PARK CITY, UT (Feb. 27, 2015)—The skies were grey and the light flat, but it didn’t matter, as the men threw down an unbelievable podium sweep at the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix in Park City, UT. Eric Willett (Breckenridge, CO) walked away with the Paul Mitchell snowboard slopestyle win, Chas Guldemond (Reno, NV) took second and Eric Beauchemin (Grand Blanc, MI) was third. On the women’s side, Karly Shorr (Milford, MI) stood on her first FIS World Cup podium, taking second place.
The U.S. qualified four to Friday’s international-level World Snowboard Tour event finals, and all took podium spots. “Today is friggin’ amazing. I haven’t had this feeling in so long,” said Willett, who is coming back from a shoulder injury and a broken back last year that caused him to the miss the Olympics. “It’s insane. To be here with all my friends and to put down a run that I haven’t put down before just felt so good.” This was Willett’s first World Cup win.
Along with his third place result, Beauchemin also walked away with the overall Sprint U.S. Grand Prix tour win, taking home $10,000. “I’ve been working real hard this year and it’s an amazing to win the Grand Prix overall title,” said Beauchemin. “It’s always been a dream to win an overall like that.”
Eric Beauchemin grabs third place in the U.S. Grand Prix, which gave him the overall Grand Prix title and the U.S. Snowboarding National Championship. (Getty Images-Tom Pennington)
In addition to the podium, Beauchemin took home the U.S. Snowboarding National Championship, along with Hailey Langland (San Clemente, CA).
Willett, Guldemond and Beauchemin are close friends and have supported each other throughout the season; they’re even staying together this week in Park City. At the end of each run, all three voiced their excitement about the others’ results. But Willett summed it up perfectly. “To actually have all three of us on the podium—all good friends—it couldn’t be any better,” he said. “It’s so sick.”
20-year-old Shorr was sixth after the qualifiers, and with only top-10 World Cup results in her career, no one expected her to podium. “It feels amazing! I never expected that coming into it,” said Shorr breathlessly about her first World Cup podium. “It kind of set me free. I’m really, really happy.” Shorr—the only U.S. woman to qualify for the slopestyle finals—finished behind Cheryl Maas of the Netherlands and ahead of Elena Koenz of Switzerland.
Karly Shorr shreds her way to second place—her first World Cup podium. (Melanie Harding)
The event will air on NBC on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. EST. Next up, the men’s halfpipe takes place on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. MST.
HIGHLIGHTS
This was Karly Shorr’s fifth FIS World Cup slopestyle and her first podium.
All U.S. snowboarders who qualified for the finals landed on the podium.
Park City Mountain Resort plays host to the 2019 FIS World Championships for halfpipe and slopestyle.
Karly Shorr’s run (rails;jumps): backside tail 270 out, gap to front lip, 50-50 backside 180 out; switch back 5, back 5.
ChasGuldemond’srun (rails;jumps): front 270, backside 270 on, boardslide 450 out; cab double 12, a back double 10 “and some wheelies at the end”
Eric Willett’s run (rails;jumps): frontside 180 cab 360, cab 270 to regular, boardslide 270 out; front 1260 mute, switch back double 1080
EricBeauchemin’srun (rails;jumps): Front blunt 450, cab 270 to fakey, half cab back 360; back 1260, cab 1080 double
QUOTES
Karly Shorr It feels amazing! I never expected that coming into it. I kind of always aim for top 10, but I got here and the rails were sick, so sometimes that helps me out—that’s my stronger point.
It feels so good. It’s the first time I’ve been able to stomp a run with a back 5 in it. So I’m so happy. It kind of set me free. I’m really, really happy.
Eric Willett Today is friggin amazing. I haven’t had this feeling in so long. It’s insane. To be here with all my friends and to put down a run that I haven’t put down before just felt so good.
Last run of practice, I fell pretty hard and hurt my ribs pretty good. After that, I was like, I’m just going to put a run down and keep it solid. That was sick because it gave me room to progress. I wasn’t nervous to try something else. I was just going to go try 12s both runs and went for it. I’m stoked I got it on the third one.
It’s insane to win. I haven’t gotten a first in a long time. It’s been amazing. Especially after being hurt so many times, to come back and actually put down a really good run felt so good. Chas rode amazing; Beauch killed it. To put down a solid run felt so good.
A podium sweep is sick. We’re staying together all week back at our place and it’s one of those things that you want, but you never know what’s going to happen because everyone is riding so well. But to actually have all three of us on the podium—all good friends—it couldn’t be any better. It’s so sick.
Chas Guldemond It was super fun today. It’s nice to have those three runs and a really good course. It was genuinely really fun, even though it was a little flat light. The doors were open to have fun and we all did. It’s so good to see Eric [Willett]. He’s been having a tough go last year—getting hurt and stuff. My heart feels good for him, and getting second behind him feels even better.
It’s so gratifying. It gives you hope to keep going with it. The possibilities are unlimited. To do it with a family and be a good dad on top of it is even more rewarding.
Eric Beauchemin Today was good. I just wanted to go out there and have fun. I didn’t really have any pressure on me—I believe I already won the overall Grand Prix tour. I was just having a blast out there. Honestly, you ride the best when you don’t have pressure. It was a lot of fun.
I’ve been working real hard this year and it’s an amazing to win the Grand Prix overall title. It’s always been a dream to win an overall like that. I couldn’t be happier.
