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SIERRA-AT-TAHOE® ATHLETES EYEING 2010 WINTER GAMES

Olympic hopefuls on Sierra™ Resort’s Elite Team are training hard to win a spot on the team

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE , Calif. – December 7, 2009 – With the 2010 Winter Games just a few short months away, Olympic hopefuls Hannah Teter and Elijah Teter are looking toward the U.S. Grand Prix qualifying events set to begin in December with high expectations of landing a spot on the U.S. Olympic Snowboarding Team.

Hannah Teter, the defending women’s halfpipe gold medalist from the 2006 Winter Games in Torino , Italy , has spent the summer and early fall training for the five Olympic qualifying U.S. Grand Prix events in New Zealand . “The girls who are competing for the team this winter are some of the best snowboarders in the world,” said the Olympian. “I’ll be psyched to land a spot on the team again and it will be so amazing if I win a second Olympic medal. But I’m not really thinking about that yet. Right now, I’m just training and thinking about riding my best this action packed season.”

Hannah wrapped up the 08-09 winter season with a second overall finish at the inaugural Winter Dew Tour, a first place finish at the U.S. Grand Prix event on February 1, 2009 and a third place finish at the Winter X Games 13. Her most recent accolade, however, is the tastiest – Ben & Jerry’s named their newest flavor Maple Blondie in Hannah’s honor. It is the first flavor named for an athlete and for a female. Pints will be available in stores this month.

Elijah Teter will face one of the toughest fields of U.S. Olympic qualifying competition as he vies for a spot on the men’s halfpipe team. Known for delivering highly technical runs, Elijah placed fourth at the Winter X Games 13 and has been successful on the U.S. Grand Prix and the World Cup circuits since 2004.

Elijah has been training in New Zealand for the U.S. Grand Prix qualifying events with his sister Hannah, trying to visualize the double cork, “You pretty much have to nail it to be in the top 3. Mine is still in process but I’m feeling confident after a few weeks of early season training, I’ll be ready to go. I’m pumped to get back on the snow and ready for some pow days.” 

Snowboarding phenom Jamie Anderson is easily considered one of the top female snowboarders in the world. She dominates slopestyle and big air competitions all over the globe, recently taking first place at the 2009 Burton New Zealand Open and 2009 Billabong BroDown and is the current leader on the Swatch Ticket To Ride World Snowboard Tour. Highlights from last season include being awarded Female Rider of the Year by both TransWorld SNOWboarding and Snowboarder Magazines and winning the Burton Global Open Series despite a season-ending pelvis injury in the middle of the winter.

Jamie is training hard these days, hoping to stay on top of the competition and win a place on the women’s halfpipe team, as her main event, slopestyle, is not an Olympic event. “The level of women’s riding is insane these days,” commented Jamie during some recent downtime in South Lake Tahoe . “This summer, all of the girls were going so big in New Zealand doing bigger tricks than ever. The competition is going to be intense this winter and I can’t wait.” 

Joanie Anderson is one of the most formidable BoarderX racers on the competition circuit today and has been training with the U.S. team in the off-season. She took gold at the 2007 Winter X Games and has been successful at the Jeep King of the Hill contest, taking second place overall in 2008. Joanie hopes to win a spot on the U.S. BoarderX team to compete in Vancouver .

The newest addition to Sierra Resort’s Elite Team represents the other side of snowboarding. Stian Solberg is a snow chaser. His focus on backcountry riding, discovering new snowboarding destinations, and almost year-round travel means he doesn’t compete in contests. Instead, Stian is known for progressing the sport from an all-mountain perspective – riding challenging natural terrain with style and grace. When asked why he made Sierra Resort his home mountain, Stian replied “I spend so many long days in the backcountry filming and hiking. It’s nice have a home at Sierra Resort for those days when I just want to chill and still ride killer terrain. Plus the parks are in great shape and the girls are cute!” 

Stian is often seen in photographs and video parts and was among the top riders ranked in TransWorld Business’s recent Exposure Meter, the industry’s barometer of who is hot in snowboarding. His riding was also highly regarded in the latest Superpark event, put on by Snowboarder Magazine, which focuses on creating the best images of snowboarding from a photographer’s perspective. His recent double page spread for Snowboarder Magazine’s Cold Front is a perfect example of how Stian is pushing the limits of snowboarding without competing.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort is known for cultivating the next generation of snowboarders. Up-and-coming riders Jordan Nield and Colby Albino have been making a name for themselves at regional contests and national competitions like the Winter Dew Tour. Little rippers like Julieanne Brackett, who is just 14 years old, spend four to five days a week riding at Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort. Watch the podiums at future Winter X Games and the 2014 Winter Games – there is a good chance a Sierra Resort athlete will be standing there.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort: Keepin It Real

Recognized in the 2010 TransWorld SNOWboarding Resort Guide as a Top 10 Overall Resort as well as among the Top 10 Best Parks and Top 10 Best Pipes in the nation and known for its wind-protected slopes, incredible tree skiing and family programs, Sierra Resort is a bastion of the authentic California ski experience. Easy to get to and always laid-back, Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort welcomes skiers and snowboarders to escape from everyday life and enjoy the simple pleasure of winter in the mountains. Sierra Resort and the Eldorado National Forest are partners in recreation.

The closest major resort to Sacramento , Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort is located just 12 miles west of Lake Tahoe and receives an annual average of 480 inches of snowfall. For more information, visit www.SierraAtTahoe.com or call 530.659.7453.

Press Contacts:

Kirstin A. Cattell, 530.543.3132

kcattell.st@boothcreek.com

Jessica VanPernis, 530.562.3866

jvanpernis@boothcreek.com

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