountain Resort was picked to host the regional series.
“We knew the series was up for grabs and we went about bringing it here,” says Cesati.
“The big thing is having these events USASA sanctioned,” adds Robertson. “To have that here is cool and it gives kids a chance to qualify for Nationals.”
The series involves four separate competitions, including giant Slalom and slalom races, half pipe and slope style competitions as well as a boarder and skier cross from December until March.
The series kicks off the weekend with snowboard giant slalom and slalom races on Buckley, Saturday and Sunday, December 20-21.
Cesati explains that a win in any age group this weekend in either the slalom or the giant slalom automatically qualifies a rider for the National Championships.
Furthermore, the events are not limited to kids but are open to riders of all ages, from six to 60 years old.
This weekend is the only snowboard specific event of the series. The other three weekends are open to both skiers and snowboarders.
Cesati and Robertson expect to see as many as 30 competitors from the Southwest, including a team from Telluride and riders from New Mexico coming in to compete and 10 riders from the Mountain Sports Team will participate.
The cost is $25 per event and all competitors must be registered with USASA. Riders can register ahead of time online at usasa.org or this weekend the day of the event from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the Adventure Center at the Crested Butte Mountain Resort base area.
Robertson is calling out all riders in the area to strap in and run gates, even some of the “old-timers” who have been carving on the hill for years.
“I would hope to see some of the guys that have been riding around here for years do it,” says Robertson. “I’m trying to spread the word to some of the old dogs.”
