PARK CITY, UT (Feb. 23, 2015) – The final stop on the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix tour will take place Feb. 25- Mar.1 at Park City Mountain Resort. 2014 Olympic medalists Joss Christensen (Park City, UT), David Wise (Reno, NV), Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, CA), Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, CO), Devin Logan (West Dover, VT) and Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT) are slated to compete along with a field of top ranked international freeskiers and snowboarders for a piece of the $400,000 total tour purse.
While he’s been able to freeski at home multiple times this season, next week’s Grand Prix will be the first competition Joss Christensen has competed in at PCMR since winning last year’s slopestyle competition and securing his spot on the Olympic team. He would go on to win gold and lead the U.S. podium sweep in Sochi.
“I’m really excited to come back to Park City, my hometown, and compete in the final Grand Prix,” said Christensen. “It was an amazing event last year and winning that last Grand Prix started my success and changed my life. I hope to come home and do well and defend my title in front of my hometown and my family and friends.”
Taylor Gold (left) and Kelly Clark both walked away with wins in halfpipe snowboarding at the Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, CO earlier this season. (Sarah Brunson/U.S. Snowboarding)
Park City Mountain Resort, host of the 2002 Olympic snowboarding halfpipe event, is continuing its long legacy of hosting elite level snowboarding and freeskiing events with events like the Grand Prix as it prepares to host the freeskiing and snowboarding events at the 2019 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships FIS World Championships freeskiing and snowboarding events in 2019. This year’s Grand Prix finale will also award the top woman and the top two men in slopestyle and halfpipe snowboarding a spot the compete at the 2015 Burton U.S. Open in Vail, CO Mar. 5-7.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the world’s best freeskiers and snowboarding back again for the Grand Prix,” said PCMR Chief Operating Officer Bill Rock. “We’re excited to show why our terrain parks and halfpipes are considered among the best in the world as we continue to build toward the 2019 World Championships.”
Finals for each event will be broadcast on NBC and NBCSN along with live streaming of the finals on NBC Sports Live Extra.
HIGHLIGHTS
- 2014 Olympic medalists, including home town hero Joss Christensen, will return to Park City Mountain Resort Feb. 25-March 1 to compete in the final stop of the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix tour.
- U.S. Open Spots: The Park City Grand Prix will be awarding spots to the top woman and top two men not already qualified in halfpipe and slopestyle snowboarding to compete at the 2015 Burton U.S. Open in Vail, CO Mar. 5-7.
- History: The site of the famous 2002 Olympic men’s halfpipe snowboarding sweep returns to host the final event of the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix season Feb. 25-March 1, with coverage on NBC and NBCSN including live streaming of finals on NBC Sports Live Extra.
- World Champs Preview: Park City Mountain Resort is one of the host resorts for the 2019 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships,
- Dual Sanctioning: The freeskiing events at Park City will be FIS World Cup and AFP Platinum level. Snowboarding events will be FIS World Cup and World Snowboard Tour International Level.
- Olympic Legacy: The halfpipe will be held in the legendary Eagle Superpipe, site of the Olympic Winter Games and the final Olympic qualification event to determine the 2014 Olympic freeskiing team.
EVENT SCHEDULE (times MST)
Wednesday, Feb. 25 – Halfpipe skiing qualifier – 8:30 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb 25 – Slopestyle snowboarding qualifier – 9:30 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 26 – Halfpipe snowboarding qualifier – 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 26 – Slopestyle skiing qualifier – 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 27 – Slopestyle snowboarding finals – 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Friday, Feb. 27 – Slopestyle skiing finals – 1:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 28 – Halfpipe skiing finals – 12 - 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, Mar. 1 –Halfpipe snowboarding finals – 12 - 1:30 p.m.
BROADCAST SCHEDULE (times EST)
Live Streaming
Finals will be live streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra.
Friday, Feb. 27 – 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. – Slopestyle Snowboarding Finals
Friday, Feb. 27 – 3-5 p.m. – Slopestyle Skiing Finals
Saturday, Feb. 28 – 2 - 3:30 p.m. – Halfpipe Skiing Finals
Sunday, Mar. 1 – 2 - 3:30 p.m. – Halfpipe Snowboarding Finals
TV
Saturday, Feb. 28 – 2:30 p.m. – NBCSN (Halfpipe Skiing Finals)
Sunday, Mar. 1 – 12 p.m. – NBC (Slopestyle Snowboarding Finals)
Sunday, Mar. 1 – 1 p.m. – NBC (Slopestyle Skiing Finals)
Wednesday, Mar. 4 – 12 a.m. – NBCSN (Halfpipe Snowboarding Finals)
QUOTES
Joss Christensen, Olympic gold medalist, slopestyle skiing
I’m really excited to come back to Park City, my hometown, and compete in the final Grand Prix. It was an amazing event last year and winning that last Grand Prix started my success and changed my life. I hope to come home and do well and defend my title in front of my hometown and my family and friends. I was just in Park City last week and I’m glad to see they’re going to be able to put up a great slopestyle course. The park crew is always killing it!
Arielle Gold, Olympian, Halfpipe snowboarding
I’m really excited to head to Park City for the last Grand Prix of the season. I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about the pipe and how it’s built and can’t wait to ride it. The time in the season always brings out a high level of riding and I’m just excited to ride with everyone in Park City.
Alex Ferreia, Halfpipe skiing, X Games bronze medalist
I‘m just super excited to get out to Park City, I’ve heard nothing but good things about the park and pipe and I’m really looking forward to some fun in the sun, riding pipe and park with all my friends for the last Grand Prix of the season.
Alex Schlopy, Slopestyle skiing
I'm really excited for the upcoming Grand Prix in Park City, especially since it's back in the hometown! It's fun to compete at home especially when it doesn't happen all too often. I know the people at Park City will put together something awesome and fun to ride which is something I'm always looking forward to doing!
Eric Webster, Grand Prix Tour Director
The “I Ride Park City” terrain park staff does an amazing job with building and maintaining top level halfpipe and slopestyle contest venues. Park City will be a perfect place to cap of the Grand Prix season, the athletes are anxious to throw down on the famous Kings Crown Slopestyle venue, making for an exciting week of competition.
Bill Rock, Chief Operating Officer of Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Resort
Park City Mountain Resort has a proud legacy of hosting and fostering world-class ski and snowboard competition, and we’re thrilled to welcome the world’s best back again for the Grand Prix. We’re excited to show why our terrain parks and halfpipes are considered among the best in the world as we continue to build toward the 2019 World Championships
Follow all the action from Park City:
U.S. Freeskiing Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
U.S. Snowboarding Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
