Top Riders to Watch at the 2007 Roxy Chicken Jam
Mar 23 2007 / Park City, UT
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There will only be two winners in the event though, split between the superpipe and slopestyle competitions. There are 22 invited riders for slopestyle, including Cheyrl Maas, Jenny Jones, Hana Beaman, Tara Dakides and Silvia Mittermüller, while Elena Hight, Maas, Molly Aguirre and Holly Crawford highlight the halfpipe's 22 invitees.
Here are some of the favorites heading into the event.
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Torah BrightHailing from Cooma, Australia, 19-year-old Torah Bright is no stranger to the contest scene. By age 15 she had placed second at the World Snowboarding Championships Big Air and won the FIS World Cup half pipe finals, making her runner up in the final World Cup standing. After her appearance in the 2006 Winter Olympics she scored three consecutive international wins at the Vans Cup, the World Superpipe Championships and the US Open Half Pipe. Torah had a stellar performance at the 2007 Winter X Games where she took home the gold medal in superpipe. To add to that, she just recently won the Global Open Series Championship of the Burton US Open of Snowboarding and is the curent points leader on the Women's TTR Tour and can wrap a win with a good performance at the Chicken Jam. When she’s not competing, this Aussie splits her time between two hemispheres maximizing her winter in Salt Lake City and her hometown of Cooma. A double threat Torah will be competing in both the superpipe and slopestyle events.
Jamie AndersonNotorious for her aggressive style of riding Jamie is the youngest competitor to medal in Winter X Games history. She has won numerous slopestyle events, most notably at the 2007 US Open of Snowboarding, 2007 Winter X Games, 2006 Vans Cup, 2006 Abominable Snow Jam, 2006 Billabong Slopestyle Jam and the 2006 Roxy Chicken Jam in Europe. She is second in points on the Women’s TTR Tour and a win in the slopestyle event at the Roxy Chicken Jam could secure her the title of 2006/2007 Women’s World Champion.
Natasza ZurekKnown as a quiet competitor who lets her riding do the talking, Natasza returns to defend her 2006 Roxy Chicken Jam USA title. Small in stature but a powerful rider, she is one of the few women to master tricks such as the Alley-oop McTwist and the Rodeo Flip which are generally reserved for men only. A constant world traveler, this two time Olympian and two time U.S. Open Snowboard Champion calls Vancouver, Canada home.
Alexis WaiteA Roxy team rider since 2005, Alexis is a true ambassador for the sport of womens snowboarding. Not only is she a fierce competitor but in her spare time she has worked as a stunt double, having been featured in numerous magazines like Transworld Snowboarding, Teen Vogue, Toro Magazine and Women’s Health and Fitness. Additionally she has co-created her own clothing line. Alexis was also an integral part in designing the Ollie Pop, Roxy’s first team-designed snowboard. Her resume includes 2006 Abominable Snow Jam “Best Trick,” fourth at the 2006 Vans Cup Rail Jam (slopestyle), third at the 2005 Roxy Chicken Jam Europe, second place at the 2004 Sessions Rail Jam in Vail and third place at the 2004 Queen of the Mountain (slopestyle).
Hannah TeterAfter growing up with a family of snowboarders, it is no surprise that Hannah Teter would become one of the top female snowboarders in the world. Both of her parents ride, two of her four brothers compete nationally and her oldest brother is her agent/team manager. In only four years as a professional, Hannah has won every major halfpipe competition in the world with the exception of the U.S. Open. Hannah also won a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in halfpipe.
