Sunday, March 25, 2001


******************************

CLARK WINS SBX, TITLE AND TRUCK AT X-NIX U.S. SNOWBOARD CHAMPIONSHIPS

NEWRY, Maine (March 25) - It came down to the wire, but U.S. Snowboard
Team rider Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT) did what she needed to do and won
a snowboardcross Sunday at the X-Nix U.S. Snowboard Championships at
Sunday River. The win gave her the overall Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard
Grand Prix title and a new Chevy Truck. Canadian Jasey Jay Anderson won
the men's snowboardcross.

ESPN will air coverage of the Championships April 12 at 2 p.m. EST.

Going into the snowboardcross, Clark needed to win and teammate Tricia
Byrnes (Stratton Mt., VT) had to finish worse than second for the 17
year-old to take the crown. Clark did her part and won, while Byrnes,
primarily a halfpipe rider, rode well but came across the finish line
fourth in the finals.

It was Clark's second national title in less than 24 hours as she was
victorious Saturday night in the superpipe contest. The overall points
title includes the competitor's best three results of the Grand Prix
season and Clark had the two wins plus a second place finish in pipe
earlier in the year at Mammoth Mountain, CA to give her a total of 2,800
points.

However, it still wasn't decided as Byrnes won superpipe events at Okemo
Mountain, Vermont and Mammoth and took second at Breckenridge, Colo.,
also giving her 2,800 points for her best three events.

To break the tie, the next best finishes for each were looked at. It
just so happened that both Clark and Byrnes had 600 points; Byrnes for a
third place finish in Saturday's superpipe and Clark for a third at
Okemo. So down the list the organizers went yet again. Clark's fifth
best result was a third, again 600 points, at Breckenridge, while
Byrnes' fifth best result was her fourth place finish Sunday in
snowboardcross, worth just 500 points.

After some tabulations and deliberations, the title and Chevy S-10
pickup were awarded to Clark, who was already the reigning U.S.
snowboardcross champion.

"I can't believe it, it hasn't hit me yet," said Clark. "It's amazing,
who would have ever thought?"

Out of the gate, Clark had the holeshot but Amy Johnson (Rochester, NY)
made a tight pass on her around a gate and led the field before Clark
caught her and passed her for the victory. Canadian Ivana Trudel was
third, followed by Byrnes and Lynn Ott (Bend, OR).

"I got a good start and I was out in first," said Clark. "After the
first step-down, I was probably a foot away from a gate and Amy passed
me on the inside. It scared the bejeezus out of me. So I was on her tail
and chasing her the rest of the course. The only time I had the pass was
over the step-up and step-down so I went over them and gunned it to the
next berm and cut her off."

Clark picked up $1,700 for each of her two wins and has the choice of
taking the pickup or the cash equivalent.

"I don't know exactly what I'm gonna do," said Clark, who already owns a
'97 Chevy Blazer. "I might take the money (instead of the truck), trade
in my old Blazer and get a new one, a sick 2001 one."

The men's race wasn't quite as suspenseful since Danny Kass (Hamburg,
NJ) wrapped up the overall title by winning his third superpipe event of
the season Saturday night. However, Anderson is always fun to watch and
he didn't disappoint, picking up the win over teammate Mathieu Morency
and Jason Evans (Putney, VT).

A well-rounded rider, Anderson won the men's title and truck last season
at the final event of the year at Okemo - also a snowboardcross. He
finished this year with two wins, also topping the podium in a parallel
giant slalom at Breckenridge. However, his third best result was a
second, not good enough to match Kass' three wins.

Primarily an alpine racer, Anderson competed Sunday in soft boots due
the many step-downs and airs on the Pat Malendoski-built course.

"The course was awesome," said Clark. "They changed it a little since
Wednesday (when an ISF snowboardcross was run) and some of the things
were better. The only thing I didn't like on the course, they took out
in practice, so it worked out good. It had a lot of berms and a lot of
rollers. It was a really long course, a leg-burner."

Evans was named the U.S. snowboardcross champion since he was the top
American to finish the men's race.

Action continues Monday on Sunday River's Barker Mountain with men's and
women's Continental Cup superpipe contests. Riders will have the chance
to pick up some valuable FIS points that will help towards gaining
maximum quota spots for their country at the '02 Olympics.

X-NIX U.S. SNOWBOARD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sunday River, Maine
March 25, 2001
Snowboardcross

MEN
1. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada
2. Mathieu Morency, Canada
3. Jason Evans, Putney, Vermont
4. Eric Warren, Bennington, Vermont
5. Zachary Kay, Mount Shasta, Calif.
6. Ryan Neptune, Boise, Idaho
7. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, Idaho
8. Nicola Fontaine, Canada
9. Colter Deupree, USA
10. Jonathan Laurence, Rockport, Maine

WOMEN
1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, Vermont
2. Amy Johnson, Rochester, New York
3. Ivana Trudel, Canada
4. Tricia Byrnes, Stratton Mt., Vermont
5. Lynn Ott, Bend, Ore.
6. Rebecca Bassett, Quincy, Wash.
7. Karen Murray, Canada

For complete results and Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix
standings, please visit:


- Best in the World! -