Archive for Monday, March 10, 2008
Photo by Joel Reichenberger
Steamboat skiers Michael DeGrandis and Ryan Dyer face off in the fifth-place race of the dual moguls freestyle skiing competition Sunday at the Junior Olympics at Steamboat Ski Area. Dyer won the head-to-head matchup.
Closing with a bang
Local skiers cap week with head-to-head matchup at Junior Olympics
Advertisement
Steamboat skier Michael DeGrandis skies down the Steamboat Ski Area's VooDoo run mogul course Sunday in the dual moguls competition of the Junior Olympics.
Steamboat Springs Both tore it up. One had to win.
Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club skiers Michael DeGrandis and Ryan Dyer went head to head Sunday on Mount Werner, competing for fifth place in the Junior Olympics dual moguls competition.
The pair stayed close on the top part of the course, and threw matching tricks on the first air. Dyer pulled away lower on the run, however, and grabbed fifth place in the final event of the Junior Olympics' five-day stay at the Steamboat Ski Area.
"It was a really nice way to top off the weekend," freestyle coach Nate Bird said. "Michael and Ryan both had awesome runs. Any time you get two guys into the top eight, that's awesome."
Dyer was confined to the match after losing a close dual earlier in the day. His fifth-place finish came two days after he was fourth in the single moguls competition.
"Ryan once again proved himself to be a duals specialist. He lost his previous dual by one point. It was iffy who was going to win," Bird said. "He was super pumped with his own performance. He's also sick as a dog, so it was really good for him to perform that well."
DeGrandis, meanwhile, managed to make the cut despite competing with a broken thumb.
The injury, sustained earlier in the week during practice, was wrapped tight and tucked into a glove. It didn't slow down the 14-year old.
"I was really happy," DeGrandis said. "That last run I skied the best I ever have. Me and Ryan decided to do a fun trick on top. We synchronized and it was great."
Dyer and DeGrandis were the only Steamboat skiers to make it into the event's top eight, but there were a number of other good performances from the locals, Bird said.
"Tyler Saxe in his first Junior Olympics won his first dual; same with Taylor Miller," Bird said. "That was really good to see. Unfortunately, Dalton Lee's shoulder is injured and he couldn't go."
Bird said the duals competition, combined with Steamboat's success, was a great way to cap off the week.
"Duals day is always the most fun. You couldn't ask for better weather or a better course," he said. "The course got deep today, and it helped separate those who had the most skill. It was also really good to see so many good, clean runs in the finals."



Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Post a comment (Requires free registration)
Posting comments requires a free account and verification.