Velvet Pro athlete, Shannon Dunn, one of snowboarding’s best, performed stunningly this past week at the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. She came to the Olympics from back to back wins at the Winter X-Games and Grand Prix events. The women’s pipe event at the Olympic Games was perhaps the best women’s halfpipe competition ever, with twenty-three top women from twelve countries competing. There were over 17,000 spectators at the venue, with a strong U.S. contingent, chanting "U.S.A" throughout the competition.

In the qualifying morning heats, Shannon scored a 31.7 on her first run, but came back with an amazing second run, scoring a 39.0. Linking a McTwist to a frontside 360, she grabbed some solid air and had an extremely clean run. Shannon qualified for the finals and at the end of her second run stated, "I am psyched to qualify and am ready for finals."

The finals of the halfpipe consisted of twelve riders, each of whom would take two runs. The highest scoring run would count for a final score. Shannon combined a McTwist with a 720 for her first run in the final, scoring a 35.5. She came back incredibly strong for her final run, combining a Rodeo inverted 720 with a 360 and came out with a solid score of 37.2. In the final standings, Velvet Team Rider Shannon Dunn ended up placing an impressive fifth. Shannon summed up her Olympic experience with: " It was the time of my life. All things were perfect — the snow, the weather, the positive energy. The day was unbelievable and brought women’s snowboarding up to a new level. I am stoked for the U.S."

One of Velvet’s most valuable components is its’ team, it rocks !!! At the Olympic Games, Shannon Dunn sported her signature Flurry goggle, " Olympia", which she co-designed with Velvet. The Flurry is the first patented technical snow goggle anatomically fitted and designed for the female rider. Velvet Eyewear is focused on designing highly specialized, technically advanced eyewear designed for female riders and its’ all about eclectic style and the beautiful side of charging hard.

— Posted by Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Staff