Oregon's home grown Adam Smith (Bend) water-skied his way to a fourth place finish in parallel giant slalom Tuesday as rain drenched day two of the FIS Snowboard World Championships. Canadian hero Jasey Jay Anderson became the newest World Champion on the planet with the victory. There is nothing sweeter than winning on your own soil, even if that soil has been turned into mashed potatoes by all day rain.

The weather for the event was less than perfect. "It hasn’t stopped raining, pouring, pouring, I’ve never seen anything like it," says U.S. Snowboarding’s own soaking wet Lisa Antonucci reporting from the sidelines.

The U.S.Team had four athletes in the main event with Smith leading Olympic bronze medalist Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) and team rookie Justin Reiter (Steamboat Springs, CO) into the final.

"The weather was not cooperating. It was a downpour all day, but I just kept it going throughout the heats. I was fighting a back problem, sharp pains from past injuries, but I was able to fight through it into the round of four. The snow was inconsistent but I had consistently fast runs. I made some mistakes at the end but overall it turned out pretty well. I had a really good time," says Smith.

Michelle Gorgone (Sudbury, MA) was the top Team finisher for the women, landing in 11th place with Austria's Manuela Riegler taking the top spot. The lack of course slippers and constant rain left the morning’s "hero snow" a rutted, bumpy challenge for the later rounds. All the athletes had the same challenges to face, but the difficult conditions, as always, played a large part in the final results.

FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Whistler, BC - January 18, 2005
Men’s PGS

1. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
2. Urs Eiselin, Switzerland
3. Nicolas Huet, France
4. Adam Smith, Modesto, Calif.
5. Andreas Prommegger, Austria

10. Justin Reiter, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
15. Christopher Klug, Aspen, Colo.
44. Pete Thorndike, Meredith, NH

Women’s PGS

1. Manuela Riegler, Austria
2. Svetlana Boldikova, Russia
3. Doresia Krings, Austria
4. Ekaterina Tudigescheva, Russia
5. Daniela Mueli, Switzerland

11. Michelle Gorgone, Sudbury, Mass.
22. Stacia Hookom, Edwards, Colo.
30. Lisa Kosglow, Boulder, Colo.
39. Rosey Fletcher, Girdwood, Alaska

— Courtesy, US Snowboard Team