Fresh off of two back-to-back Para-Snowboarding events; our second Veterans in Action Learn to Ride and Race Camp and the Canadian Para-Snowboard World Cup, the AAS crew is reeling from success.
The "Veterans in Action" Learn to Ride and Race Camp coincided with the
USASA Nationals and brought out 12 total adaptive athletes to improve their race skills. Eight of the participants were wounded vets from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Among the vet campers, Keith Deutsch, Christopher Bain and Travis Krebs competed in the adaptive divisions boardercross race. This made history by being the first ever adaptive "veteran only" race field with Deutsch placing first, Bain second and Krebs third.
Please check back soon for more info on our Veterans in Action Learn to Ride and Race Camp.
The Canadian Snowboard World Cups were mountains of fun! Thanks goes out to our Canadian hosts,
The Canadian Snowboard Federation and Candice Drouin, for creating such a successful event. The course proved to be challenging and fast. The US contingency dominated the field taking home multiple medals on both days.
AAS Co-Founder Amy Purdy put together a consistent effort and placed third in both races. AAS friend Bibian Mentel put in times fast enough rival the able bodied women, winning two back-to-back gold medals. Long time AAS friend Nicole Roundy came to race and walked away from the week with two back to back silver medals.
On the mens side Mike Shea and Keith Gabel battled for second place on the first day with Gabel barely edging out Shea. On the second day both were edged out of second place by Carl Murphy from New Zealand leaving Shea in third for the second day as well. Murphy was happy to stand on the silver medal podium the second day after having dealt with prosthetic malfunctions the first day keeping him from contention. AAS advocate Evan Strong put in the fastest mens times from both races, that would have nearly qualified him for the able bodied mens division, and has two gold medals to show for it.
Here are the final results...
RESULTS – WSF PARA-SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP RACE #1 – FRIDAY APRIL 8, 2011
MEN1. Evan Strong (USA)
2. Keith Gabel (USA)
3. Mike Shea (USA)
WOMEN1. Bibian Mentel (NED)
2. Nicole Purdy (USA)
3. Amy Purdy (USA)
RESULTS – WSF PARA-SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP RACE #2 – SATURDAY APRIL 9, 2011
MEN1. Evan Strong (USA)
2. Carl Murphy (NZ)
3. Mike Shea (USA)
WOMEN1. Bibian Mentel (NED)
2. Nicole Purdy (USA)
3. Amy Purdy (USA)
Check back soon for more pics and info from both events. Thanks again to USASA and our Canadian hosts!!! Please check back soon for more information and more photographs from both events!