Eight More Amateurs Advance into Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, Feb. 10-13 at Snowbasin Resort

Burr Ridge, Ill. – January 25, 2011 – Halfway through with the season, the Gatorade Free Flow Tour completed its second weekend of events for the 2011 season. Events at Tyrol Basin Ski and Snowboard Area in Wisconsin and Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont turned out top competitors and repeat finalists. Snowboarders took on superpipe and slopestyle contests, and the winners will go on to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place at Snowbasin Resort in Utah, February 10-13. At Tyrol Basin, superpipe winners included Kirby Kelly and Gus Shuler, as well as slopestyle winners Alexis Roland and Brady Lem; Joe Mensch and Whitney Kulich took the superpipe contests at Okemo, while Jake Aaronson and Taylor Owen won the slopestyle divisions.

In the second year of contests at Tyrol Basin, competitors came out with smiles despite the frigid temperatures. Fifteen-year-old Kelly from Algonquin, Ill. earned her spot in the Finals for the second consecutive year, using her big back 5 and front 3 to top the field with a score of 77.00. Following up in second and third place were sisters Katie Wilson with a 67.5 and Sydney Wilson with a 57.75.

“I had a blast,” said Kelly. “I’m excited to go back to the Finals and do better than last year.”

Hometown favorite Schuler took the win in the men’s division. The 15-year-old from Janesville, Wis. used a huge backside method, front 5, cab 5, and ending with a mctwist, earning a final score of 78.25. His runner up, Davis Elm, scored a 75.50, while Kyle Kelly rounded out the podium in third with a 74.00.

“It was a really fun contest today,” said Schuler. “I’m looking forward to the Finals in Utah!”

Women’s slopestyle competitor Roland, only eleven years old, locked herself a spot in the Finals with an 81.25 from having the highest amplitude of the women’s field, as well as her solid trickery in the rail section. With a 71.00, Mikayla Miexner earned second place, while Kirby Kelly landed in third with a 65.50.

“I’m just going to try to have fun at the Finals,” Roland said. “I’m going to train a lot too, because I know those jumps are huge!”

Killing the competition in the men’s division was 17-year-old Lem, who won with a run consisting of an inverted cab 5, a stomped back 7 tail, to a front 180 on the flat down to 180 on the rail to 180 off, to a frontside 50-50 to 270 out. His run earned the top score of a 91.00, which was next followed by Justin Henigin’s 84.00 and Alexander Kondo’s 82.75.

“The Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals are going to be awesome!” said a shocked Lem. “I didn’t’ think I was going to win this. I can’t believe I’m going to Utah!”
Fighting off the same frigid weather as the Midwest, the amateurs at Okemo took full advantage of the day. Utilizing the freshly cut pipe, Mensch topped the men’s superpipe field with an 86.25. His run consisted of a huge cab 7, front 5, and back 5 melons. Close behind was runner up Levi Gunzburg with an 85.75, and in third place was Shane Serrano with an 80.50.

15-year-old Whitney Kulich represented for the women in the slopestyle contest, and earned herself a spot in the Finals with a score of 88.25. Her glory run consisted of a back 5, front 3, to another back 5.

Battling freezing temperatures as well as fellow contestants, 15-year-old Aaronson took first place and a trip to the finals with his finals run of a back 7 into a big front 7 mute, followed by a cab 180 50-50 to front board on the flat down rail. Dillon Wilson and Brendan Hart rounded out the podium, topping an intense group of finalists. The top three scored an 89.25, 86.00, and 83.00 respectively.

Making her mark on the 2010 circuit as the first women’s snowboard slopestyle champion, Owen came back from knee surgery to earn her spot in the Finals again to defend her title. Her score of a 90.25 was earned with stylie back 3, big indy on the large jump, and 50-50 frontside 360 out of the Gatorade up rail. Coming in second place with an 80.25 was Whitney Kulich, and in third place was Jaime Del Pizzo with a 75.75.

With their wins, the eight snowboarders earn an automatic bid into the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals that will take place at the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, February 10-13, 2011 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah.

Saturday and Sunday, January 22-23, 2011
Mount Horeb, Wis.

Women’s Snowboard Superpipe
1. Kirby Kelly, Algonquin, Ill. 2. Katie Wilson, Mequon, Wis. 3. Sydney Wilson, Mequon, Wis.

Men’s Snowboard Superpipe
1. Gus Schuler, Janesville, Wis. 2. Davis Elm, Green Bay, Wis. 3. Kyle Kelly, Algonquin, Ill. 4. Alexander Kondo, Malone, Wis. 5. Colin Tucker.

Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle
1. Alexis Roland, Bloomington, Minn. 2. Mikayla Meixner, Verona, Wis. 3. Kirby Kelly, Algonquin, Ill. 4. Katie Wilson, Mequon, Wis. 5. Maria Sabourin.

Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle
1. Brady Lem, Chanhassen, Minn. 2. Justin Henigin, White Bear Lake, Minn. 3. Alexander Kondo, Malone, Wis. 4. Mitch Kirby, . 5. Jon Overson, .

Saturday and Sunday, January 22-23, 2011
Ludlow, Vt.

Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle
1. Jake Aaronson, Needham, Mass. 2. Dillon Wilson, Madison, Conn. 3. Brendan Hart, Meredith, N.H. 4. Jack Dawe, Freeport, Maine. 5. Taylor Watling, Canada.

Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle
1. Taylor Owen, New London, N.H. 2. Whitney Kulich, Carrabassett, Maine. 3. Jaime Del Pizzo, Keene, N.H.

Men’s Snowboard Superpipe
1. Joe Mensch, Moriches, N.Y. 2. Levi Gunzburg, Mount Snow, Vt. 3. Shane Serrano, Bridgewater, N.J. 4. Taylor Watling, Canada. 5. Randall Reynolds, Higgsanum, Conn.

Women’s Snowboard Superpipe
1. Whitney Kulich, Carrabassett, Maine.