25 years of the US Open - 2002-2006
Mar 16 2007 / Los Angeles, CA| Next > 1997-2001 |
On the 25th anniversary of the US Open of Snowboarding, Lat34 looks back at the highlights from each year of the event, starting with the last five competitions which saw Danny Kass dominate the halfpipe, only to see Shaun White emerge from the Olympics as a new superpower on the scene.
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It was the year of Shaun White. Following the Winter Olympics in Itlay, where White won Olympic Gold, the young snowboarder wins his second and third Open titles, for the halfpipe and slopestyle (his second win in that category). The wins take White to a dozen consecutive victories in the season. Danny Davis picks up his first win in the halfpipe finals, edging defending champ Risto Mattila. Hana Beaman follows up her Olypic performance by matching Shaun White with two wins, in slopestyle and quarterpipe. Aussie Torah Bright wins in the halfpipe over defending champ and Olympic silver medalist Gretchen Blieler. The lucky Volvo winners this year are easy to spot: dual winners White and Beaman take home the Volvo C70 convertible.
2005
The 2005 US Open definitely left its mark on the snowboarding history books. Danny Kass became the first rider ever to win four US Open halfpipe titles. It was Tricia Byrnes' 16th consecutive year competiting at the Open. Janna Meyen won her first US Open title since she won the women's halfpipe contest in 1991. And for the first time ever, three siblings -- Abe, Ellijah and Hannah Teter -- all made it to the halfpipe finals. Eddie Wall, Leanne Pelosi, Danny Kass, Gretchen Bleiler, Risto Mattila and Janna Meyen all earned championship titles in the rail jam, halfpipe and slopestyle respectively. Risto Mattila won the men's Volvo Best Peformance Award for his sixth place standing in the men's halfpipe finals and his victory in the slopestyle contest. And Leanne Pelosi won the Volvo for the ladies after her first place win in the rail jam, competing in the halfpipe semifinals and placing second in the slopestyle contest. Both riders won the keys to a new Volvo V50 Sports Wagon.
2004
The 22nd annual US Open was filled with landmark moments. Women competed in the rail jam for the first time with Leanne Pelosi claiming the top spot. Kelly Clark won the halfpipe event, increasing her winning streak to six major contest titles during the 2003/04 season alone. Terje Haakonsen made a surprise appearance at the Open, treating the tens of thousands of fans at the halfpipe contest to one poached run after another. Up-and-comers Priscilla Levac and Jake Blauvelt won the slopestyle contest, both claiming their first major contest titles of their careers. And snowboarding history was made when Danny Kass threw down one of the best runs of his career, becoming one of only two riders in the event's 22-year history to win three US halfpipe titles. Danny also went home with the Overall Champion title, winning a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
2003
It was a year of firsts in 2003. The Open held its first Rail Jam ever, won by Travis Rice. It was the first time the Open was ever broadcast live on television. And Philips was the first title sponsor of the US Open. Ross Powers joined the elite group of two-time US Open halfpipe champions, winning the event in a tight final competition. Gretchen Bleiler dominated the women's halfpipe competition. Shaun White won the Slopestyle event, and Hannah Teter won the best overall rider awared at the Open, driving away in a pimped out Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
2002
Just one month after snowboarding dominated the Olympics, the US Open went down with more media and spectator attention than ever before. Over 30,000 people descended on Stratton. It was the first time most of the Olympians had competed against each other since the explosive event in Salt Lake City. Danny Kass may have gotten silver at the Olympics, but he wasn't about to settle for second at the Open. He defended his title and won the Halfpipe event for the second year running. Kelly Clark kept her gold streak alive, winning both the Quarterpipe and Halfpipe events at the Open.
| Next > 1997-2001 |
