Bobby Flanigan didn't expect to leave Jackson Hole's Evolution Tour with an invitation to train with the U.S. Snowboard team this summer.
"I didn't even expect to make it to the finals," he said.
But after winning not only his J1 class, but also the overall slopestyle competition during last weekend's Evolution Tour, training with the U.S. team is where Flanigan is headed.
A senior on coach Andrew Gilbert's Sun Valley Snowboard team, Flanigan was racing in one of his final team events. In the two-run finals, he fell twice on his first, but returned to the top of the course for and delivered a technical (riding a C-rail switch) and perfect second attempt for the win.
By taking first in the slopestyle, Flanigan was automatically awarded one of three Junior Gold Awards, earning him the privilege of training with the U.S. pros this summer.
This is the fifth consecutive year Sun Valley will send a boarder to Mt. Hood with a Junior Gold Award.
Flanigan's weekend didn't start and end on the slopestyle course, though. He took a J1 first and fourth in the halfpipe.
The Evolution Tour was designed to bridge the sizable gap between intermountain regional events and national Grand Prix events.
Jeremy Black and Austen Butler also had big weekends in Jackson. Butler landed 720 spins and one 900 revolution in slopestyle competition.
"That trick won people houses at the X Games two years ago," Gilbert said of the impressive two and half revolution spectacle. "It was a very productive weekend," added a very stoked Gilbert.
Prior to the high stakes Evolution tour, Flanigan and others learned that they had qualified for USASA National Championships at Copper Mt., Colo. April 1-April 9.
Besides Flanigan (SS), Sun Valley qualifiers to the USASA Event are Spencer Cordovano (GS/SL/HP), Jens Peterson (HP/SS), Jeremy Black (HP), Scott Fairfax (SS), Chase Josey (GS/SL/SS/HP/BX), and Ryan Roemer (HP/SS).
Josey, a Grommet boy who has taken first in every race he has entered this year, is the only SV rider to qualify in all five disciplines. Also due to compete in the Open Class is U.S. Snowboard teamer Graham Watanabe of Ketchum.
