Vedder Third in Sierra Nevada Snowboard Cross World Cup
Olympian Jake Vedder battled through challenging conditions on Saturday morning, March 2, to take home third place at the first of two finals at the Sierra Nevada World Cup doubleheader.
A short sprint course and low visibility made for an exciting morning of racing in Sierra Nevada, Spain with frequent course holds and video reviews required due to weather conditions, but Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Cross Team’s own Jake Vedder persevered and advanced through four rounds of racing to secure a spot on the podium. Vedder’s third place marks his second podium of the season, having scored third place with teammate Lindsey Jacobellis in the Les Deux Alpes team event in December, and first individual podium for the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Cross Team in the 2023-24 season.
“I am very stoked to get back on the podium today. It was tough conditions with the weather but I knew my wax techs had me on the fastest boards possible and it was just up to me to handle the racing,” said Vedder. “Another race tomorrow and hungry for more! Proud of my coaches and wax techs- a lot of effort went into this race!”
Vedder was joined by five teammates in the knockout rounds, with Senna Leith taking 17th, Connor Schlegel 18th, Cody Winters 19th, Olympian Hagen Kearney 27th and Olympic gold medalist Nick Baumgartner rounding out the top 30.
Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Jacobellis and Olympian Stacy Gaskill represented the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team on the women’s side, taking 11th and 14th, respectively.
The Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team has another shot at the Sierra Nevada track on Sunday, March 3rd at 5:30 a.m. ET. Watch them race LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live.
Jake Vedder
Jake Vedder has been racing snowboard cross since he was eight years old, but 2016 was a true breakout year for the Michigander, who calls the town of Pinckney home. He scored multiple NorAm Cup podiums and his first World Cup appearance, but his big break was winning a gold medal for the U.S. at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Winter Games.
With that result, Vedder was invited to train with the snowboard cross development team in 2016, which resulted in making the A team in 2018, when he won a Junior World Championship gold medal.