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HomeMy Public PortalAboutWinter Sports: SnowboardingSt -a_ m a �q9� Five Boise snowboarders capture gold medals in First Security Games Statesman staff reports The haircuts probably won't grace the front of GQ magazine anytime soon and the nicknames may confuse the uninitiated, but the gold shines just as bright. Five Boise snowboarders won gold medals Sunday morning in the giant slalom competition of the First Security Winter Games of Idaho. The slalom was the last of three snowboarding events held this weekend at Bogus Basin Ski Resort. The resort was one of four sites in Idaho for the games. The relatively new sport at- tracts a group of competitors dis- tiquished by their preference for unusual hair, alternative music and colorful nicknames. "This was fun. Most of the time, they're longer," Boise High School senior Lisa Yosglow said after her two runs down the 1,000-foot, 18- gate course. The 18-year-old has been snowboarding four years. Yosglowfinished at the top of the girls age 17-18 group. She was one of only two women in the snow - boarding event, out of 46 total com- petitors. She credits her board. "It's asymmetrical," she said, explaining that the design im- proves her control and speed. Other Boise residents who re- ceived gold medals for the giant slalom were Mathew Fritz for men's veteran one division, George Cornwell for the women's age 19-24 division, Justin Mooney for the boys age 15-16 division, and Greg Goulet for the boys age 13-14 group. Among the spectators were Greg "Too Short" Goulet's par- ents. Gary Goulet, the snow - boarder's father, said his son hits the slopes 160 days a year, includ- ing snowboard camp. The whole family travels to many compe- titions. "I get to be a ski bum," the elder Goulet said. One of the hottest snow - boarders at the competition was Anthony "Micro Man" Rosko- vich, a 12-year-old from Moscow. Anthony took the gold in the competition for his age group and had a pragmatic reaction. "If I decide to get sponsored by a company, it'll look good on a resume," said the young snow - boarder. "If I get sponsored, then they'll give me free equipment and stuff." Freestyle skiing KELLOGG — Boise residents Dave Leader, Shawn Baird, Jaime Meyers, Greg Parsons and Chad Coleman all took home gold med- als Saturday and Sunday from the freestyle competition at Silver Mountain Ski Resort. Leader was the top finisher in the men's senior division of Satur- day's United States Ski Associa- tion -sanctioned moguls event. Baird was awarded the gold med- al for the recreational moguls competition for boys ages 16-17, and Meyers won the girls' USSA moguls for age 9-10. On Sunday, Meyers took a sec- ond gold medal in the moguls, Parsons was the top finisher in the boys 15-16 recreational mo- guls and Coleman won both the recreational moguls and USSA aerials for two gold medals for boys 13-14. Leader is a freshman at the University of Idaho in Moscow and was both the aerial champion of the 1990 First Security Games and the 1991 Intermountain Aeri- al Champion. , Baird is a sophomore at Borah High School in Boise, Coleman attends North Junior High and Myers is School. a student at Roosevelt Recreational GS McCALL — Women skiers from Boise won three of five gold med- als in the Women's Adult Recre- ational Giant Slalom at Brundage Mountain Ski Area. Michele Vecig finished first for ages 25-29, Diane Plastino Graves won her gold medal for the 35-39 age group and Bobbie Downsend topped the 40-44-year-old division. The remaining medals were won by Tana Kerby, New Mead- ows, ages 30-34, and Pat Bowden of McCall, ages 45-49. Alpine skiing McCALL — John Steger, Rob- ert Roehl and John Gamble, all Boise residents, won gold medals in the recreational giant slalom of the First Security Winter Games held Sunday at Brundage Mountain Ski Area. Roehl was named the winner in the men's age 30-34 division, Gam- ble in the age 50-54 group and Steger in the age 55-59 division. Roehl has previously competed in alpine competitions in Idaho and the Northwest. Steger has raced in NASTAR competitions and Gamble has won medals in 1990 and 1991 in master's slalom and giant slalom events. The ,37d eSfl l Nov r , r�y3 accommodate the popular snow sport. By Pete Zimowsky The Idaho Statesman I is no big deal to see snowboarders on ski slopes. It's become commonplace in the '90s. Snowboarding has come of age. And all of Idaho's major ski areas consider snowboarding an important part of the slope scene. Bogus Basin Ski Area is looking at a new place to put its half -pipe, a curved snow bowl on the slope, where snowboarders can do tricks. "Some kids would like something better," says Lew Peterson, Bogus Basin spokesman. Tricks are the key. The sport has matured. Most snowboarders today are in the sport to master their skills for the next trick, smooth out their style, and shave a few hundredths of a second off their times. Here's what you'll find at Idaho's ski areas for snowboarders (snowboarders must follow the same rules as skiers): ANTHONY LAKES Nearest town North Powder, Ore. Rules: No restrictions. Attractions Main runs provide best snowboarding. BOGUS BASIN Nearest town Boise. Rules No restrictions. Attractions Starting in January, snowboarders can slide at half price on Tuesday nights. Lessons and rentals available. BRUNDAGE Nearest town McCal I. Rules No restrictions. Attractions The ski area is planning a permanent half -pipe this season in the flat area on the side of Main Street run. SUN VALLEY Neaaresttown Ketchum. Rules Haven't been set yet for the season. Attractions A 100-yard half -pipe is located at the bottom of Round Snowboarders join the ranks Idaho ski areas of those headed for the sioues Places tc Schweitzer Sandpoint it d'Alene snowboard Silver Mountain Sun Valley Anthony Lakes, Ore. Attractions The ski area is looking at developing several runs and a half -pipe for snowboarders. SILVER MOUNTAIN Nearesttowre Kellogg. Rules No restrictions. Attractions A natural half -pipe and quarter -pipe are located off Chair Four. PEBBLE CREEK Nearest towre lnkom. Rules No restrictions. Attractions The ski area will be adding a half -pipe on the north side of Easy Street run. The ski area has lots of steep terrain for snowboarding. Rides: No restrictions. Attractions The ski area usually has lots of powder for snowboarders. It also has a half - pipe and has expanded its snowboard rentals. SCHWEITZER Nearesttowrn Sandpoint. Rules No restrictions. Attractions May build a temporary half -pipe, depending on local club's interest. SOLDIER MOUNTAIN Nearesttowwn Fairfield. Rules No restrictions. TARGHEE Nearest town Driggs. Rules: No restrictions. Attractions The ski area has a permanent half -pipe on the face of the mountain. It also conducts snowboarding events and a spring snowboard camp. i Gee /Y/ - s - /1i91 ys Snowboarders Into the C utdoors Roger Phillips BY ROGER PHILLIPS The Star -News If there were an award for a sport burgeoning and defining itself on its own terms, it would have to go to snowboarding. The often misunderstood and wrongly maligned sport has a follow- ing of devotees who differ radically from their skiing counterparts, but who are well on their way to becom- ing an integral part of the mountain community. "I don't think snowboarders go out of their way to be different, it's just a different attitude. It's a different way of expressing one's self going down the hill," said Jeff Coulter, owner of The Slant snowboard shop in McCall. Coulter sponsors a promotional team to give snowboarders a chance to ride together, compete in events, and be ambassadors for the sport of snowboarding. Ultimately, the team members would like get sponsored by a manu- facturer, which would allow them to continue pursuing their passion for snowboarding. Coulter said that while there are a lot of good snowboarders in the McCall area, they haven't attracted much attention from the snowboard industry. He believes that through his professional connections, he can help local riders get noticed. "They're all good kids and they need something positive to do. I'm trying to put all their energies in a positive direction," he said. "I can help them get to where they want to go. Susan Inouye of Weiser agrees with the concept of a snowboard team. When her son Jeff was 10 years old, he decided he wanted to take up snowboarding. She agreed so long as he took a few lessons first. Ordinarily, a pre -teen snowboarder with an appetite for high speed and big air would be a mother's worst nightmare, but not in this case. Susan joined her son on the slopes and filmed him snowboarding so he could present a video showcasing his talents in hopes of joining The Slant team, to which he was accepted. go their Inouye hardly fits the common ste- reotype of the grungy rebel boardhead. Aside from being an avid snow - boarder, the elf -sized shredder is also a purple belt in judo, a 4-H member, and 3.6 GPA student. Nor does teammate Ted Eberle fit the mold. He is a 17-year-old McCall - Donnelly High School senior who is a former ski racer and varsity football player. Eberle wants to go on to col- lege and become a forester, and keep on snowboarding, preferably with a sponsor. Eberle takes an athletic approach to snowboarding. "I got burned out on ski racing and it (snowboarding) was new and I wanted something more challenging," he said. Brian Millington, a 15-year-old teammate from McCall, shares the dream of being sponsored by a snow - board manufacturer. "I think I could if I stick to it, which I'm sure I will because I like it so much," he said. All three riders agree there is a difference between skiers and snowboarders. "Snowboarders like to hang out and go with the flow more," Millington said. own way "We're a little more loose. Some of the skiers are a little uptight," Inouye added. But none of them want to see an adversarial relation between the ski- ers and snowboarders. "You have to respect each other or it doesn't work out," Millington said. And what is it that attracts them to snowboarding? The camaraderie of riding without the competitiveness, for one thing. Depending on how you look at it, The Slant Team either has no coaches, or everyone is a coach. On a recent afternoon at Brund- age Mountain, they bombed down the hill, launching off every bump, jump, drift and lip they could find, shouting encouragement to each other after every successful move performed. "That's why it's fun to be on the team. Everyone hangs out together, and free riding is practice," Millington said. And they do it often enough to make any fellow ski bum just a little envious. Each of them rides more than 50 days a season. "I ski every non -school day," Millington said, then he sheepishly admitted, " ... plus a little more." Photo by Roger Phillips Snowboarder Crege Hasselstrom of Donnelly takes to the air at Brundage Mountain Ski Area. - 1Ye w s i i Matthews takes awards in Utah Tom Matthews of McCall took one first -place award and two sec- ond -place awards at the USSA snowboarding events held Jan. 5-6 in conjunction with the Utah Win- ter Games held in Brighton, Utah. Matthews placed first in the JII division in the half -pipe event and placed second overall among 54 snowboarders in the half -pipe. In the giant slalom, he placed second in his division and loth overall among 59 entrants. Matthews races at Targhee meet Snowboard teams from Idaho, Utah, Montana and Wyoming com- peted at Grand Targhee, Jan. 20-21 in a USSA qualifying event for giant slalom. The snowboard racers are compet- ing for points toward an invitation to the United States National Snowboard competitions, the World Cup and the U.S. Open.. Tom Matthews, a McCall snowboarder, entered the competi- tion as an independent. In the race on Saturday, Matthews fell in both quali- fying runs, but was able to recover and took third place in the J2 division with an overall standing of 13. The race on Sunday was canceled because of a 14-inch snowfall, so the course was considered too dangerous for the event. After the competition, Matthews attended a Nitro Snowboard Convention at Targhee, where he pre- viewed next year's line of Nitro Snowboards, which is his sponsor. Matthews wins more titles Tom Matthews of McCall took two first -place awards at the USSA Inter -Mountain Division half -pipe snowboarding qualifier' at Wolf Mountain, Utah, Feb. 3-4 Teams from Utah, Idaho, Mon- tana and Wyoming competed in the event. In Saturday's event, Matthews placed first in the half - pipe competition in the J2 division and second overall in a field of 50. On Sunday, Matthews placed first in the J2 division and third overall in a field of 43. While he was in Utah, Matthews found out that he had a segment in TransWorld Snowboarding video magazine. Matthews also was asked to represent Simple, a com- pany that is known for athletic shoes, clothing and backpacks. His other sponsors include Ni- tro Snowboards, Split/Bent Saw clothing and Newt & Harrold's Board and Skate. - Also on Saturday, another McCall snowboarder, Jeff Inouye, took third place in the half -pipe event at the Board Aids Competi- tion at Anthony Lakes Ski Area. 5t/a2 - `I/- ups #.2/8/?c, Members of the McCall team that competed in thehoto Idaho Winter Pby Allen Congleton Games snowboarding competition at Bogus Basin Ski Area included: back row, from left, Brian Millington, Jason Congleton, Matt Moses, Jim Corbet, Terry Campbell and Doug Burlingame. Middle row, from left, Chad Summers, Alec Olavarria and Jared Congleton. Front row, from left, Jeff Inouye, Martin Campbell, Marty Thiede, Alan Busby and Amanda Millington. Team competes at games McCall snowboarders took med- als in every category they competed in at the Idaho Winter Games/Newt and Harrold's Slope Style competi- tion held at Bogus Basin Ski Area near Boise last Sunday. In the 11 and under age group, it was an all -McCall podium with Marty Thiede winning agold medal, Martin Campbell and Jared Congleton tying for silver, and Chad iommer taking bronze. Jeff Inouye won a silver in the e 12-15 group, Brian Millington n a bronze in the age 16-18 group, and Jim Corbett won a gold in the age 26-35 group. In the Men's Over- all, Doug Burlingame won a bronze medal. Amanda Millington, the only girl on The Slant Snowboard Shop Team, won second in the Women's Overall. Also riding for The Slant team on Sunday were Alan Busby, Terry Campbell, Jason Congleton and Alec Olavarria. <r' /l ews 006 Slant team finishes year The McCall -based Slant Snow - board Team walked away with more than half the winning places at the third of a three-part snowboard com- petition held last Sunday at Bogus Basin Ski Area near Boise. The winners in the Boarder Cross Derby were: Men's overall, Doug Burlingame, third place; Men ages 26-35, Jim Corbet, third place; Men ages 12-15, Burlingame, first place, Terry Campbell, second place, Alan Busby, third place; Age 11 and under, Jared Congleton, first place, Martin Campbell, second place, Marty Theide, third place. Amanda Millington, the sole woman on The Slant Team, placed third in the women's age 12-15 divi- sion. The Slant Team thanks all those who helped support them during their great year. /cg / /1�' 1 '"'a Snowboard teams seek to reform image BY ROGER PHILLIPS The Star -News Snowboarding's rebel, hooligan image is making a positive change this year due to the efforts of two McCall sports shops. Gravity Sports and Alpine Sciences both formed snowboard teams to help move the sport beyond its punk phase and help snowboarders improve their riding skills and contribute to the com- munity. "The whole idea of the club is to give snowboarders a better image," Jeremy McGlathery of Gravity Sports said. "We're trying to clean up the image of snowboarding." The two shops are actually spon- soring three teams. Both shops will have competitive teams featuring the top local riders, and Gravity Sports will also offer a no -dues, no -qualifi- cations club for anyone interested in snowboarding. "The main emphasis is just to have a fun club," McGlathery said. So far, about 40 young boarders are involved in the teams. They will ride together, hang out together and learn from each other. They will also represent the sport and the shops that sponsor them. That means they will have to forego snowboarding's bad -boy image and show the sport in a positive light. "They have to be good kids in gen- eral," McGlathery said. Mike McDonald, owner of Alpine Sciences, agrees. He turned away a few strong riders who tended to take snowboarding's rebelliousness too seriously. "These guys (on the team) are all good people," he said. "They repre- sent my shop, and for that reason there has to be standards." On Gravity's teams, all school - age riders must maintain 2.0 grade point averages. Everyone on the team receives a 10 percent discount on equipment at the shop, and anyone with a 3.5 or higher grade point aver- age receives a 15 percent discount. Club members are also expected to give something back to the commu- nity. Teams from both shops recently joined together to do brush cutting at the Little Ski' Hill to improve the slopes. Gravity Sports donated a truck- load of hay bales, which club mem- •bers placed on the slopes to make 1umps. While this year's turnout of young riders is the largest and most visible, snowboard teams have been around for several years. The team concept started locally several years back when Jeff Coulter, ormer owner of the now -defunct Slant Roger Phillips Snowboard shop, gathered a bunch of hotshot local snowboarders to ride together and compete at snowboarding events. Coulter wanted to give local rider some recognition and a shot at earn ing sponsorships from companies the snowboard industry. McDonald has assumed that same concept for his team. The six Alpint Sciences riders concentrate on com petition and have big-time aspirations "Their goal is to ride for manufac turers," he said. But with only six slots on the Al- pine Sciences team, there was a large void remaining for a town deep in snowboard talent. Gravity's two teams help fulfill the large demand for organized snowboard teams. McGlathery said numerous young riders said they wanted to become involved in orga- nized snowboarding and asked i1 Gravity Sports was going to have snowboard team. "The kids wanted a club so we answered their call," he said. Gravity's riders meet every Tues- day at the shop, and they will go to the Little Ski Hill and ride twice a week when it opens later this month. They will emphasize teamwork where older, more experienced rider! help beginning riders. McDonald said that while the twe shops' clubs may meet each other it competition, they are not going to bE a pitted against one another. "This is not an intra-town compe tition thing at all," McDonald said "We don't need to create any separat ism. These kids are friends and they should stay friends." Star -News Photo by Roger Phillips The Busby family stacks hay bales for snowboard course at Little Hill. S17-4/2 N E-u> S 16,/ 17 Snowboarders compete in McCall Amanda M ill ington of McCall and Jesse Sexton of Boise were named top and female and male riders Saturday at the Slopestyle Snowboard Compe- tition held at the Little Ski Hill west of McCall. The free -style competition, spon- sored by Alpine Sciences in McCall and Newt and Harold's in Boise, at- tracted 33 riders. It was the second snowboard competition held at the Little Ski Hill this season. Here are results: Age 9 and under Male: 1. David Thiede, McCall. 9 and under Female: 1. Claire Olavarria, McCall. 10-12 Male: 1. Chad Sumner, McCall, 2. Marty Thiede, McCall, 3. Mason Darling, McCall. Other McCall finishers: 4. Andy Dagleish, 5. Tyler Stright, 6. Eric Dyrud. 10-12 Female: 1. Sara Davis, McCall. 13-15 Male: 1. Jesse Cordtz, McCall, 2. Alan Busby, McCall, 3. Derek Weimer, Boise. Other McCall - area finishers: 7. Clint Ross, 8.Omar Abbas, 9. Cole Robison, 10. Shaun Whitney, New Meadows. 13-15 Female: 1. Kaytie Meyer, McCall, 2. Jenna Sumner, McCall. 16-25 Male: Josh Isaac, Boise, 2. Nate Crouch, Boise, 3. Kris Baker, Boise. McCall finishers: 5. Dylan Darling, 6. Rodney Akers. 16-25 Female: 1. Laura Kirk, Lake Fork, 2. Jennifer Titscze, Lake Fork. 26 and over Male: Mike Rosenthal, Boise. Sich- News Appi ( i7, /qq7 Jeremy Jones of Cambridge takes to the sky on Sunday during the "Big Air" competition held at Brundage Mountain Ski Area. Jones placed second in the men's age 13-18 division in the contest, one of several held as part of Star -News photo by Roger Phillips Crazy Daze during the final weekend of skiing at Brundage. For results from the contests, and for a report on the just - ended ski season at Brundage Mountain9 S74,4 v��S rvrr g c/ a i9 pr, Boarders fly at Brundage event The Second Annual Alpine Sciences Slopestyle Snowboard competition held last Saturday at Brundage Mountain Ski Area attracted 91 riders and tripled the number of competi- tors who competed last year. "We had a really good com- petition and everyone enjoyed themselves," Alpine Sciences owner Mike McDonald said. The event featured riders launching off a series of jumps, where they were judged for their height, style and difficulty of tricks. Here are the results from the slopestyle competition: Men overall: 1. Josh Isaac, Boise, 2. (tie) Jeremy Bradley, Boise and Matt Rigby, Boise. 3. Doug Burlingame, McCall. Men 12 and under: 1. Marty Thiede, McCall, 2. Tyler Stright, McCall, 3. T.J. Wilcomb, Boise. Men 13-15: 1. Chad Sumner, McCall, 2. (tie) Mason Darling, McCall, and Jake Wilson, McCall, 3. (tie) Shaun Whitney, New Meadows, and Jake Cordtz, McCall. Men 16-18: 1. Levi Brown, McCall, 2. (tie) Terry Campbell, McCall, and Jesse Cordtz, McCall, 3. Dylan Darling, McCall. Men 19-25: 1. (tie) Kris Larson, Boise, and Michael Perez, Payette, 2. Donnie Comstock, New Meadows, 3. Chris Imel, Lewiston. Men 26 and up: 1. Chris Klimko, Moscow, 2. Bryon Siegrist, Boise, 3. Justin Yount, Boise. Women overall: 1. Amanda Millington, McCall, 2. Mandy Mehler, Boise, 3. Daniell Hawkes, McCall. Women 12 and under: 1. Claire Olavarria, McCall. Women 13-15:1. Josie Noah, Cambridge. Women 16-18: 1. Shanti Wintergate, McCall, 2. Jenna Sumner, McCall, 3. Courtney Caneer, Boise. Star -News Photo by Roger Phillips Shaun Whitney of New Meadows gets "big air" at snowboard contest. _1//q/?s' 7-1-0 ,5,74a � News Boarders rip up Bend Jared Congleton of McCall makes a leap at a snowboard half -pipe contest held last week at Mt. Bachelor near Bend, Ore. Alan Busby, Jr. and Doug Burlingame, both of McCall, placed first and third for their age groups. The two will now Photo by Al Congleton advance to the national cham- pionships at Telluride, Colo., April 7-12. Jordon Congleton placed second in the 8-9 year - old age group. Martin Campbell finished fifth in the 12-13 year - old group, and Jared Congleton finished eighth in that group. BigAir contest set for March 28-29 Alpine Sciences will host the Big Air and Boarder Cross com- petition at Brundage Mountain Ski Area March 28-29. The Boarder Cross event on Saturday, March 28, will consist of four snowboarders at a time racing down an obstacle strewn course of jumps and bumps. The Big Air contest is open to snowboarders and skiers and will take place at noon Sunday, March 29. Late sign-ups will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. the days of the events. Practice will be 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., with the first runs of com- petition getting underway from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, the second runs starting at 2 p.m. Entry fees are $20 for both events if competitors preregis- ter at Alpine Sciences, or by calling 634-4707. That cost goes up to $25 the day of the competi- tion. One -day fees for the events are $15. Ribbons and trophies will be awarded for first through third places and Arbor and Hobie snowboards will be included in a prize raffle. In addition to the Big Air con- test, there will be a live band playing. J� f9s/ �h Mp ✓s 40 compete Alpine Sciences in McCall hosted the Boarder Cross snowboard race at Brundage Mountain Ski Area last week- end. About 40 competitors raced in the first -ever Boarder Cross held at Brundage where snowboarders were sent through an obstacle course in a race against each other. Here are the results of the Boarder Cross race: Women L Emily Bussolini, Lewiston, 2. Shanti Wintergate, McCall. Men 12 and under:1. Marty Thiede, in Boarder-X McCall, 2. T. J. Wilcomb, Boise, 3. Ben Rodes, Garden Valley. 13-15:1. Jake Wilson, McCall, 2. Sean Gould, McCall, 3. Barry Beichner, McCall. 16-18:1. David Cobb, Council, 2. Tyler Wasden, Boise, 3. Jesse Cordtz, McCall. 19-25:1. Ryan Neptune, Boise, 2. Chris Sheets, Boise, 3. John Hernandez, Walla Walla, Wash. 26-40: Chad Frost, Leavenworth, Wash., 2. Greg Gemelli, McCall, 3. Chris Klimko, Moscow. 40 and over: 1. Al Congleton, McCall, 2. Al Butler, Vale, Ore. 4//.%9‘/ r 57as Matthews places 4th overall at national snowboard races McCall snowboarder Tom Matthews placed fourth overall in the men's division and third in the Junior Division of the United States Snowboarding National Championships last weekend at Sunday River, Maine. Olympic bronze medalist Ross Powers placed first in the event and U.S. Open winner Rob Kingwell placed second. Powers also took first in the Junior Divi- sion. In the elite level of snowboard competition, Matthew's overall points rank him fifth among American men in FIS standing and sixth in United States Snowboard Association. He is also ranked sec- ond in the Junior Division of the USSA and is the youngest rider to hold a place on the U.S. Men's Snow - board Team. Since October, Matthews has competed in 15 competitions, many of which were invitation only. These events included three Grand Prix for Olympic selection, World Cups, Junior Worlds, the ESPN sports network "X-Games," U.S. National Championships, as well as a number of open events such as the American Snowboard Tours N. American Championships series. Hall, Williams win gold at U.S. national snowboarding championships Brooklynn Hall and Ian Williams won gold at the USASA Nationals snowboarding event held this past week at NorthStar Resort on Lake Tahoe, Nev Hall and Williams compete with the Tamarack Sports and Education Foundation based at Tamarack Re- sort and competed at the nationals as part of the Payette River Mountain FreeRide Series team. The event attracted more than 1,200 boarders and skiers from across the country. Hall won gold in the age 11-15- division HalfPipe and silver in SlopeStyle, making her the overall FreeStyle champion for the 2006-07 season. Williams threw down in the Open Skier division to take the gold while TSEF teammate Ben Moxham took silver and Payette River series member Steven Dickens of Boise took fifth after throwing out his shoulder while spinning to win on his last jump. This finish gave the Payette River Mountain team the top two spots on the podium and three spots out of the top five. Brayden Bringhurst of Boise, last year's SlopeStyle champion in the 16-19 age group, won silver this year while Arlie Hoene of Boise won bronze in the 11-15 division. Other outstanding performances by skiers were TSEF's Conner Hall placing fourth in the age 11- 15 division HalfPipe, TSEF's Max Sherrow placing seventh in age 16- 19 SlopeStyle and William Marcial of Albertson College of Idaho and Justin Little of Lewiston taking fifth and seventh respectively in HalfPipe Open Skier. Ben Greenland of Donnelly, ski- ing as an independent, ground out a fifth in the age 16-19 division Overall FreeStyle, and TSEF's Carson St. Pierre finished ninth in the age 10 and under division. The boarders also had an out- standing showing with Al Butler of McCall competing in the Me- thuselah 60-plus, taking silver in the SlopeStyle and bronze in the HalfPipe, placing him second in the FreeStyle Overall. xij,210-7 Parker Duke of Boise hada strong showing by taking silver in the HalfPipe and fourth in SlopeStyle, giving him the No. 1 overall Free - Style ranking. Janell Kren of McCall put on a great showing, taking the women's BoarderCross bronze in the senior women division. Sean Riddle of Lewiston placed fourth in the senior men BoarderCross. KixKamp of Sandpoint competed in the Gromet boys age 8-9, taking a bronze in slalom and fourth in the Giant Slalom, giving him fourth in the Alpine Combined. Dash Kamp of Sandpoint round- ed out the top 10 finishers, placing seventh in Youth Men SlopeStyle. Overall the Payette River Moun- tain FreeRide Series took home 11 medals and numerous top fives and tens. "I could• not be prouder of our kids," said series director Randy Hall, who is also mountain events manager at Tamarack Resort. "To go into a national event and show this much swagger and con- fidence says a whole lot about our community," Hall said. "I would not be surprised to see some of our kids competing in the World Junior Olympics in the next two years," he said.