Final Olympic Snowboarding Qualifications
Friday September 5, 1997

The US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) announced Tuesday the third Snowboardng Grand Prix site for Olympic qualification. The second annual $225,000 Bud Light US Snowboard Grand Prix will begin December 17-20 at Sugarloaf/USA in Maine, and move across the country to Mt. Bachelor in Oregon, Jan. 21-25, before winding up in Mammoth Mountain, California, Jan. 28-31.

The three-event Grand Prix , which will award $75,000 in cash prizes at each of the sites, is open to riders from both the ISF (International Snowboard Federation) and FIS (International Ski Federation), the dueling snowboard organizations, as well as qualified independent riders.

The announcement of the first US Olympic Snowboard Team will be made Jan. 31 at the conclusion of the Mammoth event. The team, which will include up to 14 riders, will then head directly to Nagano for their early February events.

Major competitions have been held at all three sites in the past, "our three venues are among the premiere snowboarding siytes in the USA," USSA's Annette Royle, VP of Events, said.

According to the Nagano Olympic Organizing Committee, Olympic snowboarders will be judged by a panel of five who "will award up to 10 points for their area of expertise: standard technique, rotation, height, landing, and technical merit. The competitor with the highest total of points wins."

The preliminary schedule of the 1998 Olympic Snowboard Events are:

  • Feb. 8 Men's Giant Slalom at 9:30 am and 1:00 pm
  • Feb. 9 Women's Giant Slalom at 9:30 am and 1:00 pm
  • Feb. 12 Men's and Women's Halfpipe - Elimination at 9:30 am
  • Feb. 12 Men's and Women's Halfpipe - Final at 1:30 pm

    The Grand Prix events were decided upon by the SIA (Snowsports Industries America, Inc.) , which represents the Snowboard Industry and the USSA, formerly US Skiing, in an 18 Point Agreement outlining ground rules for snowboarding events and its inclusion in the Winter Games. A lawsuit was filed July 25 by the SIA filed a lawsuit on behalf of its members including: Burton, K2, Rossignol, and Sims, among others, in a Virginia federal court, citing the USSA with breach of contract. The designation of the three Grand Prix events as the sole trials for the US Olympic team are part of the suit.

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