BIG WHITE, BRITISH COLUMBIA (MARCH 29, 2013) – Two IPC para-snowboard World Cups were hosted this week at Big White Ski Resort under stellar conditions. Presented on the same course as the Sport Chek Snowboardcross National Championships ongoing all week, six Canadians made their way into the top-10 during the two competitions.

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On Thursday’s World Cup, the 2009 World Champion Tyler Mosher from Whistler, BC was just shy of the podium finishing in third position. Ontario’s John Leslie from Arnprior followed Mosher in sixth place. Rounding up the Canadian delegation, Ian Lockey from Rossland, BC ended up his day in a respectable ninth place.

Reflecting on his day, Mosher said, “It’s good here in Big White. The course is perfect. I really have no excuses, if I gave it my all I should end up on the podium. I’m happy with my racing today. As long as I’m having fun in the process, it’s always a winning day”.

On the women’s front, Michelle Salt from Calgary, Alta is the newest addition to the Canadian Para-Snowboard team and finished in seventh place. Salt’s, positive attitude really showed when she told us, “From the second I found out about my leg, the Paralympics was on my mind. I will be a Paralympics snowboarder. I contacted Candice Drouin, the National Para-Snowboard coach and told her that I want to be on her team.”

Today’s World Cup made IPC history when the organizers and Big White took the opportunity of having a great course and good condition to test out a 4×4 format where four riders go down the course simultaneously for the first time in IPC World cup history. Taking the top 4 women and top 8 men, three heats of four made their way down the Big White course making some really interested racing. Unfortunately for Mosher, a small injury had him sidelined, but Lockey took part to the historic event.

“The para event today went as expected with the great facilities that Big White, and great support from BC Snowboard and Sport Canada. It also allowed us to try some new things and test out a potential way for the sport to go with a 4 by 4 format and we saw some results that we would like to see moving forward,“ said Dustin Heise, Director of Sport Development at Canada Snowboard.

Para-snowboard being newly added to the next Paralympic games in Sochi 2014, Mosher added, “I am totally excited. I had to put myself back together and say hey, you know what, I’m not done yet I’m still young enough to get out there and do my best. It’s important that children of all abilities have the opportunity to snowboard. When I learned to walk again after my spinal cord injury, snowboarding wasn’t offered for people living with disabilities. Now that it’s in the Paralympics, it will be founded at a grass root level throughout the world and that’s a huge success story in itself. Canada has been a huge leader in this. Canada Snowboard, Sport Canada and Own the Podium have really been pushing for this. We’ve helped develop the sport and we’re going to see huge success over the next several years.”

The action continues this weekend in Big White with the Sport Chek snowboardcross national championships.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with any members of the Canada Snowboard National Teams or coaches, contact CS Communications / Media Coordinator Charles Gagnon at: charles@csf.ca

IPC Para-Snowboard World Cups
March 28 – 29, Big White, Kelowna BC

Full Results: http://www.paralympic.org/AlpineSkiing/Calendar/Snowboard

World Cup #1

Women, lower limb

1 Bibian Mentel – NED
2 Amy Purdy – USA
3 Heidi Jo Duce – USA

7 Michelle Salt – Calgary, Alta

Men, upper limb

1 Ben Moore – GRB
2 Roberto Cavicchi – ITA
3 David Preziosi – ITA

Men, lower limb

1 Carl Murphy – NZL
2 Evan Strong – USA
3 Keith Gabel – USA

4 Tyler Mosher – Whistler, BC
6 John Leslie – Arnprior, Ont
9 Ian Lockey – Rossland, BC

World Cup #2

Women, lower limb

1 Bibian Mentel – NED
2 Amy Purdy – USA
3 Heidi Jo Duce – USA

Men, upper limb

1 Ben Moore – GRB
2 Roberto Cavicchi – ITA
3 Joseph Chandler – USA

Men, lower limb

1 Evan Strong – USA
2 Carl Murphy – NZL
3 Keith Gabel – USA

5 Ian Lockey – Rossland, BC
8 John Leslie – Arnprior, Ont
15 Tyler Mosher – Whistler, BC

 

ABOUT CANADA SNOWBOARD

Canada Snowboard (Canadian Snowboard Federation) is the national governing body for snowboarding in Canada. With the support of valued corporate partners like The Canadian Tire Corporation, Under Armour and Mazda Canada, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium and the Canadian Olympic Committee; Canada Snowboard is committed to high performance excellence in FIS World Cup, World Championships, World Snowboard Tour and Olympic Winter Games competition. Canada Snowboard also provides a wide range of programs and support services based on established principles of long-term athlete development. For more information on the services and programs offered by Canada Snowboard, visit: www.canadasnowboard.ca