Hannah Teter grabs halfpipe win in first Grand Prix of the season

Hannah Teter grabs halfpipe win in first Grand Prix of the season{mosimage}USSA — Hannah Teter made it three in a row Friday night, racking up 44.3 points to win the Chevy Truck U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix women’s halfpipe for the second consecutive year in Park City, while older brother Abe Teter finished third for the men.

Andy Finch stomped a 44.7 point run to upset a 43.7 point score by teenager Shaun White for the men’s title. Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark finished 5.1 back of Teter with 39.2 points, while Molly Aguirre was third with 36.5 points.

Following a concert by the rock band STAIND, 4,000 fans crowded the Olympic halfpipe for a floodlit show that will air Dec. 27 at 3:00 ET on NBC.

Teter, whose other older brother, Elijah, missed qualifying for the men’s final, has won every halfpipe contest she’s entered this season. Her streak began with the September World Cup opener in Chile. She also won the December 14 Vans Triple Crown by 4.8 points over Clark.

“Sometimes you’re feeling the love from above,” said Teter. “I think it’s the night event — it’s the coolest, the vibe is so good and all the people are just going crazy. I was dropping in smiling all night, this is simply the best pipe there is and you can go so big. I love Park City.”

Teter says she gets her smooth and big style from older brothers, but mixed up her consistently lofty runs with a now flawless 900 followed by the McTwist, a trick she added to her bag over the summer while training at Mount Hood. “I feel really blessed, this is a one of a kind lifestyle and it will take a while for this win to sink in,” said Teter.

For U.S. head freestyle coach Bud Keene, it was a good night all around, noting that the performance of 19-year-old Molly Aguirre was especially huge due to the all-star women’s field. Her brother Mason also posted a solid finish with fifth in a men’s field that included Olympians Ross Powers, J.J. Thomas and Tommy Czeschin.

“It was a great night for everybody,” said Keene. “I’m stoked to see everyone riding so well this early in the year — the crowd was great and the athletes really feed off that. Hannah, Abe and Finch nailed the podium and all my riders where right up there, plus it’s huge to see Molly place in such a tough field.”

CHEVY TRUCK U.S. SNOWBOARD GRAND PRIX
Park City, Utah
December 19, 2003
Men’s Halfpipe Final
1. Andy Finch, Fresno, Calif., 44.7
2. Shaun White, San Diego, Calif., 43.7
3. Abe Teter, Belmont, Vt., 42.1
4. Ross Powers, South Londonderry, Vt., 41.9
5. Mason Aquirre, Duluth, Minn., 40.3
6. Steve Fisher, St. Louis Park, Minn., 39.7
7. Tommy Czeschin, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 38.3
8. Wyatt Caldwell, Sun Valley, Idaho 38.1
9. Chris Nelson, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 37.2
10. Luke Wynen, Reading, Pa., 32.5
11. Tyler Emond, Dorset, Vt., 32.1
12. Keir Dillon, East Stroudsburg, Pa., 31.7
13. Kevin Pearce, Norwich, Vt., 31.2
14. J.J. Thomas, Golden, Colo., 24.9
15. Michael Goldschmidt, Stratton, Vt., 22.9
16. Aaron Woodard, Boyne City, Mich., 16.4

Women’s Halfpipe Final
1. Hannah Teter, Belmont, Vt., 44.3
2. Kelly Clark, Mount Snow, Vt., 39.2
3. Molly Aguirre, Duluth, Minn., 36.5
4. Anne Monlin Kongsgaard, Norway, 30.9
5. Torah Bright, Australia, 21.8
6. Channel Sladics, Newport Beach, Calif., 18.6