Vermont

Kazuhiro Kokubo (JPN) and Kelly Clark (USA) won today’s US Open halfpipe finals, where thousands of fans enjoyed some of the most progressive riding in halfpipe history. Today’s win marked a historic moment for Kelly Clark, who is now the only woman in US Open history to win four halfpipe titles. Kazu’s win was also a landmark as it was his first time winning a US Open title.

Balmy weather made Vermont feel more like California at the 28th annual US Open Snowboarding Championships, where Europeans Mikkel Bang (NOR) and Sina Candrian (SUI) each took home $20,000 and top slopestyle honors. Both riders are new to the top spot of the US Open slopestyle podium, adding a coveted title to their career highlights.

After the unusually hot Vermont sun set at Stratton, the Black & Night Jam was on. 25 men and 10 women had 90 minutes to get in as many runs as possible in the US Open’s fourth ever rail jam.

The setup called for creativity, with multiple riders dropping at once into what looked like a skatepark on snow. A variety of rails, boxes, mini-quarterpipes, gaps and a lift tower feature were part of the setup, providing riders with the opportunity to get multiple hits in on one run.

When she's in the halfpipe throwing frontside 9s, Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT) is the picture of snowboarding perfection - a woman leading her peers in the progression of the sport. But, according to the Olympic gold medalist, none of her successes would have been possible if she weren't afforded the opportunity to attend a mountain school.