Brown

When the rain started and the 40 miles-per-hour winds blew down the hospitality tent at the US Snowboard Grand Prix today, most reporters woulda headed for the lodge ... what, no free drinks? But despite the camera tower which blew over and the announcing system which shorted out, we knew it was going to be worth toughing it out at Northstar ... and were rewarded with a classic, bump and run snowboardcross.

The format was a seeded, two-out-of-six advance round, followed by a "Last Chance" qualifying heat, in which only the winner out of four advances. The survivors then went through single elimination quarter-final, semi-final and final heats.

"But the 'snain' falling out of the sky was sure not helping things. Waxing tech help was at a premium all day, with the temperatures fluctuating as the clouds blew through...."

This was a long, strategic course, with the top men's times around a minute. While the hole shot (as always) was vital, the start dumped riders into a series of whoop-de-dos prior to the first turn, meaning that anyone who could seriously pump the bumps could grab prime-line. The rest of the affair stair-stepped between steeper and flatter with some cool tabletops and passing zones.

But the "snain" falling out of the sky was sure not helping things. Waxing tech help was at a premium all day, with the temperatures fluctuating as the clouds blew through.

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The contenders stepped up big right from the start. Anton Pogue, Mark Schultz, Ben Wainwright, Rob Kingwill, Jason Brown, Andy Hetzel, and Seth Wescott ripped through the first round. Erin Simmons, Amy Johnson and Lori Grazier all sailed through to the women's semis.

The Last Chance heats of the ladies had thrilling finishes, featuring Lynn Ott and the Fletcher sisters, Beth and Kate, all of whom advanced to the semis.

Schultz, Kingwill, Wescott and Brown emerged from the quarter- and semi- finals as favorites for the $10,000 1st-place purse. The women were competing for equal money with the men, and going into the finals, either Simmons or Johnson seemed prime to hit the five-figures.

	Fletcher

Johnson led the ladies through the whoops and into the first turn, but Kate Fletcher blew by her in a bottleneck. Ott and Beth chased Kate the rest of the way down the course, but with her solid race tech, there was no catching her.

Jason Brown grabbed the hole shot in the first turn and, although they all challenged, Wescott, Wainwright and Schultz couldn't get by him.

Next up is the US Grand Prix Finals in Okemo, VT, March 23-26, where halfpipe, slalom, GS and snowboardcross events are scheduled.

— Chaco Mohler , MountainZone.com Correspondent