In front of the largest single-day crowd in AST Dew Tour history and what is believed to be the largest crowd ever in skateboard park competition, Chaz Ortiz, 14, of Chicago won his first pro park event at Saturday’s Toyota Challenge in Salt Lake City.
The day’s competition drew a record 25,996 fans as tour rookie Ortiz topped three-time defending Dew Cup champion Ryan Sheckler of San Clemente, Calif., in a seven-minute jam session for the win.
Spectators also watched Adam Jones, 24, of Minden, Nev., take the event’s freestyle motocross title over Australian Robbie Madison and Jeremy Lusk of San Diego. Jones leads the Dew Cup FMX standings, and park skater Sheckler holds an eight-point margin over Ortiz with only one stop Dew Tour remaining, in Orlando, Fla., next month.
In skateboard vert, Andy Macdonald, 35, of Boston won his first contest after four years on the tour with a .25-point margin over Canada’s Pierre-Luc Gagnon. Bob Burnquist of Brazil was third to move to within five points of the overall lead held by Bucky Lasek of Baltimore.
The four-day event drew a record 63,481 fans.
Coloradans make boarding team.
Some of Colorado’s top riders are on the 37-athlete roster for U.S. Snowboarding in 2009. Aspen Olympian and X Games gold medalist Gretchen Bleiler leads the local all-stars, joined on the pro halfpipe team by Clair Bidez of Minturn and Steve Fisher of Breckenridge.
Tyler Jewel and Justin Reiter of Steamboat Springs join Aspen’s Chris Klug on the men’s alpine team, while Steamboat’s Erika Mueller represents Colorado among the women. Jason Smith of Durango is the lone snowboardcross racer on the roster from the state.
The U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix kicks off domestic snowboard competition Dec. 10-13 at Copper Mountain.
Jacobellis back at it.
Three-time X Games snowboardcross gold medalist Lindsey Jacobellis of Stratton, Vt., collected her 15th career World Cup victory with a win in Saturday’s season-opening race in Chapelco, Argentina.
Working the trail.
Nearly 150 volunteers are expected to meet at the Monarch Pass trailhead near Salida on Sept. 27 to provide some much-needed maintenance to one of the most popular sections of the Continental Divide Trail. More are needed.
Salida Mountain Trails, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), the U.S. Forest Service and the Continental Divide Trail Alliance are coordinating the volunteer effort on the 30-plus mile section of trail.
Saturday’s trailwork day will be followed by an evening party and a group mountain bike ride on Sunday. For more information or to register, visit the calendar listings at or call 303-838-3760.
Springs women go 1-2 in Beijing.
Barbara Buchan, 52, of Colorado Springs won a gold medal in Paralympic cycling Friday in Beijing, followed by silver medalist Allison Jones, also of Colorado Springs. Jones is the reigning Winter Paralympic slalom skiing champion.
Scott Willoughby, The Denver Post
