TRAVIS RICE VOTED 2002 SUPER PARK MVP

Travis exhibiting the skills that won him Super Park MVP.

Snowboarder magazine invited over 200 of the worlds top snowboarders to ride, film and shoot photos at the 2002 Super Park, held in Breckenridge, CO. Breckenridge closed off one of its runs for the annual event, and built up the jumps, rails and hits to dangerous proportions. The obstacles were so large that only invited riders were allowed to participate due to liability concerns.

Travis returned in 2002 to outdo his previous year, when he first won Super Park MVP. After the three-day event, all attending riders, including 2002 Olympic gold medallist Danny Kass, Marc Frank Montoya and Chad Otterstrom, voted on the strongest overall rider. Travis was once again selected as the Super Park MVP.

En route to Alaska, Travis commented: There were amazing rails and amazing jumps flow was a big thing. They had a 75-foot-long spine with a wide section taken out of the middle. There were two snow cats parked in the missing section, so you had to air over the cats when you aired over the channel. That was a lot of fun, because I managed to get a couple of tricks over it. 2002 has gone better than I could possibly have hoped for. Its my first season on DC, and Im so psyched. Ive been wearing the same pair of boots all season, and theyve taken all the punishment I can hand out. Well keep you posted as to when to look for Super Park editorial coverage, which runs in the November issue of Snowboarder, available in early October.

The snowboard world was not ready for Travis Rice in 02. Besides being awarded Super Park MVP, heres a list of his other accomplishments. First Big Air      Breckenridge Grand Prix, January 57 Gold Slopestyle      Winter X-Games, January 1820 Third Halfpipe      Triple Crown-Snow Summit, February 510 Fourth Slopestyle      Snowboarding World Championships, February 2024 First Quarterpipe Second Slopestyle Full Throttle Award Best Overall Rider      US Open of Snowboarding, March 1417

EDDIE WALL WINS NIXON JIBFEST

Eddie Wall, a pro's pro!

Nixon Watches hosted their annual JibFest last week at Sierra Summit, a small resort north of Sacramento. DC snow team member Eddie Wall came up big in the jam-style contest: after three days of riding, shooting photos, and filming, the gathering of 14 pros including J.P. Walker, Jeremy Jones, and Chris Engelsman secretly chose their top three picks for an event winner, and Eddie emerged as the overall favorite. Im ridiculously psyched, said Eddie, who won a flat-screen Sony TV for his efforts. The event was insane. To have a group of guys this good vote for me is a big honor.

WORLD SNOWBOARDING CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS

L to R: Jason Ellis with Ludacris, Ellis and Greyboy, Travis Rice being interviewed after his run.

It was cold but fun the World Snowboarding Championships was a five-day event, stretching from February 20 through the 24th. Todd Richards finished a respectable sixth in Half Pipe, Travis Parker pulled fourth in High Air, and Travis Rice battled injury to claim fifth in Slopestyle. Hip-hop artist Ludacris capped off the contest and music festival with a performance on Saturday evening. ESPN2's coverage of the event airs on March 7 at 10:30 p.m., West Coast time. For complete contest results, check worldsnowboardingchampionships.info.

WHO GOT DERAILED IN VAIL?

Chris Engelsman walked away with first at DCs Derailed in Vail rail jam contest, held last Thursday during the World Snowboarding Championships in Vail. DC rider Travis Parker was among the ten riders competing and judging; all the riders voted to determine the first and second place finishes. Chris received $1,500 and a Pioneer home theater system for his rail efforts, while Iikka Backstrom walked with $1,000 for second. It was a good time: a large crowd turned out on a cold evening, and the contest was loose and informal. Everyone had a lot of fun, said Brian Botts, DCs snow team manager. The contest was a good way to get some snowboarders out to ride and have a good time, and it was a welcome break from the Championships.

DC RIDERS DOMINATE SNOW SUMMIT TRIPLE CROWN


Its a choke-hold: Todd Richards and Travis Rice continue their tag-team demolition of the '02 contest series, this time turning their focus on the Snow Summit leg of the Triple Crown of Snowboarding series, held from February 510. Rookie pro Travis Rice clinched a sixth-place finish in slopestyle, and then nailed the bronze in the halfpipe, while the seemingly unstoppable Todd Richards polished off the gold in slopestyle. Its no surprise Todd got first in slopestyle. Hes consistently on the winners podium, and is one of the most well-rounded athletes we have, said DC snow team manager Brian Botts. Travis is one of the new up-and-comers. Hes not scared, and he can ride anything. Hes a major contender in any contest he enters. Established pros should watch out.
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