Grand Prix xbox jr jam

Makayla Tierney wins '' XBOX Jr jam '' at the US Snowboarding Grand Prix at Killington

Makayla's smooth style and great bag of tricks won her a first place win at the X box 360 jr jam at Killington. She won a X box 360 aswell the latest games that X box makes.

Killington Grand Prix

Worked the Grand Prix Slopestyle today with Eric B, Randall, Joe, Kevin and Hunter. The weather and riding were phenomenal.
They all landed runs, Joe's had a 900, 360, 720, pretty challenging. Randall had one of the top 5 rail scores for the day. Kevin came back from a rough first run to ride out his second run and Hunter scored well with a monster back 7 over the big jump. Eric B is riding like a rookie pro and he made finals along with SMS pros Jeremy Thompson and Liz Beerman. Should be a great show tomorrow!
From what I heard, Makayla Tierney and Meghan Tierney went one and two in the X Box junior rail jam. Makayla is having quite a spring!
On the way home energy was so high we stopped by a log Kevin spotted and took a few shots. The photo of today is up top, RANDALL STACY log gap.
Ian

For Ilia Stacy

It has been nice to have some positive feedback on the blog. Mike Mattice just sent an amazing message musing on the differences between SMS kids and Middle Eastern youth. We got it good and should take nothing for granted, even an injured rider has it better than many kids.
I also received a request from Ilia Stacy (who also enjoys the blog) for more Randall Stacy news. Like there is not enough on websites and TV shows! Just kidding, never enough Randall coverage.
Before that news, some Rev Tour Slopestyle info. It was the best Rev slope event I have been to. Blue skies and a shredtastic park. The conditions were conducive to throw-down runs, and that is exactly what I was treated to. Eric B was on a mission. He learned switch back rodoes the first day of practice and had it dialed for his runs (see photo below). He followed this with a back rodeo 7 (another relatively new trick for him). He took third and stood on the podium with two excellent riders.




RANDALL STACY put a smooth run together, adding new tricks also. He just missed finals and left smiling. Chris Tierney was just out of finals also. This kid has come miles since the Copper Rev Slope. I honestly was worried for him at that event, but his run at Sugarloaf was sick and his mindset was pro. Sooooo much style, ask anybody.
In their first Rev Tour, India and Makayla both made finals and ended up in 4th and 5th. That pretty much sealed the MVP position for MAKAYLA TIERNEY. The girl made finals in pipe and slope (our only dual-finals athlete) and she got there by killing the course with style. Style counts people, it really does! The Tierney family is solid. Chris Sr. was with us at the event, riding and chilling at the start.



Sorry I just do highlights, its just a time thing. Hudson, Kevin, Hunter, Phoebe and Lena all landed runs, which is what we are looking for. Emily Evanko was the trip casualty, fracturing her knee on the knuckle of jump two. Scotty and I were with her and she is tough. She kept composure under painful duress.
So, now onto RANDALL STACY. This is for you Ilia. Randall and I are tight, we have travelled the world together and shared a near-death experience (he was much nearer to said death). And this is in the two years I have known him! The first day I met him and coached him he broke his collarbone on our second run, like 9:30am. What a bummer, but we got some hospital time in and got to know each other. The kid is really nice and fun to talk to. He has a positive attitude that permeates any group. I have not had much riding time with him this year which may explain his lapse of blog coverage (or its the R rated base graphics on his board in all photos). But he is competing in the Grand Prix Slopestyle this weekend at Killington and I got to train with him today. After Ilia's nice note, I was pointing my camera at Randall all day. Which was a good move because I got some great shots. He was on point at his old mountain, shredding The Stash. The opening photo is Randall ripping through the waved wall ride. The photo below shows the kid's control and style. This is how he straight-airs the biggest jump in the park, full 180 shift of the board, then it comes back. Super high in the air, it looked so cool.

HUNTER WOOD could use some love on the blog too. He was with the slope crew (Eric, Kevin, Randall, and Joe) today and check his approach to the biggest jump. Wild Man Back 7. This one was overshot and he took a good roll, but trust me he's got it.

Eric is riding insane. I witnessed a clean 60ft long, 35ft high backside rodeo and felt like I was watching a movie. More on him later. Kevin and Joe also stepped up to the intimidating park. It was intense, as was the excitement and stoke of our crew as we ripped through a Professional level park in the sun.
One more Randall photo... (He was first to run this log in icy conditions).
Ian

Rev Tour Halfpipe

Is anyone reading this blog? I hope so. I am in a rush as I write this, gotta go out to dinner with the team and fams. Just got into the condo to change. SMS represented at the final Rev Tour Halfpipe event. Again I gotta be short so here we go. Five kids made finals with Hunter Wood on the bubble by much less than a point. Shelby and Makayla for girls (Maks first Rev Tour, yeah girl). Joe, Jin and Mike for guys. Jin and Shelb on Podium. Jin 3rd with air, 5, 7,7,5. Joe right behind him in 4th with cab 7, front 9 combo to start his run, purdy nice (followed by 5 and mand straight air). Mike did not get his run and took some hard slams today, but the kid is back and in Rev finals.
Makayla stood up her finals run (killer lein nose first hit) and took 5th. GREAT JOB MAKAYLA! And that leaves Shelby Simpson. I am so happy to see the level Shelb is taking her riding to. I see a hundred pipe comps a year and can count on one hand the number of times I saw a rider drop in to a switch backside first hit (Davis being one of them). Shelb goes switch back 3 (grabbed) to back 5, such a rad leading combo. Second place for Shelby Simpson.
Kevin Mattice came ready to bring the streets to the pipe charging the ice pipe and headbutting it for good measure in his second practice run. Unphased by a swollen face he ended up 23rd, great for a park rat. As you can see in the photo, Joe was concerned and helped ice Kev's mugg.
Ian

B Day for TTK

Today is Thomas Tikos Kadji's 18th birthday. As I write this he is out to dinner with most of the team and the Simpson's (I blog while they celebrate, I gotta check my head!). Tikos has been a great member of the SMS team and from what I can tell he is a beloved son, caring big brother and the best friend Randall Stacy could ever have!
We had a great day on the hill. It snowed about 4 inches last night which made for sticky/lumpy condtions, terrible for pipe and choppy for slope. The kids are riding so well that they were able to train both without complaint. Eric Beauchemin learned switch back rodeos (stomped and grabbed first attempt, second attempt went 720). India is spinning the big jump in the slope course and I saw some new tricks out of Randall. Poor Tikos edged a bit too hard in the soft snow and did the Reverse Superman, Reverse Scorpion on the deck of the second jump, snapping the tail of his board in half. Ouch, Happy Birthday! He was not phased.

Halfpipe Takeover

The team made it up to Maine without incident. Dave Redden lead the caravan over the frost-heavy roads of NH and Maine and we arrived in under 6 hrs. It was nice to see the ski team up here too, SMS has taken over. The weather made for a tough morning at Sugarloaf, 70mph winds up top and glare ice all over the mountain. The slope parks were too icy to open, which lead us to the halfpipe. In moments we had 15 plus kids hiking the pipe and throwing down. Regular-rider's backside wall softened up quick which was conducive to progression. Joe Mencsh lead the charge all day, boosting and liking tricks with style.
Connor Hudson, who had broken his collarbone in December trying back 9s climbed right back on the horse. It was sick to watch him relearn back 5s and 7s in under an hour and then land a back 9. Comeback complete, nice job. Shelb was grabbing her back 5s, which will lead to a big jump in her HP run score. Chris Tierney landed Haokkenflips, Hunter front 9s, and Austin back 7s. Phoebe learned grabbed back 360s and Emily E is close to back 5s. Eric Beauchemin RODE AND HIKED THE HALFPIPE TODAY. Yes I said Eric B RODE PIPE TODAY, and he could have landed front 9s if he had not bottomed out 5 times on sick front 7s. Here is the proof:

Jin Wook was also riding strong with his trademark air to fakies (see photo).



Tomorrow is the first official training day. At this point in the year the crew is riding and competing like they mean it and we all expect great results.
Ian

India Stephenson

Today's post is focused on one of our hardest working riders, India Stephenson. She came in strong this fall, setting a great example in dryland, even demonstrating moves for the team. On snow she has been tough and focused. Each day involves hard slams and new tricks. She quickly made the jump to Pro/Am and has fit right in with a very hungry group. Today we rode Stratton and we sensed that India could take her 360s to the big park jumps. She was obviously sensing the same thing becasue by the end of the day she had spun frontside and backside 360s over a 25 ft table. Check the photo, she is grabbing too.



So here's to India, a tough, hard-working young lady who loves to snowboard and inspires everyone who rides with her. Keep it up girl!