In head to head competition under 100,000 watts of light, the Swiss domination of alpine snowboarding continues. The Bad Gastein, Austria event returned for a fifth year on the World Cup circuit and the lights were bright enough to see the Swiss riders maintain the beating they have been handing out on the race courses this season. In both the men’s and women’s events a Swiss competitor took top honors, maintaining a record of seven Swiss first for eight races. Is it the chocolate and/or the cheese?

As in any parallel race, it’s not the fastest time of the day that wins, but the last man or woman standing in a knockout format. Today that left the U.S. Team with a best finish of 12th place by long time team member Rosie Fletcher (Girdwood, AK). Years of training and physical and mental discipline make all the difference in this most technical of events.

Quickly switching gears from some of the World’s Best Racers to the World’s Best Travelers, the U.S. Team will now fly back to Colorado to compete on Monday at the Chevrolet Grand Prix in another parallel race - PGS. Whew. It’s less romantic than it sounds!

FIS World Cup
Bad Gastein, AUT
December 17, 2004
PSL
Men’s

1. Phillip Schoch SUI
2. Nicholas Huet FRA
3. Harald Walder AUT
4. Simon Schoch SUI
5. Jasey- Jay Anderson CAN

18. Eric Warren Bennington, VT
27. Christopher Klug Aspen, CO
37. Ryan McDonald, Entiat, WA
DNF Adam Smith Bend ,OR

Women’s

1. Ursula Bruhin SUI
2. Daniela Meuli SUI
3. Doresia Krings AUT
4. Tomoka Takeuchi JPN
5. Svetlana Boldikova RUS

12. Rosie Fletcher Girdwood, AK
25. Stacia Hookum Vail, CO
43. Lisa Kosglow Boulder CO
46. Lynn Ott Bend OR
53. Michelle Gorgone Sudbury MA

— Courtesy, US Snowboard Team