Huckaby, Elliott Win; Four on the Podium in Grasgehren
The U.S. Para Snowboard Team wrapped up their snowboard cross series today, Feb. 23, in Grasgehren, Germany, where Brenna Huckaby (LL1) and Noah Elliott (LL1) went back to back landing on top of the podium.
The wet, mushy snow from yesterday’s warm conditions froze overnight, creating a solid racing surface. However, as the storm rolled in around the course, it became covered it in snow that eventually turned to rain, creating interesting conditions for riders to overcome.
"The weather was super unpredictable. The first race was super warm with almost slushy snow conditions," said Huckaby. "The second day, it was colder and a bit firmer, which was much better. I think a big part of the sport is being prepared for all conditions, so thankfully, the snow didn’t impact me too much."
While battling the mixed precipitation, Huckaby continued her reign on the circuit, winning her fourth straight snowboard cross World Cup. Right behind her was Kate Delson, who finished third. Delson is an up-and-coming Para snowboard athlete training with Team Utah Snowboarding, the same club Huckaby started her journey with back in 2013. Huckaby posted a photo of Delson on her Instagram story following the race, saying, “P.S. this girl crushes it! So excited for the future of our sport.” Another emerging athlete, Dennae Russell, finished fifth today to round out the U.S. women’s results. "I’m super proud of everyone for showing up and giving their all regardless of the conditions, and I’m excited to see how much the sport progresses this season," said Huckaby.
On the men’s side, Noah Elliott also took home his fourth win of the season. Elliott has won every World Cup event this season that he has started in, an impressive feat considering the depth of competition and transitions between snowboard cross and banked slalom. In the men’s LL2 classification, Keith Gabel landed on the podium for the second time this season in third. Zach Miller was just off the podium in fourth, followed by Evan Strong in sixth and Joe Pleban in ninth. Mike Minor made it to the final in the stacked men’s UL class but finished just off the podium in fourth.
The team is now traveling to Colere, Italy for two banked slalom races and one snowboard cross event Feb. 28-Mar 3.
