Mountain Sports team opens season

Slalom first up

The 2010-2011 competition season opens this weekend for the Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team (CBMST) athletes with two days of snowboard gate bashing at Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
The event is part of the USASA Southwest Series hosted by Crested Butte Mountain Resort, with a stop in Telluride.
While the series is primarily focused on halfpipe, slopestyle for skiers and snowboarders as well as skiercross and boardercross events, it opens with two of three total giant slalom and slalom races for snowboarders.
The weekend begins on Saturday, December 18 with two giant slalom races on Buckley under the West Wall Lift. The first race starts at 11 a.m. with the second race starting at 1 p.m.
Competitors line up again on Buckley on Sunday, December 19 for two slalom races at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. as well.
CBMST head snowboarding coach Brett Conover expects to have 10 to 12 CBMST athletes competing.
“All the younger guys will be doing it,” says Conover. “We should have a pretty good showing. It will be the first time competing for a bunch of the younger kids.”
Conover and his staff have been working with the athletes on fundamentals so far while getting a few runs specific to gate training.
“We’ve been getting on the alpine courses they set on Paradise,” says Conover. “They’ve been through some gates.”
Robertson believes as many riders, if not more, are coming in from out of town to race.
“It’s a good way to start the competition season,” says Assistant Mountain Sports Director Christian Robertson. “Get the ball rolling.”