Steamboat Pilot & Today

A broken collarbone could not keep snowboarder Grant Glenn from pursuing the sport he loves.

Glenn, 20, was injured in mid-January, but returned just in time to capture a ninth-place finish at the World Superpipe Championships in Park City, Utah, in front of an enthusiastic crowd last weekend. Glenn, who grew up in Steamboat Springs, lives in Park City.

"It's still pretty sore," Glenn said of his collarbone. "It's going to be uncomfortable until I stop snowboarding this spring and give it a chance to heal."

His ninth-place finish in last weekend's World Superpipe Championships came against 12 of the best riders in the world. The field included Kier Dillon, who won the event, Ross Powers and J.J. Thomas. A contingent of top Europeans included 2003 World Superpipe Champion, Gian Simmen of Switzerland. Sixteen elite riders were invited to compete in the event, and 13 showed up to pursue a portion of the $90,000 in prize money.

"I was really happy with my finish," Glenn said. "I didn't go into the event thinking I was going to win it. That's what I wanted to do -- go out there and have some fun."

Glenn said he was a reluctant to go big because of his injury. Instead he elected to pull off some highly technical maneuvers in the pipe -- including an impressive 1080.

He said that the judges rewarded the riders handsomely for amplitude, but he just didn't feel comfortable launching 12 to 15 feet off the wall of the superpipe.

"Amplitude is everything in this sport," Glenn said. "The fans watching love it and so do the judges."

But going into the event, Glenn knew he was going to have hold back, but he was very happy with his finish just the same.

"It would have taken a lot for me to win this event, I'm just happy to be riding and having some fun," Glenn said.

Glenn plans to compete at a Triple Crown in event in Lake Tahoe and the U.S. Open in Vermont later this season.

"I just want to go out there and have fun,' Glenn said.

In other snowboarding news, Steamboat Springs David Manthei placed ninth at the World Junior Championships in Klinovec, Czech Republic.

--To reach John F. Russell call 871-4209

or e-mail jrussell@steamboatpilot.com