Saturday, January 8, 2000 -- Snowshoe, WV
Psychocross Mountain Championships
Story & photos by Julie Bertsch
[Coverage]
[Results]
Pics:
[
Set 1]
[
Set 2]
|
When push comes to shove
|
The smell of snow in the air, great conditions, and a good base
with some powder set the stage for the
Psychocross Mountain
Championship 2000 at Snowshoe Mountain's well-groomed obstacle
course at Silver Creek dubbed with the name, Mountaineer Terrain Park.
A good turn-out of boarders and skiers made their way to the yurt for
pre-race instructions.
"They'll be pushin' and a shovin' out there when it all gets started!"
said #1 Psycho-fan,
Pat Hawks, "There could be some blood on the snow before this day is over."
|
Leaning into the turns & curves
|
The course wound it's way around the outside of the half-pipe, sending
racers banking to the right, around more slalom flags, and then up
onto a technical curve which led them onto a large jump. "The course
would be tough for a boarder that didn't lead with their left foot,"
said a fellow snowboarder who helped set up the course, "I lead with
my right, and that means that one knarly turn would be a heal-turn,
which is a tough move to make." Barreling down in heats of up to 5
racers, with the music pumpin' and their hearts thumpin' as they
rounded the mid-course curve to a technical jump on the right, close
to the spectators view. Three hump-like wave jumps were waiting at
the end for the big finish.
|
Defying gravity on the slopes
|
Some heated battles for the top spots brought out the best
in many, as only the fastest runs made it to the finals.
In the end, it was skier
Aaron Mountain who reigned as
King of the Mountain, and the
days overall champion with the fastest run at Mountaineer Terrain park.
Some other top finishers of the day were Thurston Willis (Men 9-12),
Mikey Valach (Men 13-16), Judd Grilers (Men 21-24), Eric Cormack (Men 25-30),
Mike "Swifty" Messinger (Men 31+), and Heather Hoyle,
as the top finisher for the Women.
Special thanks goes out to Snowshoe Mountain, Race Director Kirsten
Keller, Snowshoe's Communications Manager Joe Stevens, and to
all who made this event a great success.