"It forced you to really hold your speed and a mistake could cost you the race," said Ross Powers who took 7th in both Boardercross AND Big Air later in the evening.

Mayumi Fakuda

The women's 4 on 4 final finished in a mid-air collision that had the judges reviewing footage for 15 minutes before taking first place (and ten thousand dollars) away from Queen Julie Zell. The young and fast Mayumi Fukuda of Canada had won. She took the hole shot and held the lead the whole race.

"I looked up and saw Julie breaking past the finish line and I thought she won," Mayumi recalled. Apparently she hadn't won even though the announcer and the big screen said otherwise. "I pretty much hit the gas at the last table top. I thought she had me. I think she hit the brakes ever so slightly," exclaimed Zell. She did and they made contact in flight spinning Mayumi through the finish line and leaving the crowd confused and aghast.

The finals weren't the only place where the women were tossing fear to the wind and pushing their limits for the biiiiig prize. Nillard Pilavakis pulled the same speed check before her winning launch to the finish when she was hit from behind knocking her out of the finals. This helped advance Sara Osterberg who later pulled a third in today's boardercross before spinning into 4th place in Big Air.

Then there was Leslee Olson who boosted past the landing/berm on the 1st big hit and into the fences knocking her into the consolation round. Leslee ended up 5th behind Kara Willman and in front of the only other fresh female Canadian represent, Maelle Ricker in 6th. Yea, but...Lesleeeeeee busted 3rd in the Big Air this night and threw a huge rodeo 7. It was like butta! This will not be the last time I tell you Leslee roolz.

Drew Neilson Down

Men, men, men, men... Drew Neilson fought hard against some of the best in the field on what everyone agreed was a sharp technical course and came away clean with the win.

"Now I can afford to go to the World Championships in Italy, that's my next big race," Neilson gazed and grinned.

Everyone racing today knew Jason Brown was between World Boardercross Tour dates and was only one of the fast BX boys in the house. The likes of Ben Wainwright, Matt Goodwill, a gaggle of halfpipers tossed in with a scoop of Aerialists in the gate next to you would be enough to intimidate anybody.

"I knew I was in trouble when I was up against Jason Brown in the gate," Jake Blattner reflected later. They were all rumbling down rollers, berms, and booters at full speed with ten grand waiting at the finish line. Although I saw a lot of contact today, none looked provocative. We're all friends here, just because we scream at each other doesn't mean we're not friends.

Adam Smith, running his first Boardercross, split the Canadians and held second with Ben Wainwright (Canadian Freestyle Team) in 3rd and Jason Brown in 4th. Chris Engelsman ended up ninth in front of Matt Goodwill. Ross Powers spun out in his semi-final heat and fought friendly freestyler Seth Wescott in the consolation round. Those happy halfpipers!

The course had enough technical aspects that most of the hard booters got plucked from the pack early on. It wasn't the speed that got to most, but the flurry of technical challenges. My favorite spot had the launch in the middle of the s-turn exiting all on the berm and descending on massive table top. This of course landed everyone funny. Leslee's crash wasn't funny, but she was smiling all the same.

— Hans Prosl, getting some Night Train for tonight's Big Air for The Mountain Zone

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