Winter here in Los Angeles is not really noticeable unless you take a trip over to SANTA’S VILLAGE, but even still, you must drive a couple of hours away. And when I’m lucky, my friend Arbak Maghdessian takes me over to the AMERICANA Mall out in Glendale where they have a snow machine and a fake Santa. But over the past few days, it has been raining cats and dogs. It actually feels like winter out here. Regularly I have to depend on the first Dew Tour to know that winter has arrived. And that time has come.
Despite slow, challenging, and borderline crappy conditions, Louie Vito, wins the Superpipe finals at the first Dew Tour stop in Breckenridge, CO hammering his second run with a front double cork 1080 to cab double cork 1080 to crippler to Michalchuk to frontside 1080 to cab 720. Coming off a victory at the first Grand Prix stop last week, Vito is on quite the streak as he authoritatively took yet another first-place finish this weekend.
“To take the first Grand Prix and follow up this weekend at the fist Winter Dew Tour is a great way to start off the season,” said Vito. “With all the new snow, halfpipe has been really slow in Colorado but I feel great about my runs and am definitely looking forward to some faster conditions.”
Monster Energy’s latest addition Jamie Anderson of South Lake Tahoe, was in typical form destroying the Slopestyle course and winning the event by a long shot even after changing her run at the last second — nailing a back 180 to stylish switch back 180, to a back 360 and front 360. Anderson is the 2009 defending Winter Dew Cup champion and expected by all to repeat.
Monster Energy’s Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, followed up her Winter Dew Tour 2009 first place win and took second place at the women’s Superpipe finals this weekend by stomping her signature backside nine, an amazing move she has had on lock for years. Well known for going for broke with a history of cracked helmets and concussions, Elena started the year clean and consistent, boding well for the series. For more on Monster athletes visit www.monsterenergy.com.