Skiing

 JORDAN GASPER!  VOTE BREAKDOWN....

In a tight race, featuring an all-star filmers bracket, Jordan Gasper and Paul Dybas generated the most feedback and votes.   Jordan takes home a LG Spirit 4G phone from Metro PCS, some prizes from NEFF, Gliks. His name also goes on the AGA Cup as top filmer for 2013.

Paul will receive prizes from NEFF, AGA Nation, National Guard for making it to the final two. Congrats to both Jordan and Paul for great work and all the Filmer Nominees. And a big shout out to Bruce Pfeiffer for his help coordinating the month long promotion.

Here is what some had to say.

 Julian Edward Fetterman · Director at Windells Camp

 Michigan Monster Energy

Winter Cup Series moves to Boyne!

Crystal Mountain hosts the successful opening round of the Michigan Monster Energy Winter Cup Series, now it’s off to Boyne Highlands, Feb. 9^th, for round two of the Midwest’s premier freeski/snowboard competition series

HARBOR SPRINGS, Mich. (Feb. 5, 2012) – Round two of the inaugural Michigan Monster Energy Winter Cup Series goes off this Saturday, Feb. 9^th, at Michigan’s iconic Boyne Highlands ski resort – high above the Lake Michigan snow factory in northern Michigan’s premier snow country.

Taking place at the Highlands’ Challenger Terrain Park, the Monster Energy Slopestyle competition format will feature the Midwest’s top freeskiers and snowboarders battling it out across rail features, ‘Big Air’ hits, jib features and a vertical wall ride.

“Boyne Highlands is the ideal setting for round two of the Michigan Monster Energy Winter Cup Series. The Highlands’ terrain park is amongst the most impressive in the Midwest in terms of size, hits, features and – above all – reputation amongst Michigan’s elite competition freeskiers and snowboarders,” said Monster Energy rep Howard Rosner. “The Highlands will go off this Saturday in a big way and Monster Energy’s pumped to bring our Winter Cup Series to the heart of Michigan’s ski country.”

In addition to the on-snow competition portion of the Michigan Monster Energy Winter Cup Series at Boyne Highlands, Monster Energy will also throw its trademark VIP After-Party following the evening competition. All those who purchase a Monster Energy VIP After-Party wristband are eligible to win exclusive prizes from Monster Energy and Boyne Highlands, such as a snowboard, snowboard jackets, backpacks, gift certificates and more!

Rewind … Round one of the inaugural Michigan Monster Energy Winter Cup Series took place recently at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, Mich. More than 50 of the Midwest’s top freeskiers and snowboarders took to the terrain park at Crystal, blasting, spinning, grinding and – in many cases – stomping the landings on a bevy of modern tricks. The big winners at Crystal were Kenny Simmons in the 18+over Snowboarder class and Reese Spaulding in the 18+over Skier class, along with U-17 winners Seth Harding (Snowboarder) and Flick Mooradian (Skier). The top female snowboarders were Kaitlyn Adams (U-17) and Meghan Boland (18+).

“The top riders really stepped it up using the entire course throwing big tricks with front and backside rodeos, switch backside rotations, and some huge frontside spins. On the rails were multiple lip and boardslides with some technical 270 spins, both on and off the features.” - Carter Backie, Head Judge of the Michigan Monster Energy Winter Cup Series.

At Boyne Highlands everyone in attendance will be able to check out some of the Monster Energy drink flavors at two separate sampling locations, hosted by the awe-inspiring Monster Energy Girls. Get yourself hooked up with some free Monster Energy swag this weekend at the Highlands!

·       Registration: 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. near Cafeteria entrance

·       Competitor Practice: Challenger Terrain Park open to competitors only for practice from 5:00 - 5:45 pm

·       Start Time: 6:00 p.m.

·       Awards: 20-30 minutes after the last competitor, approximately 8:30 p.m. in the cafeteria

·       Monster Energy After-Party: Immediately following awards in the Tailgate/Fireplace Rooms.  $5 to get in includes 2 drink tickets (each ticket is good for beer, wine, well mixed drink or soft drink), tons of appetizers, complementary Monster Energy product and an appearance by the Monster Girls!

Note: The third and final round of the Michigan Monster Energy Winter Cup Series is Feb. 23^rd at Shanty Creek/Schuss Mountain. The series’ grand finale wraps up the 2013 Michigan Monster Energy Winter Cup Series with great competition, grand prizes like snowboards, cash, more great exclusive Monster Energy gear and the custom silver “M” Claw trophies for the division winners.

For more information, including registration for the Michigan Monster Energy Winter Cup Series, link to: www.aganation.com

Congrats to Spencer Blackburn taking home the big check, $$, prizes from Glik's as well as name going onto the AGA Cup for just outlasting Dalton Cruz. Evan Vollicki-Offer from Plymouth took 3rd.

Dalton Cruz and Spencer Blackburn dazzled the Plymouth Ice Festival crowd with high flyin theatrics! It was a great first showing both Friday and Saturday from the area's top snowboarders.

Early in the day during USASA Huck Finn Series action, Brandon Canney earned the right to ride the X Games course for taking 1st in snowboarder rail jam competition.

More news, photos and event video yet to come! 

Not only will this year's Plymouth Ice Festival feature the first ever Downtown Rail Jam for boarders and skiers but also a chance for shredders to ride the official X Games course.  The event managed by the Bonehead X, can qualify one (1) snowboarder/man, 1 snowboarder/woman;  one(1) skier/man and one (1) skier/woman to compete on the X-Games course during the X Games! 

Qualifiers must be FULL USASA members. If you want to compete in the Downtown Rail Jam as a free trial or One Day and then you qualify and the win opportunity, you must join as a FULL member before they can receive their invitation. The event will be Open Class level, although since it will not be officially a USASA point event, we will not require that the athletes be IN USASA Open Class. To qualify you must place at your local USASA series Rail Jam event, Each Series will be able to qualify 1 person in each of the disciplines:

PRE-REGISTER HERE!

Just to be perfectly clear, this is NOT an X Games event. This is an event happening on the X Games Rail venue at the X Games, but the qualifiers are not in any way qualifying into the X Games. The real X Games event is Friday night.

The entire Downtown Rail Jam during the Plymouth Ice Festival can be found here:

Complete AGA Nation Schedule of Events:
FRIDAY- JANUARY 18- 500 Forest Avenue Clinic and Downtown Rail Jam

3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – AGA Nation Clinic on Forest Avenue

6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. – AGA Nation Downtown Rail Jam – in E.G. Nicks parking lot – Open Riding – Demos

6:30- 8:00 p.m. Open Riding/Sledding

8:00 -9:00 p.m. - Demos

9:00 10:00 p.m. - Best Trick - Skiers - Advance- Intermediate

10:00 11:00 p.m. - Best Trick - Boarders

11:00 12:00 a.m. - Awards

SATURDAY- JANUARY 19-  Skiers and Snowboarders

10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. – AGA Nation Clinic on Forest Avenue

11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - USASA Huck Finn Series qualifying

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – AGA Nation Downtown Rail Jam - Registration, Practice and Open Session

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Downtown Rail Jam Competition –Advance; Intermediate divisions

8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Open Break - grooming; course maintenance

9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. – Saturday's Night Main Event Finals

11:00 p.m. -11:30 p.m. - Awards-presentation 

 18 & Over Men Snowboard

1. Kenny Simmons

2. Dalton Cruz

3. Nik Clark

18 & Over Skier

1. Reese Spaulding

2. Matthew Mailloux

3. Ben Eihart

18 & over women

1. Meghan Boland

2. Aly Sweet

17 & Under Girls

1. Kaitlyn Adams

2. Sydney Vagg

17 & Under Boys Snowboard

1. Seth Harding

2. Spencer Vagg

3. Nick Balhorn

17 & Under Boys Ski

1. Flick Mooradian

2. Blake Scott

3. Brandt Gruizinga

Micah Ivey is now a 'back to back' AGA Cup champ after winning yesterday's Big Air competition @ Mt. Holly's 6th Annual Snowboard-Ski comp. Originally scheduled for Saturday but pushed back to Sunday due to power outage, the popular event proved to be worth the wait.

Ivey and 2012 Dalton Cruz, who captured the AGA Cup for snowboard put on an awesome display in front of the Mt. Holly crowd. Both Ivey and Cruz took home cash, AGA Cup replica and prizes.

AGA TV Rail Jam, Slopestyle and Big Air video footage to be release later this week. Stay tuned...

AGA TV was on hand to film the last 2012 event of the Huck Finn Series, the last chance to qualify for USASA Nationals in April. Check it out!