Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT) has won the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, the X Games, a Junior World Championship and probably holds a key to Vermont, but a World Championship wasn't in the cards Saturday as she took third in halfpipe before deciding to build an ark in Whistler.

The final event of the FIS Snowboard World Championships, was held in what some described as "a balmy, tropical rain" in contrast to the cold, gray downpour that defined the rest of the week. The saturated crowd reacted with a Superpipe-long snowball fight between the men’s and women’s finals.

Humans can only take so much water. We are terrestrial creatures! The surprise of the finals was the exclusion of almost all the normally dominant American men. Luke Wynen (Mammoth Lakes, CA) was the sole male Yank representative in the finals. The big air winner Antti Autti of Finland also claimed the halfpipe victory.

The women fared better with Tricia Byrnes (Stratton Mountain, VT) one shy of Teter in fourth and World SBX champ Lindsey Jacobellis (also Stratton Mountain) in eighth and representing to the bitter end.

"It’s still sprinkling, the pipe is decent - I’m surprised with the shape it’s in," said Teter. Byrnes, whose competition longevity is a testament to her commitment and the benefit of experience said, "It was fun. It’s been tough all week with the rain, challenging for sure, but fun." Dorian Vidal of France was the women’s winner, claiming her new World Champion title with a seven into a switch crippler combination.

Coach Bud Keene had this to say, "It’s fate I guess. We wanted more but are super proud of what we got. Danny (Kass, Mammoth, CA) and Fisher (Steve, St. Louis Park, MN) had trouble with the pipe. Other competitors adjusted better. Danny would have been in there but he fell on his last trick. Luke made the finals with ease but fell on both runs.

The women were great. Lindsey was going for it. She tried for the nine in both runs, she wanted to win. Tricia was super-tech and super clean. We are super proud of Hannah, getting a podium at the World Championships. The fact that she is disappointed speaks to her competitive nature. We didn’t get everything we wanted, but we are going into the X-Games with all these riders feeling strong and looking good."

Maybe in need of a towel and some sunshine, but feeling strong and looking good nonetheless.

FIS Snowboard World Championships
January 22, 2005
Men’s Halfpipe

1. Antti Autti, Finland
2. Justin Lamoureux, Canada
3. Kim Christiansen, Norway
4. Jan Michaelis, Germany
5. Christophe Schmidt, Germany

12. Luke Wynen, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
15. Tommy Czeschin, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
16. Steve Fisher, St. Louis Park, Minn.
20. Danny Kass, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

Women’s Halfpipe

1. Doriane Vidal, France
2. Manuela Laura Pesko, Switzerland
3. Hannah Teter, Belmont, Vt.
4. Tricia Byrnes, Stratton Mountain, Vt.
5. Anna Olofsson, Switzerland

8. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain,Vt.
19. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

— Courtesy, US Snowboard Team