January 15, 2008

The Summit Snowboard Team soared to a first place finish in the season’s first Slopestyle competition last Saturday at Mt. Hood Meadows. Slopestyle is a favorite event for the riders who get to suspend their boards on the rails and go for big air while performing spins and grabs in the Terrain Park.

After graduating a number of top-ranked riders last year, Summit boys’ coaches Brent Allison and David Keleher were very pleased at the performance of their young riders.

A first place finish by freshman Jesse Keopaseuth, along with sophomore Hunter Knolls’ second and a fourth by sophomore Elliott Tauscher, elevated the team score for a convincing win over the second-place Sandy team.

The Summit girls, coached by Jen Hart, also rode well in their first competition, with Ellory Young flying into second place finish, Courtney Ewald taking third, Aspen Inouye placing fourth and Tory Ratcliff landing the fifth spot.

The team’s next competition will be a dual event: Banked Slalom and Boardercross, scheduled for Jan. 26. Banked Slalom is a timed individual giant slalom race, and Boardercross is an exciting, four-person race through the same giant slalom course. The event will be the next step for the team as it looks to continue its run of nine consecutive first place finishes in the state.