Burton Snowboards and Vail Mountain officially announced Monday,
July 30 that the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships is
moving to Vail, CO, starting in 2013. The 31st edition of the US
Open will take place at Vail's Golden Peak from February 25 - March
2, 2013.
The first 30 years of the event had been held in Vermont, with
Stratton Mountain Resort hosting for the last 27 years.
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.
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 Burton.
"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."
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 ongoing updates and info visit www.opensnowboarding.com
Tagged:
Burton Snowboards, Vail Mountains
