How Dew Tour Could Affect Qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team

Olympic qualifying season is heating up. The U.S. Grand Prix at Copper produced a few surprises over the weekend, and now riders will shift their focus to Dew Tour Breckenridge for the next set of selection events in halfpipe and slopestyle.

Up to three athletes in each discipline can be named to the U.S. Olympic snowboard team by automatic qualification. In order to be eligible, athletes must achieve a minimum of one, top-three finish at the selection events. If more than three athletes hit that mark, then they will be ranked according to their two best results from the selection events.

Here’s a look at where things stand heading into Dew Tour.
Photos by Tom Haraden

Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe
1. Ben Ferguson, 1000*
2. Shaun White, 800*
3. Danny Davis, 600
4. Gabe Ferguson, 500
5. Chase Josey, 450
6. Greg Bretz, 400
7. Louie Vito, 360
8. Jake Pates, 320
9. Ryan Wachendorfer, 290
10. Chase Blackwell, 260

*Has qualifying minimum of one, top-three result.

The Copper Grand Prix kicked off Olympic qualifying for the snowboard halfpipe team, and Dew Tour will follow it up as the second of four selection events.

The first event saw a bit of an upset, with Ben Ferguson finishing ahead of Shaun White as the top U.S. rider. That puts the elder Ferguson brother in position to secure his spot on the Olympic team if he’s the top American at Dew Tour.

With only four selection events for snowboard halfpipe—most other disciplines have five—each contest takes on an extra level of importance. After Dew Tour, there will only be two qualifiers left.

Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe
1. Chloe Kim, 1000*
2. Maddie Mastro, 800*
3. Kelly Clark, 600*
4. Arielle Gold, 500
5. Elena Hight, 450
6. Hannah Teter, 400
7. Summer Fenton, 360
8. Noelle Edwards, 320
9. Zoe Kalapos, 290
10. Maddie Barrett, 260

*Has qualifying minimum of one, top-three result.

After sweeping the podium at Copper, Chloe Kim, Maddie Mastro and Kelly Clark have the early edge in Olympic qualifying. Kim remains the gold medal favorite for PyeongChang and can secure her spot on the team by finishing as the top American at Dew Tour.

Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle/Big Air
1. Red Gerard, 1400*
2. Chris Corning, 1200*
3. Chandler Hunt, 1160*
4. Kyle Mack, 1000*
5. Judd Henkes, 1000
6. Brock Crouch, 770
7. Nik Baden, 770
8. Dylan Thomas, 760*
9. Eric Beauchemin, 650
10. Eric Willett, 640

*Has qualifying minimum of one, top-three result.

Red Gerard and Chris Corning enter Dew Tour each having finished as the top U.S. rider at one of the selection events. By repeating that feat in Breckenridge, either one would confirm their nomination to the U.S. Olympic team.

Also in enviable positions are Kyle Mack and Chandler Hunt. Mack was the second-best American at the first selection event, while Hunt was second best at the most recent contest. Both have a podium result to their credit, which means they have a solid base to work from. But they will need to continue to finish strong if they are to stay near the top of the rankings. Because the rankings factor in just the top two results from each athlete, these standings can get shaken up very quickly.

Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle/Big Air
1. Jamie Anderson, 1800*
2. Julia Marino, 1600*
3. Hailey Langland, 1300*
4. Jessika Jenson, 1050
5. Ty Walker, 900
6. Nora Healey, 850
7. Serena Shaw, 680
8. Hailee Mattingley, 550
9. Kirra Kotsenburg, 550
10. Karly Shorr, 360

*Has qualifying minimum of one, top-three result.

Only three athletes—Jamie Anderson, Julia Marino and Hailey Langland—have a top-three finish at the moment. Those are the three athletes widely expected to secure nominations to the U.S. Olympic team.

Anderson and Marino have both finished as the top American at a selection event, meaning they can lock up an Olympic team nomination if they do it again at Dew Tour.

Last year, Anderson and Langland went 1-2 at Dew Tour, with Marino finishing in fourth place.