Snowboarding...its all about change!

Snowboarding is a sport of continuous evolution. It changed the way we thought about the sport of skiing back in the early 80’s. It changed our terrain with the emergence of jumps, halfpipes, rails and staircases, and changed the style of events on the slopes from ski racing in gates to rail jams, terrain park sessions and big air contests.  Snowboarding has changed ski slope apparel, vocabulary, the shape and size of skis, you name it. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the definitive snowboard competition, the Burton US Open, is switching its venue. After 27 years at Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont, Burton’s US Open is changing it up and moving out west to Vail Colorado.

The first US Open snowboarding competition occurred in 1982 at Suicide Six, a traditionally small race hill in Woodstock Vermont. Competitors had to hike up Snow Valley in Manchester Vermont in the 2nd and 3rd year of the National Snowboarding Championships. In 1985, nearby Stratton became the host of the US Open Snowboarding Championships, where the venue was officially named and remained through its 30th anniversary in 2012, making it the longest-running snowboarding competition in the world.
The US Open changed the way we looked at snowboarding - not just a new snow toy to throw tricks, but serious competition with a high caliber of athletes. Backed by the godfather of snowboarding himself, Jake Burton, the event put riding on the map. In fact, IOC judges attended the US Open as part of their deliberation over allowing snowboarding in the Winter Games, It was determined in 1996 that snowboarding would be featured in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
The US Open draws over 30,000 fans and riders from all over the globe. It is also traditionally a big party for fans and high flying riders alike. At Stratton, you would see Vermont snowboard heroes Kelly Clark, Ross Powers and Hannah Teter, and big names like Danny Kass, Gretchen Bleiler, and Shaun White.

Now Vail will have the honors, and has plans to construct a slopestyle course and huge 22-foot superpipe on Golden Peak, a bigger – potentially better venue than Stratton with more a festival atmosphere and free live music concerts for spectators and riders alike.

Read more about Snowboarding Evolution and the biggest events in Snowboarding on www.LuxurySkiTrips.com