Snowboard Superpipe Top 3 Interviews

By Mary Walsh – We caught up with the winners of the Snowboard Superpipe right after the competition in Mount Snow, to hear what they had to say about the competition, Vermont, and the rest of the season.

ELLERY HOLLINGSWORTH

So you just got third in Women’s Superpipe Final, how are you feeling?

I’m feeling really good. The pipe’s awesome. Mount Snow did an awesome job and the Dew Tour’s really fun. It’s nice to be in final and landing a run. It’s a really good vibe out here tonight.

How [does it feel] doing this well in your home state — well, you’re from Connecticut, but you ride at Stratton…

It’s nice to do well back in Vermont. My family’s here, so that’s really fun and the crowd’s awesome. Everyone’s really nice and fun to be around.

KELLY CLARK

Congratulations on your win tonight. How are you feeling?

Yeah, I did really well in front of my hometown tonight. It was a really great event and [I’m] just hanging out watching the guys’ Final.

Do you have a lot of family here tonight?

Yeah, it’s great. A lot of my friends and family came out and people who don’t get to see me snowboard a lot got to see why I’m gone all the time. It was really fun for me.

You are known for going huge. What’s going through your mind when you’re riding?

I pretty much just to go as fast as I can [laughs]. Tricks are a lot easier when you go fast, you have more time. You can usually tell how it’s going to go when you take off.

HANNAH TETER

Congrats on getting second place, how are you feeling tonight?

I feel good. I had my waffles this morning and it was very nice to start the day off with that. It’s amazing being in the home state and hanging with all my friends and family. It doesn’t really get much better than that.

What was going through your mind at the top of the pipe before you dropped in?

I had my music on really loud and it was all positive lyrics, you know, MGMT is such a super good band. I was just trying to keep it chill and relaxed and having fun.

The Final tonight was made up of a crew of women who are all pushing women’s pipe-riding, going huge and doing tech tricks — how does it feel to be a part of that?

It feels amazing to be pushing the sport and to be riding and competing with my friends and not have that tension. We’re all super close and all root for each other. It’s nice to be tight and all positive.

What’s next? Where are you going after Mount Snow?

We are going to Park City tomorrow to ride the 22-foot halfpipe there and get ready for X Games because that’s all going to be 22-foot, too. Just a little warm-up camp [where we can] get a bunch of tricks down.

STEVE FISHER

Congrats on getting second tonight! How’s it feel?

I am feeling really good. [I’m] happy with second place, in the second Winter Dew Tour [stop]. Just awesome.

Coming from Colorado, you’re used to cold pipes like this one, how did you feel in tonight’s pipe?

Yeah, this one was really, really solid, and the shape was amazing. The guys at Snowpark Technologies really pulled through and it was just an awesome event.

What was going through your mind when you dropped in on your runs tonight?

What was going through my mind? I can’t wait to get out of the cold [laughs].

That’s totally fair, it’s pretty cold tonight.

Yeah, that’s pretty much all that was going through my head tonight: ‘when can I get out of here’ [laughs].

What are your plans now? What are you doing after this?

Now, let’s see. I’m gonna take a week, hang in Park City, try to ride some halfpipe before the X Games and then a lot more contests throughout the year and keep it rolling.

KEVIN PEARCE

You came in and stomped a banger run, which landed you in third place. How was that?

Yeah, it felt good. I was struggling in practice, didn’t lay any down, but I was able to put that first one down first run and it just felt super good to get one out of the way.

You said you were having struggles in Prelim. What was going through your head when you dropped in tonight?

Yeah, you know just trying to block it all out, listen to some good tunes, some Neil Young, and just keeping focused. [I was] focusing on that first hit and just went from there.

The Final was packed with FRENDS. How was it to be competing alongside your crew?

It was great. The whole crew held it down this week, everyone made it to the Superpipe Final. Just to have all your boys at the top rooting you on, there’s no better feeling than that. Even though none of us won, we’re still going to have a great time tonight. Everyone’s stoked.

What are you plans post Mount Snow?

Tomorrow at two I’m jumping on a flight over to Europe. The European Open’s this week and then right back for the X Games.

SHAUN WHITE

Congratulations for coming in first tonight, how you feeling?

I’m pumped, I mean it was a rough one. I wasn’t doing so well in that first run and it left me in such a pressure position where I had to land. Usually when that pressure goes down, I do better, it seems. I think it helped me out. I’m pumped, I mean, so many things [were involved with my] doing well tonight. It involved me not having to show up to the next one until the [Toyota Championship] Final, it involved that I’m now in the lead for Slopestyle and the Superpipe overall. It just felt good to win a halfpipe event. I’m pumped.

When you were dropping in, was all that stuff going through your mind?

Yeah. I don’t know why, I don’t usually think that much, I usually just kind of do. It was nice to be able to overcome all that and land the run. It felt great.