Gretchen Bleiler and Shaun White win Mt Bachelor US Snowboard Grand Prix

Gretchen Bleiler and Shaun White look set for the 2006 US Snowboard Olympic Team after winning the US Snowboard Grand Prix at Mt Bachelor at the weekend.

It was Gretchen’s second Grand Prix win and White’s third-straight Grand Prix victory.
However it wasn’t all plain sailing for the female winner. Gretchen woke up Sunday with the same stomach flu that had been sweeping the field. (Mason Aguirre had it so bad the day before that he made a trip to the hospital to get rehydrated and Hannah Teter suffered the bug too). But Gretchen still managed to pull off a winning run which featured her signature crippler, followed by a backside 540, frontside 540, backside air and finishing with a frontside 720.

“Last Olympics I had good results but it (making the Olympic team) ended up coming down to a triple tie-breaker,” she said. “When I came here I was still thinking I hadn’t gotten it (her place on the Olympic team) yet. Then, considering what I woke up with this morning, I really had to give it everything I had and struggle through. But I think that may be what got me through – because I did have to work so hard for it.”

Hannah Teter also recovered enough to take second place, adding to her Breckenridge win, and Elena Hight came third.

In the men’s contest, Mason Aguirre came second for the third Grand Prix contest in a row while Danny Davis posted his second third-place finish in a row.

“I learn more every contest, I see what everyone else is doing, and that helps a lot,” said Shaun White, who also fought the dreaded 24-hour flu just the day before and had Saturday to recover when the contest was postponed because of weather.

“It’s kind of hard to see up there, today. It’s really hard because I had to take my best run and tone it back a bit because of the weather. I think that’s what hindered a lot of people – the weather was holding them back from doing their tricks. But at a comp like this, you have to see who can ride the best in these type of conditions.”

Shaun won with a run which included a huge straight air into a backside 9, frontside 720, cab 1080 complete with nosegrab, frontside 9 and a McTwist. His influence has obviously spread to the riders hot on his heels – namely Aguirre and Davis who both threw back-to-back 1080s in their runs.

For the Olympics, White said he’ll work on incorporating three 1080s into his run. His flight plan is a frontside 1080, cab 1080, a straight air to a backside 1080. “Just get it really big for the Olympics so I’m ready,” Shaun said.

Based on results from the Bachelor Grand Prix, the field of riders will be cut to the top 20 men and 10 women who will then compete at the Grand Prix final. Halfpipe riders will be named to the team based on the best two results from the five Grand Prix halfpipe contests.

The US Snowboard Olympic Team will be announced Jan. 21 following two more halfpipe contests at the final Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix in Mountain Creek, N.J.

CURRENT GRAND PRIX OVERALL HALFPIPE STANDINGS
(Points calculated from best two Grand Prix finishes as of January 8 2006)
MEN
1. Shaun White, 2000
2. Mason Aguirre, 1600
3. Danny Davis, 1200
4. Ross Powers, 1090
5. Scott Lago, 1050
6. Andy Finch, 1000
7. Danny Kass, 900
8. Steven Fisher, 720
9. JJ Thomas, 720
10. Kevin Pearce, 710

WOMEN
1. Gretchen Bleiler, 2000
2. Hannah Teter, 1800
3. Elena Hight, 1400
4. Tricia Byrnes, 1050
5. Lindsey Jacobellis, 860
6. Molly Aguirre, 850
7. Kelly Clark, 760
8. Ellery Hollingsworth, 690
9. Clair Bidez, 680
10. Eliza Greene, 650

CHEVROLET U.S. SNOWBOARD GRAND PRIX
Mt. Bachelor, OR – January 8, 2006

Halfpipe Finals
MEN

1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, Calif., 45.3
2. Mason Aguirre, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 43.8
3. Danny Davis, Highland, Mich., 43.3
4. Andy Finch, Truckee, Calif., 42.4
5. Scott Lago, Seabrook, N.H., 38.6
6. Steven Fisher, Breckenridge, Colo., 38.6
7. JJ Thomas, Golden, Colo., 37.5
8. Tommy Czeschin, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 37.5
9. Ross Powers, South Londonderry, Vt., 37.4
10. Michael Goldschmidt, Bondville, Vt., 37.1

WOMEN
1. Gretchen Bleiler, Snowmass Village, Colo., 42.5
2. Hannah Teter, Belmont, Vt., 41.1
3. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., 39.2
4. Kelly Clark, Mount Snow, Vt., 38.6
5. Tricia Byrnes, Stratton Mtn., Vt., 37.9
6. Molly Aguirre, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 35.6
7. Charmaine Ironside, Canada, 25.8
8. Lindsey Jaobellis, Stratton Mtn., Vt., 19.9
9. Clair Bidez, Minturn, Colo., 18.8
10. Ellery Hollingsworth, Darien, CT, 13.7