At Stoneham NOKIA/FIS World Cup Event Maelle Ricker Second; Rob Fagan Fourth

Stoneham, QC, March 7th 2008 – The sun shone. The organizers organized. And the athletes did what they do best. The result was one of the best World Cup snowboard-cross events of the season. Clearly, the winners today were all the spectators who travelled up from Quebec City to view first-hand what this new and exciting Olympic sport is all about.

“I couldn’t believe what these young athletes we’re doing out there today,” say Jean-Guy Flavier, a 50-something snowboard rider who witnessed his first ever snowboard-cross event while sitting on the sun-drenched deck of the Stoneham day-lodge. “The speed, the air, the precision of their turns – while battling it out with three other riders vying for the same line: it totally blew my mind. It was like NASCAR racing on snow. I had no idea how good – and how professional – the sport has become!”

For Canadian snowboard-cross coach, Rene Brunner, the day belonged to the athletes. “I was so proud of my team this afternoon,” said the man who led the biggest national contingent (10) into the finals. “They gave their all today. It was a short, intense course. There was no room for mistakes -- you had to be totally committed to where you were going. And both the men and women did just that. Though we fell short of last week’s medal performance in Lake Placid, I can still say we had a very, very successful day.”

The ongoing battle for the overall snowboard-cross crystal globe was stepped up one more notch today when X-Games golden girl Lindsay Jacobellis snatched yet another victory from Squamish resident Maelle Ricker. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed,” said the still-smiling Ricker, who just about managed to steal the race when her rival crashed into the finish zone. “But mostly I’m happy that I’m riding well and consistently getting on the podium.”

Consistent indeed. The Canadian Team veteran has finished first twice and second twice in her last four World Cup starts. “It’s been a long month,” she admitted. “And the big snow storm we had here earlier this week was kind of a blessing in disguise as it gave me an extra day to rest my body.”

With only one race remaining to determine the 2008 overall snowboard-cross champion – the World Cup Finals in Bormio, Italy next week – Ricker insists that she’s totally committed to bringing the legendary globe back home to Canada. “Everything is in place,” she said. “I’ve got a good board, my starts are strong and I’m riding fast. Now it’s up to me…”

For local hero, Dominique Maltais of nearby Petite-Riviere-St Francois, the day did not turn out quite like she’d hoped. Nonetheless, she seemed to take her fifth place finish in stride. “Look, I’m still recovering from injury,” she explained. “And some days are better than others.” She smiled. “Besides, it’s not like I didn’t try. I thought I’d made a lot of progress with my starts, but today proved that I still have some work to do on that part of my race. But that’s OK. My coaches keep telling me that I still have lots of room for improvement. And that’s pretty exciting to me. I mean, it’s one step at a time. I’ve got to be patient.”

On the men’s side, today event marked the return of Jasey-Jay Anderson to World Cup snowboard-cross racing. And though the Mont Tremblant native failed to reach the podium, he made it all the way to the small final and finished a strong sixth – which was a surprise for many of his competitors. “It’s not so easy anymore to switch back and forth between disciplines,” explained Canada’s most decorated winter athlete. “I’ve been really focusing on parallel giant slalom this year, and my win in Japan two weeks ago confirmed for me that this was the right decision to make. But I thought it be kind of fun to throw myself in the snowboard-cross course this week and see how I could do.”

And by all accounts, he had a great time doing it. “It was a beautiful, sunny day,” said Anderson. “The course was hard and fast and I gave it my all (without taking stupid risks). Sure, I would have loved to be on the podium, but overall I’m quite happy with my performance. For me, it was a great day.”

For second-place qualifier, Rob Fagan of Squamish, the day was all about consolidating his position as one of the top riders on the circuit. Often overshadowed by the results of his teammate Drew Neilson (who didn’t compete this week due to injuries sustained in the Lake Placid relay event), Fagan is a low-key, quiet-spoken 32-year old who’d rather let his board do the talking for him. And talking, it did today.

The last-standing Canadian in the finals, he fought Frenchmen Pierre Vaultier, Vincent Valery and Paul-Henri Delerue turn-for-turn and jump-for-jump. But the riders from the Tricolor Team were just too strong. And when Fagan finally made his move for a podium spot, they shut the door on him and left him spinning in the dust.

“For me, this was pretty much the most exciting race of the season,” said the unfazed veteran who ended up in fourth. “It was a short course with lots of jostling and lots of crashes out of the start. It was a really good test for all of us. If really showed how you could handle yourself in heavy traffic.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day came from National Development Group member Ryan Hickey of North Bay, Ontario of who qualified 32nd (last in other words) only to work his way through the elimination rounds all the way up to the small final and a 7th place finish. “I’ve been having a hard time qualifying in these World Cup events,” he explained. “But I knew once I could get past that, anything was possible.”

Showing blazing fast starts and a fearless approach in the oft-congested turns, Hickey once gain showed how deep the talent chart is on the Canadian snowboard-cross squad. “This is my fifth World Cup, but it’s only the first time I’ve qualified,” he said, a smile of pure satisfaction playing across his features. “I think this is going to give me a lot of confidence for our upcoming national championships at Cypress Mountain next month.”

The head coach of the Canadian Snowboard Team, Jim Miller, also deemed today’s event an unqualified success. “It’s a very good sign,” he said, “when we deliver such a dominant performance, but still feel disappointed that we didn’t do better. I’m really looking forward to seeing what these athletes can do to close out the season in Italy next week.”

MORE TO COME THIS WEEKEND AT THE SNOWBOARD JAMBOREE FESTIVAL

Saturday, March 8 (9 a.m. qualifying, 1 p.m. finals) NOKIA/FIS Giant Parallel Slalom World Cup

Presented by MAXELL in collaboration with RBC

Nicolien Sauernbreij of the Netherlands is the one woman really worth keeping an eye on, with five Austrians hot on her heels, including Heidi Neurerer and Claudia Riegler, 2nd and 3rd in the rankings respectively. As for the Canadian women, Alexa Loo (Richmond, BC), 20nd in the rankings, and Caroline Calvé (Gatineau), 26th in the world, will be hoping that home soil advantage will help them pick up a few points. Solid performances from Constance Boisvert (Québec City) in the Nor-Am Cup means she could be hitting form at just the right time coming into the Stoneham competition.

Overall World Cup rankings leader Mathieu Bozzetto (France) will be there to pit his skills against veteran and 2005 world champion Jasey-Jay Anderson (Mont-Tremblant) and Matthew Morison (Blackstock, ON). Anderson won the last event at Gujo-Gifu in Japan with Morison, currently 7th in the World Cup rankings, and Morison, 8th taking bronze.

Kinky Rail Jam, Saturday, March 8 at 10 a.m., Stoneham Mountain Resort

Kinky Rail Jam is a clinic organized by and for girls. Members of the fairer sex looking to hone their techniques and test how far they have come can take part in a competition at the end of the day. Kinky Rail Jam at Stoneham will play host to the 2008 final of this Rugged Riders competition circuit. $3,000 is up for grabs! (Registration from 9 a.m., $30)

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

All throughout Snowboard Jamboree, visitors will be able to try out the Roc-Gym climbing tower at the foot of the slopes and meet exhibitors presenting the industry’s latest products, samples, discounts, and more. The biggest companies such as Adidas Eyewear, Burton, La Vie Sportive, Rome Snowboard, and Boris will all be there.

Our traditional party at Bar Les Quatre Foyers continues at 8 p.m. on the evening of March 8. Pase Rock from New York and Slipmat will have everyone dancing the night away.

Snowboard Jamboree was voted event of the year in the “annual event” category at the 2007 Athletes Gala for the Québec City area on December 11. Snowboard Jamboree is another in a long line of successful events organized by Gestev. The event is organized by nonprofit organization Corporation Coupe du Monde de surf des neiges de Québec Inc. and GESTEV, the company it puts in charge of managing the event. The organization is supported by the Canadian Snowboard Federation (CSF).