Breckenridge Announces the Freeride Team for the 09-10 Season
- Steve Fisher, JJ Thomas and Zack Black among the Breck Team Riders vying for spots on the US Olympic Snowboard Team
- Skiers include Colby West, Bobby Brown, Tanner Rainville and Keri Herman
- Catch Breckenridge Team Riders in competition at their home mountain during the Winter Dew Tour, Dec. 17-20.
For Immediate Release
**B-ROLL ALERT**
Breckenridge Ski Resort is providing HD broadcast quality footage via http://videotransfer.vailresorts.com/Breckenridge/
username: snow
password: blizzard
Footage includes:
- Interview with US Olympic hopeful Steve Fisher
- Interview with Breckenridge Team Riders Colby West, Tanner Rainville, Bobby Brown and Duncan Adams
- Freeway Terrain Park and Pipe Broll: JP Solberg, Duncan Adams, Brett Esser, Tanner Rainville, Steve Fisher, Bobby Brown, Grant Savidge
- Freeway Terrain Park Pipe Video (edited to music)
- Freeway Terrain Park Jump and Rail Video (edited to music)
BRECKENRIDGE ANNOUNCES THE FREERIDE TEAM FOR THE 09-10 SEASON
- Steve Fisher, JJ Thomas and Zack Black among the Breck Team Riders vying for spots on the US Olympic Snowboard Team
- Skiers include Colby West, Bobby Brown, Tanner Rainville and Keri Herman
- Catch Breckenridge Team Riders in competition at their home mountain during the Winter Dew Tour, Dec. 17-20.
BRECKENRIDGE, COLO - September 8, 2009 - Breckenridge Ski Resort is pleased to introduce the 2009-2010 Breckenridge Freeride Team. Breckenridge’s Freeride Team is comprised of the industry’s most talented snowboarders and skiers who live in Summit County, many whom are world-renowned in their field. This year, three Breckenridge Team Members are eligible to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team: Steve Fisher, JJ Thomas, and Zack Black. To see these athletes up close and in competition visit to Breckenridge for the first stop of the Winter Dew Tour, December 17-20.
Snowboarders
Steve Fisher: A long time Breckenridge local, Fisher is a two-time X Games Superpipe Champion, bringing home gold in 2004 and 2007, where he placed above Shaun White. Add four World Cup Superpipe Championships from 2004-2007, three Grand Prix Superpipe Championships and that alone makes his resume is quite impressive. This past season, Steve received a number of podium finishes in the Dew Tour, Grand Prix and World Cup, coming in first in the overall Grand Prix standings, and second in the overall Dew Tour standings. Steve will be competing for a spot on the US Olympic Team this winter, and fans can follow Steve at twitter.com/StevenHFisher or become his fan on Facebook.
JJ Thomas: Thomas took home the bronze medal in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, is an X Games gold medalist, took first place in the 2002 Grand Prix Halfpipe event in Breckenridge, and first in the 2005 Icer Air competition. This past season, he placed in the top 5 in both the Grand Prix and the Dew Tour. Thomas can be seen in Aesthetica byStandard Films and Ride Rat by Ride Snowboards. JJ is also pursuing a musical career alongside his snowboard career with the launch of his group MileHi www.milehisound.com. JJ is eligible to compete for a spot on the US Olympic Team. Follow his journey to Vancouver at twitter.com/JJthomas09 , facebook.com/JarretJohnThomas or myspace.com/JJthomas303
Chanelle Sladics: A triple threat in snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding, Sladics won the bronze medal in the 2007 X Games Slopestyle competition. This past year brought her multiple podium finishes, including first place in the Asian Open, and third place in the US Open and Mount Snow Dew Tour. She is a regular to the magazines and television screen and can be seen in the 2008 Films Uniquely by Oakley and the 2008 Runway Films video, See What I See. Follow Chanelle at twitter.com/Chanellesladics
facebook.com/chanellesladics, myspace.com/Chanellesladics or become her fan on Facebook.
facebook.com/chanellesladics, myspace.com/Chanellesladics or become her fan on Facebook.
Mike Casanova: Amaster of the rails, Casanova has placed first in numerous competitions including the 2008 Union Square Street Session, the 2008 F2 Rail Jam in Germany, the 2006 Vans Cup Rail Event, and many more. He placed second in the 2009 WCI Rail Jam and won the “best trick” at the Vail Session in 2008 and the Josh Malay Award in 2005. Mike can be seen in the upcoming Pirate Productions Movie.
Ryan Thompson: Thompson prefers to show his skills through films and magazines rather than to the judges. He was featured on the cover of Transworld Snowboarding Buyer’s Guide in 2007. His film credits include three years of Mack Dawg Films: People, We’re People Too, and Down with People, as well as the 2008 Transworld Productions Film, These Days. He also placed third in the 2006 Nippon Open Rail Jam.
Josh Sherman: Sherman’s 2008-2009 season was highlighted by a first place finish at the TTR Garden of Roses Slopestyle and two more top ten finishes in the 4 Star TTR series. He also placed sixth in the Grand Prix Slopestyle this year. He was on the cover of the 2006 Transworld Snowboarding Buyer’s Guide and was featured in last year’s Pirates film, Overseas. Sherman has spent the last few months creating a series of humorous viral videos on Grind TV entitled Josh Sherman: A Day in the Life.
Leslie Glenn: A regular to the competition circuit, Glenn’s results this past season included seventh place at the Grand Prix Halfpipe and 11th Place in theX Games Halfpipe. Past results include third place in the 2008 Honda Session, first in the 2008 Aspen Open Superpipe, second in the 2006 & 2007 Aspen Open Superpipe, fifth in the Grand Prix Superpipe, and seventh in the 2006 World Superpipe Championships. Glenn has been on numerous television shows, and featured in many industry publications. Become Leslie’s friend on facebook at facebook.com/leslie.glenn1
Zack Black: One of the youngest members of the Breck snowboard team, Zack has impressed the judges in recent years. This past season, he scored multiple top ten finishes in the Grand Prix and World Cup and placed in the top five in the Junior Worlds and the Revolution Tour. Other results include a fifth place finish in the Tamarack Grand Prix Superpipe in 2008, sixth place in the 2008 FIS Junior Worlds in Italy, and the 2008 Revolution Tour Superpipe overall champion. Zack spends his free time riding with his brother Jake who is also on the team. Zack is eligible to compete for a spot on the US Olympic Team. Follow Zack at www.shredthestation.com or facebook.com/zackcblack
Jake Black: A rising star on the snowboard circuit, Jake broke into the snowboarding scene with a fifth place finish in the Tamarack Grand Prix Superpipe in 2007, top ten finishes in the 2008 Tamarack Grand Prix Superpipe and Killington Slopestyle Competitions, and won the Burton Am Series in Pipe in 2008. He spent this past season competing in the Dew Tour and the Grand Prix and finished first in pipe in the Burton Am Series again this year. Jake was born and raised in Breckenridge and spends his free time riding with his brother Zack, who is also on the team. Follow Jake at www.shredthestation.com
Madison Ellsworth: Ellsworth won the Grand Prix Progression Session at Copper last season, competed in all three stops of the Dew Tour and the Canadian Shakedown. He can be seen in last year’s film, Bad Ideas by Newsroom Cinema and this year’s Role Model Productions film, as well as in the pages of Snowboarder Magazine.
Brett Esser: Moving up the ranks from the JV Team this year, Esser is no newbie to competition. At just 17 years old, Brett has produced a number of impressive finishes in both halfpipe and slopestyle. 2009 results include first place in Slopestyle Nationals and the Revolution Tour, and fifth place in the Killington Grand Prix Slopestyle . His 2008 season included a sixth place finish in the Grand Prix Slopestyle, ninth in the Grand Prix Halfpipe, and third place in Nationals. He has also been featured in major industry publications. Follow Brett at www.shredthestation.com
NEW! Eric Willett: Elevating in thesnowboard scene with an exceptional 2008-2009 year, Willett placed first in the Dew Tour Rail Jam in Breckenridge, fifth at the Dew Tour Slopestyle in Mount Snow and eighth overall for the tour. Known for his smooth, technical style, Willett recently took home bronze in the New Zealand Open Slopestyle this August.
Skiers
Colby West: One of the hottest names in freeskiing, West is a double threat in superpipe and slopestyle. He took home the bronze medal in 2009 in X Games Slopestyle and placed fifth in X Games Superpipe. His 2009 results also include a third place finish in the Dew Tour Halfpipe. In 2008, he won bronze in X Games Superpipe and placed fourth in X Games Slopestyle. Other impressive results include a first place finish in the 2008 US Open Big Air Competition, a bronze medal in the 2007 X Games Slopestyle, and a bronze in the 2007 US Open Superpipe. Between appearances on the podium, Colby spends time filming with Matchstick Productions and dabbling in his secret talents as a voice impersonator and comedian.
Tanner RainvilleKnown for his style in the air and skills both inside the park and on powdery steeps, Rainville’s accomplishments include the bronze medal at the 2008 North American Open Slopestyle, eighth place in the 2008 X Games Slopestyle, first place in the 2007 Tignes Airwaves Big Air, and second place in the 2007 WSI Big Air. He can also be seen in many films including this year’sLevel 1 Film, Refresh. Follow Tanner at twitter.com/tannerrainville or facebook.com/tanner.rainville
Bobby Brown: At just 17 years old, Bobby has quickly become a phenom in the skiing world. After taking home gold in the Dew Tour Slopestyle at Breckenridge, he was the third place overall points winner for the tour. He went on to garner a sixth place finish in the X Games. Bobby was voted as a winner the Toyota Go Big Award for his overall performance during Dew, as well as the Playstation Pro Moment Award for his run during the Breckenridge Dew Tour. This past month, he placed first in the New Zealand Open Slopestyle and New Zealand Games Big Air. Bobby has been featured in major industry publications and can be seen in this year’s movie In Deep by Matchstick Productions. Follow Bobby at twitter.com/BobbyBrown9202 or on his blog at bobbybrownski.com
Keri Herman: A regular on the competition podium, Keri is known as one of the strongest female contenders in slopestyle. Keri’s 08-09 results include bronze at the Breckenridge Dew Tour, fourth place at the X Games, and silver in the Laax European Open. In 07-08 Keri won a slew of gold medals in numerous events including the Aspen Open Slopestyle, the North American Open Slopestyle, the Mount Snow Vermont Open Slopestyle, the New Zealand Open Slopestyle, the Cardrona Games Slopestyle, the New Zealand Open Downtown Rail Jam, and the Cardrona Games Big Air, Day 1 and 2. She is frequently featured on television and in industry magazines, films with Rage Productions and has been a regular on Salomon Freeski TV. Follow Keri at twitter.com/KeriHerman or
facebook.com/people/Keri-Herman/20203942
facebook.com/people/Keri-Herman/20203942
Duncan Adams: Blasting to the top of the pack at just 16 years old, Duncan has already established an impressive professional skiing career. His 08-09 results were highlighted by a bronze medal in halfpipe at the Breckenridge Dew Tour and a fourth place overall finish for the tour. He also placed sixth at the X Games and the US Open. Duncan was a recipient of the Ball Park Alpha Dawg award, awarded to top Dew Tour athletes age 18 or younger. In 2008, he placed sixth at the 48 Straight Pipe competition and eighth at the North American Open. Duncan will be featured in this year’s film Refresh by Level 1 Productions.
NEW! Anna Segal: Hailing from Australia, Anna has made Breckenridge her Northern Hemisphere winter home for the past few years. Anna’s decorated ski career has solidified her as one of the top female slopestyle competitors. Anna won gold in the 2009 X Games, and silver in the Breckenridge Dew Tour. This past month, she won gold at the New Zealand Games and silver at the New Zealand Open. Past results include a silver medal in the 2008 New Zealand Open and silver in the European Open and US Open in 2007. Anna is a regular to both domestic and international industry publications. Follow Anna on her blog at www.annasegal.blogspot.com or become her fan on Facebook.
NEW! Nick Martini: Perhaps best known for his web-based ski edits, Martini has become a star on the internet, drawing tens of thousands of views to the latest videos of his skiing. At just 19 years old, Nick has proven himself as a heavy hitter in the competition circuit as well, placing sixth in the Dew Tour Slopestyle, fifth in the Dew Tour Rail Jam, and tenth overall for the tour. He was also a recipient of the Alpha Dawg Award, awarded to top Dew Tour athletes age 18 or younger. Nick owns his own ski movie company, Stept Productions, with his brother Alex www.steptproductions.com. He will also be featured in this year’s Poor Boyz Productions film. Martini was voted one of the Top 25 skiers to follow on Twitter in Freeskier Magazine. Follow Nick at twitter.com/nicholasmartini or become his friend on Facebook.
J.P. Solberg: Known for his amplitude in the halfpipe, JP’s best results include two second place finishes in pipe and the big hit competition at 48 Straight, with a fourth place result overall. He has also placed third in the World Superpipe Championships in 2004, fifth in the World Superpipe Championships in 2006 and sixth in the 2006 X Games Superpipe.
Adam Delorme: An underground skiing star, Adam has been quietly making waves in the ski industry for years. Known for his stylish tricks, Delorme’s accomplishments are highlighted by a first place finish in the 2007 New Zealand Open. He also placed first in the 2007 KickAspen Big Air and the Spring Massive Slopestyle competition. Delorme has also appeared in films such as Turbo and Real Time by Level 1 Productions.
Grant Savidge: Grant began his career at a young age as the first athlete to ever represent the Breckenridge Ski Resort JV team. Since then, he has easily moved up through the ranks of Summit County skiers. In 2009, Savidge took home bronze in slopestyle at the Winter Park Freeskiing Open and second in the Breckenridge Spring Massive Slopestyle. Other past results include 11th at the Vermont Freeski Open, and 13th in the 2008 Big Bear Open Slopestyle. Grant also spends his time filming with 4Reel Media and can be seen in their soon-to-be-released film, Reel #1. Become Grant’s friend on Facebook at facebook.com/grant.savidge
Athena Brownson: Arising star in women’s freeskiing, Athena was born and raised in Breckenridge. Her accomplishments include a bronze medal in the North American Open Slopestyle competition, fifth place in the Aspen Open Slopestyle, sixth in the European Open Slopestyle and first place in Breckenridge’s own Spring Massive Festival.
Chris Hawks: Hawks, a 1999 X Games gold medalist, has been an ambassador and athlete representative to Breckenridge Ski Resort for a decade. He has appeared in Further by Teton Gravity Research, and many major publications, including USA Today and the New York Times. Hawks serves as a judge at many top ski competitions. He also runs Hawks Freeride, where he is a coach to local children, which include members of the Breckenridge JV Freeride Team.
Breckenridge JV Freeride Team
The JV team represents Breckenridge’s hottest youth in skiing and snowboarding, who are 16 and under. JV team members are given the opportunity to participate in photo shoots and competitions alongside the Pro team, giving them a taste of sponsorship. With the support of Breckenridge and the older team riders, the JV team creates a solid foundation to help young athletes build their careers on and off the snow.
Please visit breck1080.com for more information on the Breckenridge Freeride Team and Breckenridge’s five terrain parks and two halfpipes.
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Post Office Box 1058 ¨ Breckenridge, CO 80424 |
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For information on Breckenridge including snow reports and more, visit www.breckenridge.com or call (970) 453-5000.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading of mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties at the Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, the Heavenly Ski Resort in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties across the United States and the Caribbean. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.