Snowboarders and Snowfall, the 37th Burton US Open was a weekend of winter weather and wins.
To know the rush of standing at the top of a course at the Burton US Open is known by few. Whether it be the towering halfpipe or the expertly constructed slopestyle run, knowing so many greats were right there in that very spot is both exhilarating and humbling. And all of those emotions swell until these pro boarders drop in. This is what snowboarding dreams are made of.
The Burton US Open is a flagship snowboarding competition that brings the best of the best to the slopes of Vail, Colorado for a week of shredding and bringing out their best. The greats like Sean White and Chloe Kim have made their mark time and again on the contest’s course, but this year, new boarders staked their claim in the snow. It was an especially exciting weekend for women boarders.
Rookie commentator Kelly Clark said it best. “We saw so much great riding out here today, but most of all what we say was progression!” This progression came in the form of the first ever double crippler landed by a woman in competition by Maddie Mastro (USA). Unsurprisingly, with her combined score of 84.74, Mastro took the win, beating out three-time Burton US Open champ Chloe Kim (who won second with 84.62). Mastro has been competing in the Open since her 2011 Junior Jam second place win. The 37th Burton US Open marked her first major professional competition win.
“I’m just fully overwhelmed! This is my first contest win, and for it to be at the US Open is this incredible amazing feeling. This trick is something I want to be doing consistently and make progression a norm for women’s snowboarding.” – Maddie Mastro
Maddie Mastro and Scotty James (AUS) both earned the Burton US Open halfpipe titles this year. This win for James capped off an undefeated season. The Aussie has won every halfpipe competition of this season, brandishing six total victories.
“It’s been an amazing season. Coming off second in semi-finals definitely put a fire under my butt, I definitely didn’t like finishing off there. So I came out today and really wanted to put on a show for myself and for everyone that came up here to watch us. It’s just amazing – I’m absolutely over the moon.” Scotty James
As for the Burton slopestyle competitors, Olympic gold medalist Redmond “Red” Gerard (USA) took the lead maintained it through all three runs. Meanwhile, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (NZL) continued her season-long winning streak. She capped her contest trifecta with a win at the Burton US Open. With a little light snowfall, competitors called the Open the best slopestyle course of the competitive season. Even the Olympic gold medalist Red was over the moon for his Burton win:
“It’s pretty crazy, I’ve never really thought I’d be on the podium at the US Open, so to win is beyond me.” – Red Gerard
It wasn’t just an excellent weekend for the borders either. Above all, the spectators were able to enjoy the beautiful week of fresh snowfall and overall beautiful weather. A dramatic difference from last year’s muddy mountains. Walking around the mountain you’d be hard pressed to find a frowning face. Fans old and young and even their pets gathered to see this epic competition, and this year definitely didn’t disappoint.