Jewell Wins Copper Race to the Cup PGS

WEDNESDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2006

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. - Olympian Tyler Jewell (Sudbury, MA) won the opening U.S. Snowboarding Race to the Cup event Monday to kick off the 2007 NorAm season. The parallel giant slalom victory marked the eighth NorAm win for the six-year U.S. Snowboarding Team veteran.

"It was a really special win," said Jewell, a 2006 Olympian. "With a number of guys from the World Cup tour racing today, plus all the young guys gunning hard, the competition was anything but easy. This victory really gets the monkey off my back - I usually start the season pretty slow, so this feels pretty good. The weather was perfect as well. On each lift ride, I would look up at this huge dark cloud heading our way, but it just never got here. It was beautiful."

The win comes on the heels of a long day on the snow that opened with an hour and a half delay due to a squirrel chewing through a wire on the timing system. But that didn't slow Jewell, who posted the fastest qualifying time and then carried his momentum all the way through the final, eventually toppling second place finisher and multiple World Cup overall champion Jasey Jay Anderson of Canada. Olympic bronze medalist Chris Klug (Aspen, CO), who won last year at Copper, was third.

"It was fun to race Jasey, that guy is always so fast. There were so many guys who could have won this race - every year, this event gets tougher and tougher to win because it continues to draw an international field," added Jewell. "But the American men are ready to rip. We loaded the finals in Landgraaf (four riders) and we had a great showing here. I've got a good feeling about what this team is going to do on the World Cup this year."

Canadian women highlighted the women's field with Caroline Calve earning the victory followed by Swedish rider Aprilia Hagglof taking second ahead of Kimiko Zakreski, also of Canada. Michelle Gorgone (Sudbury, MA) was the top American in fifth.

"This race is always a big one for all of us," said Calve, "Copper Mountain always does a great job putting it on and there is a lot good riders here because it's our first NorAm. The U.S. always is tough, Japan has a few riders and the Swedes are riding well. It's a good warm up event as we really get into the World Cup season."

The U.S. Snowboarding Race to the Cup continues Tuesday with parallel slalom from Copper Mountain. For complete details: http://www.ussa.org/PublishingFolder/423_3166.htm.

The U.S. Snowboarding Race to the Cup series is sponsored by Chevrolet, Donek, Bomber Industries and Barilla.

U.S. Snowboarding Race to the Cup
Copper Mountain, CO - Nov. 20, 2006
Men's PGS
1. Tyler Jewell, Sudbury, MA
2. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
3. Chris Klug, Aspen, CO
4. Michael Lambert, Canada
5. Justin Reiter, Steamboat Springs, CO
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Women's PGS
1. Caroline Calve, Canada
2. Aprilia Hagglof, Sweden
3. Kimiko, Zakreski, Canada
4. Johanna Shaw, Australia
5. Michelle Gorgone, Sudbury, MA

For complete results:
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?event_id=21407&cal_suchsector=SB

This article is courtesy of the US Snowboard Team.