OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE -LANDGRAAF, Netherlands (Oct. 10) - U.S. Snowboarding’s Adam Smith (Bend, OR) really knows how to start the show, finishing second in the season’s first parallel slalom snowboarding World Cup in the Netherlands Friday.

“I’m super pumped. It’s a good start to the season and it carries momentum into the next World Cups for sure. I couldn’t have asked for a better finish,” Smith said. “Today’s race was a lot of fun. It’s good to kickoff the season here - everyone’s stoked to be back again and having a good time.”

Austrian Benjamin Karl won the men’s competition and Patrick Bussler of Germany was third.

Lucky in Landgraaf, Smith has now captured three of his four career podiums, including one win, at Snowworld, the worlds’ largest indoor winter sports resort where the race was held.

“I don’t really know why I do well here. It’s just nice snow and it’s pretty mellow for a bigger guy to generate speed. I think that’s a lot of it,” Smith said. “I always ride well here and it always seems to work out.”

Smith led the way for three U.S. men to finish in the top 20, with Justin Reiter (Steamboat Springs, CO) finishing seventh, Zachary Kay (Mount Shasta, CA) at 13th and Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) in 16th.

Austrian women dominated the top five, with Doris Guenther winning and Heidi Neururer in second. The podium outsider was Nicolien Sauerbreij of the Netherlands who was the center of an Austrian dumpling in third.

Leading for the U.S. women was team newbie Andi Jo Stump (Wenatchee, WA) who finished 25th, followed by Erica Mueller (Steamboat Springs, CO) in 32nd.

According to Smith, Friday’s results are hopefully an indicator of how the alpine riders will do the rest of the World Cup and World Championship season.

“The whole team is riding well. We had a lot of good results today,” Smith said. “We’re all pumped for each other and I think in the future we can all get it done and all be in the finals together.”

The athletes now head back to the U.S. for a camp and some NorAm competitions in November before heading out to hopefully dominate the world with their speed.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
LG Snowboard FIS World Cup
Landgraaf, Netherlands - Oct. 10, 2008
Paralell Slalom

Men’s
1. Benjamin Karl, Austria
2. Adam Smith, Bend, OR
3. Patrick Bussler, Germany
4. Rok Flander, Slovenia
5. Siegfried Grabner, Austria
6. Simon Schooch, Switzerland
7. Justin Reiter, Steamboat Springs, CO
8. Nevin Galmarini, Switzerland
9. Roland Fischnaller, Italy
10. Roland Haldi, Switzerland
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13. Zachary Kay, Mount Shasta, CA
16. Chris Klug, Aspen, CO
37. Benjamin Fairchild, Kirkland, WA
38. Josh Wylie, Londonderry, VT
41. Tyler Jewell, Steamboat Springs, Co

Women’s
1. Doris Guenther, Austria
2. Heidi Neururer, Austria
3. Nicolien Sauerbreij, Netherlands
4. Claudia Riegler, Austria
5. Johanna Shaw, Austria
6. Ekaterina Tudegesheva, Russia
7. Hilde-Katrine Engeli, Norway
8. Alena Kuleshova, Russia
9. Corinna Boccacini, Italy
10. Ilona Ruotsalainen, Finland
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25. Andi Jo Stump, Wenatchee, WA
32. Erica Mueller, Steamboat Springs, CO

Tags: slalom snowboarding world cup netherlands, us snowboarding

This entry was posted on Monday, October 13th, 2008 at 3:38 pm and is filed under NEWS. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.