In this short video shot specifically to get SEO nerds gumming their own weapons at the sheer keyword potential of it, Torstein Horgmo decides to poach a lap in the US Open pipe and turns to multiple X Game and Olympic halfpipe winner Shaun White for advice. 

As Shaun knows better than anyone, it’s all about the backward Nancy and double upward Blumpkin these days. Sorry, that’s Shaun White. SHAUN WHITE. And now we want to see TORSTEIN HORGMO give SHAUN WHITE tips on bossing slopestyle. Sadly there are no cats and not even a whiff of Leeroy Jenkins in this, otherwise we would be able to slope off to Cancun for the rest of the winter…

Prior to the finals everyone had been raving about how Vail’s pipe was one of the best ever built, and after witnessing the finals it’d be hard to disagree. The level of riding, specifically the amplitude these guys and girls were getting, was next level. Shaun and Kelly won – which is no great surprise – but they were both given a run for their money by two kids who represent the future of men’s and women’s pipe riding: 14-year-old Ayumu Hirano and 16-year-old Arielle Gold both were arguably the people’s champions and showed that they’ll be deeply involved in writing pipe riding’s next few chapters. Props must also go to Christian Haller for the best Method of the day that, sadly, we couldn’t find a clip of. We saw it, Hitch, we saw it…

***Warning: Most of these videos contain AWFUL music. Set machines to mute.***

MEN

1 – Shaun White

2 – Ayumu Hirano

3 – Louie Vito

WOMEN

1 – Kelly Clark

2 – Hannah Teter

3 – Arielle Gold

When you’re done you can also watch the Burton US Open halfpipe podium runs.

MEN

1 – Mark McMorris

2 – Torstein Horgmo

3 – Chas Guldemond

WOMEN

1 – Spencer O’Brien

2 – Jamie Anderson

3 – Brooke Voigt

Torstein Horgmo.

Yesterday, Vail played host to the men’s and women’s slopestyle semi finals of the Burton US Open and the riding was predictably heavy. Canadian Spencer O’Brien nudged Jamie Anderson out of pole position on her last run, while Torstein Horgmo blew minds seemingly without even breaking a sweat. [We're working on the highlights of yesterday's action. Check back later to watch how it went down.]

It’s the first time Vail’s hosted this prestigious event – now in its 31st edition – and they’ve constructed quite the slopestyle course to show they mean business. Starting with the MINI jib section – an assortment of rails scattered around a huge wallride feature – the run opens out into three monumental mounds of snow with jumps tagged on their summits. Seriously, we were floored by the scale of the landings, but chat from the riders (and the riding itself) suggested that said landings could have done with being a little steeper – it wasn’t uncommon for people to get the landing gear down, yet get bucked.

Nevertheless, the riding from the shredders at the apex of the slopestyle game was predictably bolts. Women’s slopestyle is often a two-horse race these days, with Jamie Anderson and Spencer O’Brien duking it out for the top spot, and in the semis it was the Canadian who took first blood. Spencer led the women’s field with her winning run that included a frontside boardslide, MINI wallride to gap to frontside lipslide, 50-50 frontside 180 out, switch backside 180 mute grab, and a frontside 360 to backside 540 indy grab. She was also bummed that in claiming the top spot she bumped 14-year-old Japanese girl Miyabi Onitsuka out of the finals, once again confirming she could very well be the nicest person on the planet. Right behind her was Jamie Anderson (USA) in second and Brooke Voigt (CAN) in third. In total, 21 women from 11different countries battled it out on the slopestyle course and the top sixriders will advance to the finals.

Spencer O’Brien

On the men’s side, Norwegian Torstein Horgmo simply made A-grade snowboarding look like the easiest thing in the world. He cruised into first place with a winning run that included a switch backside 270 on, MINI wallride to switch frontside boardslide 270 out, switch lipslide 270 out, switch backside 900 mute grab, and a frontside double cork 1080 mute grab followed by a huge backside double cork 1080 indy grab. Close behind him was Eric Willett (USA) in second and young-gun Yuki Kadono (JPN) – whose first run front 12 attempt was so big we thought he was going to land in Denver – in third. But for all the guys and girls you knew that the handbrake was most certainly on. Come finals on March 1st the level will ratchet up a notch or two. Make sure you tune in.

Women’s Slopestyle Semi-Final Results

1. Spencer O’Brien CAN, NIKE, 75.33

2. Jamie Anderson USA, BILLABONG, 74.88

3. Brooke Voigt CAN, 32 SNOWBOARD BOOTS, 70.08

4. Sarka Pancochova CZE, FLOW, 69.53

5. Christy Prior NZL, BURTON, 63.53

6. Shelly Gotlieb NZL, BURTON, 62.00

Men’s Slopestyle Semi-Final Results

1. Torstein Horgmo NOR, DC SHOE CO USA, 87.93

2. Eric Willett USA, VANS, 84.26

3. Yuki Kadono JPN, RIDE, 83.88

4. Mark McMorris CAN, BURTON, 83.43

5. Chas Guldemond USA, ROCKSTAR, 81.25

6. Peetu Piiroinen FIN, NIKE, 80.63

7. Maxence Parrot CAN, O’NEILL, 80.28

8. Stale Sandbech NOR, OAKLEY, 80.03

9. Sage Kotsenburg USA, NIKE, 79.28

10. Ryan Stassel USA, BURTON, 77.23

11. Jamie Nicholls GBR, NIKE, 75.03

12. Darcy Sharpe CAN, MONSTER, 74.98

The 31st annual Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships presented by MINI is excited to announce an impressive list of confirmed riders, all on deck to compete at the sport’s most legendary event taking place in Vail, Colorado from February 25th – March 2nd, 2013. Some of the biggest names in snowboarding are confirmed, including Shaun White, Mark McMorris, Kelly Clark, Jamie Anderson, Iouri Podladtchikov and more, who are all heading to Vail Mountain for the Burton US Open world-class slopestyle and halfpip ecompetitions.

“The US Open is one of snowboarding’s legendary events, and some of my best competition memories are of competing at Vail, so for me, bringing the two together is all time,” said Shaun White. “I’m excited to compete in Vail’s new pipe and see everyone come out for the next evolution of this contest.”

It all gets started on Wednesday, February 27, with slopestyle semi-finals, which will be more exciting than ever now that slopestyle is an official sport at the 2014 Winter Olympics. At the US Open, the best slopestyle competitors in the world are confirmed to compete, including X-Games slopestyle gold medalist Mark McMorris (CAN), 2012 Burton European Open (BEO) slopestyle winner Aleksander Oestreng (NOR), 2012 US Open slopestyle champ Sebastien Toutant (CAN), and World Snowboard Tour overall title holder Ståle Sandbech(NOR), among others. The women’s line-up is equally impressive, with X Games gold medalist and 2012 US Open slopestyle champion Jamie Anderson (USA), 2012 X Games gold medalist Enni Rukajärvi (FIN), Olympian Kjersti Ostgaard Buaas (NOR), three-time BEO Junior Jam winner Ty Walker (USA) and Cilka Sadar (SLO) all confirmed to compete.

The odds on this guy being stood atop the pipe podium at the US Open again this year are high. Photo: Blotto.

On Thursday, February 28, the legendary Burton US Open halfpipe semi-finals begin. The US Open halfpipe rider list is stacked with nine Olympians, including Shaun White (USA), Louie Vito (USA), Greg Bretz (USA), Kazuhiro Kokubo (JPN), Kelly Clark (USA), Elena Hight (USA), Hannah Teter (USA), and Torah Bright (AUS). Also competing are World Snowboarding Championships gold medalist Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI), Queralt Castellet (ESP), Peetu Piiroinen (FIN), Christian Haller (SUI) and 14-year-old halfpipe phenom and 2013 X Games silver medalist Ayumu Hirano (JPN).

Burton Snowboards is thrilled to announce that Seattle-based hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and singer/songwriter Santigold will both perform FREE concerts at the 31st annual Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships presented by MINI.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will kick-off the Burton US Open free concert series on Friday, March 1st following the world-class US Open slopestyle finals at Vail. Known for their electrifying live performances, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ hit single “Thrift Shop” is currently number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the third straight week.

On Saturday, March 2nd, Santigold will take to the stage for a freeshow following the legendary Burton US Open halfpipe finals. With two critically acclaimed albums to her name, Santigold also created the song “Girls,” which is the lead single for the album Girls Soundtrack, Vol. 1: Music from the HBO Original Series.

The 2013 Burton US Open is the must-attend snowboard event of the season where crowds can watch world-class, Olympic-level snowboarding competitions by day and incredible music acts by night – all for FREE at Vail Mountain in Colorado.

If you can’t make it to Vail to experience the Burton US Open in person, check out live webcasts of the slopestyle semi-finals on Wednesday, February 27th, halfpipe semi-finals on Thursday, February 28th, slopestyle finals on Friday, March 1st and halfpipe finals on Saturday, March 2nd.

For more information on the 2013 Burton US Open and a full list of competitors,follow the hashtag #BurtonUSOpen and head to www.Burton.com/USO

There’s been rumours of Burton’s flagship contest upping sticks from Stratton circulating for a while, and now the B have come out and confirmed it. After 27 years in Vermont, the US Open is moving west. Here’s the release…

Burton Snowboards Officially Announces the Relocation of the US Open to Vail

Burton Snowboards and Vail Mountain officially announced today that the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships is moving to Vail, Colorado starting in 2013. The 31st edition of the US Open will take place at Vail’s Golden Peak from February 25 – March 2, 2013.

To commemorate this news, key members of the snowboard community gathered in Vail last week to get a first look at the venue, including the proposed 22-foot halfpipe location at Golden Peak, and hear from Burton andVail representatives about the vision and evolution for the event moving forward. Burton pro riders Kelly Clark and Mark McMorris were among the group in Vail, and had this to say:

“The US Open is one of my favorite events by far, and I couldn’t be more excited about its next evolution,” stated five-time US Open halfpipe champ and three-time Olympian Kelly Clark of West Dover, Vermont. “Burton has always been about progressing the sport and doing what’s best for snowboarders, and I truly believe that this move to Vail will make the Open even better for theriders and the thousands of fans who come out to watch.”

“I also couldn’t be more stoked on this,” added two-time X-Games Gold Medalist Mark McMorris of Regina, Canada. “Ever since I started snowboarding, the US Open was always the main show, and knowing what Burton and Vail have in store to take this contest to the next level makes me so excited to compete there this winter.”

The Burton US Open, which first took place in 1982, is now the longest-running snowboarding competition in the world. And like the sport itself, the event has morphed and changed over the past three decades – changes that not only included moving mountain locations from Suicide Six to Snow Valley to Stratton, but also changes that addressed the level of snowboarding and needs of the riders each year. Burton Founder & CEO Jake Burton has played a vital role at every step of the US Open’s history and had this to say:

“First off, I just want to thank Stratton Mountain in Vermont where the US Open took place for so long,” said Jake. “Stratton not only hosted the Open for 27 years, but also played a pivotal role in making resort riding a reality. And as we look to the future progression of the US Open, I feel that Vail offers us the ideal venue to host the event. Vail is an incredible mountain and has been my snowboarding home-away-from-home for over 20 years. I have no doubt that the US Open at Vail will only grow in its legacy as the premier rider-driven event in the world.”

Planning between Burton and Vail is well underway for the 2013 US Open, which includes securing final U.S. Forest Service approvals to relocate Vail’s halfpipe to a more favorable position on Golden Peak. In addition, Golden Peak’s base area will be transformed into a festival-like village with a host of exciting activities and experiences, including free, live music concerts for all riders and spectators.

“When Burton decided to move the US Open out west after 30 successful years back east, we were delighted that they chose Vail for such an important event. We look forward to hosting the world’s best snowboarders at Vail. We believe it’s a perfect marriage of two great brands in the winter sports industry and we’ll do our utmost to make this a tremendously successful endeavor,” said Blaise Carrig, president of Vail Resorts’ mountain division.

The 2013 US Open will take place at Vail Mountain from February 25-March 2, 2013. For ongoing updates and info please visit http://www.opensnowboarding.com throughout the season.

Kazu. Photo: Sami Tuoriniemi

At the pipe finals of this year’s US Open Kazu Kokubo laid down what was perhaps the most peculiar pipe run ever seen in the contest’s 30 year history – considering this is an event known for its poachers that is quite some achievement. We wanted to know what was up…

Having qualified directly for the finals by winning last years pipe Kazu was the third rider to drop following Shaun White, who as you will already know tore the pipe a new arsehole with a faultless first run, and Danny Kass. But rather than stoke out his voluminous fan club with the classic Kazu style he side-slipped the pipe and threw his bib into the crowd.

This being days before the anniversary of Japan’s terrible Tsunami we, as well as most others, assumed that he may have been paying homage to those who lost their lives in the tragedy but not wanting to jump to conclusions we thought we would ask Kazu himself.

Onboard: We are assuming that your side-slipping of the pipe was a homage to all those who lost their lives in the Tsunami of last year?

Kazu: Everybody thinks that but no. It was the honourable way to apologize to everyone for not being able to compete.

Onboard: Was it something you planned to do or was it something you did off the bat?

Kazu: It was not planned.

Onboard: Why did you not compete then?

Kazu: Something twisted on a 12 in practice and I knew I couldn’t perform 100%. I thought I could take the first run but I couldn’t.

Onboard: Damn, well what was your opinion of the riding, particularly that of the top three riders, in the contest?

It is the same as last 2 years. If I can learn double rodeo 12 in 3 days more people should learn new tricks in 2 years.

Onboard: True that. You got your place from winning last year but do you know why Shaun didn’t have to do semis?

Kazu: Same as Danny Kass and I. They said last 4 years winners go to finals. It doesn’t really matter. All 3 of us would make finals anyway.

So there you have it from the horse’s mouth. All we can say is that we are looking forward to seeing him ride again next year and here’s wishing him a speedy recovery.

The revered Burton US Open celebrates its 30th birthday this season, and with things kicking off Stateside, the Powder & Rails crew take a look at the history of this prestigious snowboard contest. Peep it.

On the second weekend in March 2012, snowboarding’s longest running contest turns “Dirty 30.” The Burton US Open is one of the most respected events in snowboarding and has been traditionally held at Stratton, VT for most of those 30 years. A lot of things have happened at the USO: old school downhill racing, the first machine-dug halfpipe, keg parties, snowball fights, mini-riots, people dangling from trees above the halfpipe, drunk people did a lot of dumb shit and some of the coolest stuff in snowboarding history – sometimes those last two are one in the same.

Powder & Rails collects accounts from snowboarding legends like Terje Haaksonsen, Jake Burton, Jeff Brushie, Andy Coghlan, Tricia Byrnes, Seth Neary, and Jason Ford, many of which have had podium spots throughout the USO history. Speaking of podiums, US Open winners and Olympic medal holders like Danny Kass, Ross Powers, Kelly Clark, and Hannah Teter are in there too. Part 1 goes into one of the most controversial things to ever happen at the US Open, 1996: “The Year of the Cage.” Look out for that story.

As you’ll know, the venerable daddy of US snowboard comps, the US Open, is on in its hometown of Stratton. As with the European Open last week, MINI have charged the shaping crew with the task of coming up with an innovative park obstacle for the riders to show their creativity on and be rewarded with cold hard cash. Check it…

The contest season is coming to an end and so is the second installment of the MINI Creative Use of Space (CUoS) Award. From March 5th to 11th, 2012, the cream of freestyle snowboarding’s crop will be competing for the glory, but happily snowboarding’s unsung heroes – the shapers – can also bag an award at the last stop of the Burton Global Open Series (BGOS). At each of the four BGOS competitions, the shapers were given US$5,000 to build an exceptional MINI Feature. At the final stop, the Burton US Open, the MINI Feature that is picked by the judging panel to be the most creative will be awarded an additional US$5,000 as well as the Creative Use of Space Slopestyle Feature Award.

The US Open feature is the last to enter the competition this season. According to head-shaper Aaron Dettling and his Snow Park Technologies crew, the idea was to give the riders the possibility to play in their “driveway”, hence a backdrop based on a garage with a MINI parked in front framing two kickers on the slopestyle course. We’ll have to see how it plays out in real life – you can watch it on Redbull.tv – but our initial reaction is that the Laax crew have the 5k in the bag as the BEO feature was super sick and allowed so much creativity from the riders.

Also for the last time in the BGOS 2011/12, the riders have a chance can win US$5,000 for the most creative trick on the MINI Feature during the slopestyle finals, while in the halfpipe, the most innovative trick will also be rewarded with US$5,000. Last week Jamie Anderson, Cilka Sadar, Christian Haller and Emil Ulsletten bagged the swag, so we’ll see who can match that in the States.

The CUoS Slopestyle Feature Award 2012 will be decided at the US Open along with the CUoS Slopestyle and Halfpipe Awards.
The dates for the finals are:  Slopestyle Finals: Friday, March 9th, 2012 (women’s & men’s) Halfpipe Finals: Saturday, March 10th, 2012 (women’s & men’s)

Watch it all live on RedBull.tv

Another entry into the ever-growing list of freakishly talented young bucks is this Japanese nipper, Ayumu Hirano. Check the 12-year-old Japanese ripper poaching the US Open pipe and frickin’ sending it. As the Burton guys say: if you’re gonna poach the pipe at the Open you’ve gotta follow the unwritten rule – GO BIG. Ayumu Hirano certainly did.

This kid is going places, believe. We remember seeing a 14-year-old Kazuhiro Kokubo back in the day and Ayumu seems to be on the same track. Remember the name.