(Squaw Valley, CA) - Earning two wins over the course of a career is enough to satisfy most athletes, but for snowboard halfpipe rider Louie Vito, capturing two titles in the span of three days seemed all the more efficient. The young standout, on the heels of a win in the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix in Tamarack, Idaho, over the weekend, accomplished the unimaginable and was on top of the podium again just a few days later at The Jeep King of the Mountain halfpipe championships in Squaw Valley, California.
Though only 19 years of age, the well-proven Vito has earned a name for himself as one of the sport’s best technical riders, with a flair for big rotations. Having captured wins at the USASA National Championships and the Australian Open over the past few years, the Sandy, Utah, resident’s impressive victory last Saturday at the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix and a follow-up appearance at The Jeep King of the Mountain offered him a chance to make a resounding statement to the sport’s top competitors.
At Squaw Valley, Vito maintained his torrid pace straight through the qualifiers and into the finals. In the first run of the finals, he nailed back-to-back 1080’s, followed by a 900 and closing front side 720 to earn a score of 95. That was enough to put him in first place heading into the final run, while putting pressure on the other riders trying to unseat him. On his second run, Vito pushed the envelope even further with a dazzling series that included consecutive 1080’s followed by consecutive 900’s and a closing 720. That effort earned him the overall highest score of the day, a 96, and secured his second straight win.
"It feels great to get the win here in Squaw, and everything really seems to be clicking for me right now," said Vito. "There was a lot of pressure from the other great riders today, and I knew that I had to go big if I wanted to bring it home in the end."
Another impressive performance came from Olympian, Andy Finch. The veteran with numerous titles under his belt used a flawless first run of the finals to sneak into third place. In his final attempt, he had an incredible run but it was not enough to overcome Vito. Finch ended up second.
Coverage of the action from Squaw Valley will be televised to a national broadcast audience on Sunday, February 24th on CBS television at 1 p.m.
FINAL RESULTS – MEN’S SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE
The Jeep King of the Mountain - Squaw Valley USA, Calif.
MEN’S RESULTS – SUPER FINAL TOP 5
1. Louie Vito – Sandy, Utah
2. Andy Finch – Truckee, Calif.
3. Luke Mitrani – Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
4. Elijah Teter – South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
5. Tommy Czeschin – Crowley Lake, Calif.
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PS: Don’t forget to watch the Chevy Truck Grand Prix this Saturday, February 16th at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC-TV!
