Snowboarding

Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Comes to Solitude

by
USSA
2017-01-17 10:57
 

SOLITUDE MOUNTAIN RESORT, UT (Jan. 17, 2017) – The world’s elite snowboardcross and skicross athletes will head to Solitude Mountain Resort this week for the second stop of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix tour. The Solitude Grand Prix snowboardcross also serves as a FIS World Cup and the skicross will serve as a NorAm Cup. Both races will be test events for 2019, when the Wasatch resort is slated to host the snowboardcross and skicross FIS World Championships.

The Solitude event follows on the heels of a stunning World Cup win by U.S. Snowboarding athlete Hagan Kearney (Telluride, CO) in Montafon, Austria on Dec. 16. It was Kearney’s first career World Cup win. “I'm excited to finally race in the U.S.,” Kearney says of the upcoming Solitude event. “It's been a few years and we all miss racing in front of our home crowd. The win (at Montafon) is just an extra high going into it.”

Kearney will be joined in representing U.S. Snowboarding by athletes such as four-time World Champion and Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), two-time Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME), Olympic bronze medalist Alex Deibold (Boulder, CO), local girl Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, UT) and many others.

Representing the U.S. in skicross this week will be Tania Prymak (Goshen, NY), the most successful American female skicross athlete in history, with four top-10 World Cup finishes in the last year. Joining Prymak for the ladies will be Leah Emaus (Ontario, NY), who had a win and second-place finish at the most recent NorAm Cup competitions, as well as Whitney Gardner (South Lake Tahoe, CA). For the men, Tyler Wallasch (Mammoth Lakes, CA) will lead the charge.

Solitude Mountain Resort is located just 30 minutes from Salt Lake City in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Offering world-class terrain and breathtaking scenery, Solitude is an elite venue for both the 2017 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and the 2019 World Championships. This week’s event will be the first international event staged at the Utah resort. “We are excited to host our first international event and can’t wait to showcase Solitude,” says Kim Mayhew, Solitude Mountain Resort general manager.

Solitude joins the three-resort line up that will welcome the 2019 FIS Freestyle, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships, an event held every other year at world-class venues across the globe. While Solitude will host the snowboardcross and skicross events, Deer Valley will host moguls, dual moguls and aerials, and Park City Mountain will host halfpipe and slopestyle. The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix will serve as the official test event for the 2019 World Championships at Solitude.

The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Solitude will be broadcast on NBC and NBCSN along with live streaming of the finals on nbcsports.com and on the NBC Sports app.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Venue: Solitude Mountain Resort will host its first major, international competition with the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix snowboardcross and skicross event Jan. 17-22. The Grand Prix will serve as the official test event for the 2019 FIS Freestyle, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships.
  • Olympians: A host of U.S. Olympians are scheduled to compete at the Solitude stop of the U.S. Grand Prix, including two-time gold medalist Seth Wescott, Torino silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis and Sochi bronze medalist Alex Deibold.
  • Invited Athletes and Schedule: Check U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing for the most up-to-date athlete lists and schedule.

Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Highlights

  • Host Resorts: This year’s tour events are slated at top resorts that support the progression of freeskiing and snowboarding. Copper Mountain, Solitude Mountain Resort and Mammoth Mountain will showcase the best athletes on the highest-quality terrain in the world.
  • Partnership: Toyota makes its debut as the title sponsor for the U.S. Grand Prix tour. Toyota, the world’s top automaker, is committed to advanced mobility, with a fleet of vehicles that support the snow and outdoor lifestyle of skiing and snowboarding.

QUOTES

Hagan Kearney—SBX B Team—Winner, Montafon World Cup
I'm excited to finally race in the US, it's been a few years and we all miss racing in front of our home crowd. The win is just an extra high going into it. I would like to see more than one U.S. athlete on the podium this time. I'm stoked it is at Solitude because it is a rad resort and it will also draw a good Salt Lake City crowd. I also love racing here because we have a lot of staff here to help and support us. I can't wait!

Alex Deibold—SBX A Team—Olympic Bronze Medalist
I am excited to finally have a World Cup back on U.S. soil. Solitude has really stepped up and provided a great venue and an amazing piece of hill space. With plenty of snow and Nick Roma building the course, I think it's going to be one of the best races of the season.

Faye Gulini—SBX A Team—Salt Lake City local
We travel all over the world for our races, so to have an event like World Champs in the U.S. right in my backyard is awesome. I’m really excited for the opportunity to compete in the U.S. Grand Prix this coming season and ride on the amazing terrain at Solitude.

Nate Holland—SBX A Team—Eight-time X Games Gold Medalist
I'm looking forward to racing a World Cup in the U.S. once again.  I definitely feel a responsibility to defend the home turf.

2017 TOYOTA U.S. GRAND PRIX AT SOLITUDE SCHEDULE 
(Schedule subject to change)

BROADCAST & LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
*live streaming is available on nbcsports.com/live or via the NBC Sports App

Saturday, Jan. 21
2:00 p.m. – snowboardcross finals – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM

Sunday, Jan. 22
2:00 p.m. – team snowboardcross finals – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
3:30 p.m. – men’s and women’s snowboardcross, skicross highlight – NBC

Tuesday, Jan. 24
12:00 a.m. – men’s and women’s snowboardcross, skicross highlight (reair) – NBCSN

Saturday, Jan. 28
1:00 p.m. – snowboardcross and team snowboardcross – NBC

EVENT SCHEDULE

Thursday, Jan. 19
Snowboardcross qualifiers

Friday, Jan. 20
Skicross qualifiers and finals

Saturday, Jan. 21
Snowboardcross finals

Sunday, Jan. 22
Team snowboardcross training finals

 


 


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