The 2014 Sprint U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain kicks into high gear the next few days, with the world's best Olympic hopeful freeskiers and snowboarders from across from 35 nations battling it out. Olympic team spots are on the line, and the finals will be broadcast via the NBC Sports Group, featuring coverage of the freeskiing slopestyle and snowboard halfpipe events on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. More coverage, including snowboarding slopestyle, will air on NBCSN on Friday, Dec. 27.
Top U.S. Freeskiing and U.S. Snowboarding athletes including two-time Olympic snowboard gold medalist Shaun White (2006, 2010), Olympic snowboard halfpipe gold medalist Kelly Clark and others such as Louie Vito, Danny Davis, Bobby Brown, Keri Herman, and Tom Wallisch, are all expected to compete on the 22 ft. Main Vein Olympic-sized Superpipe and the World Cup Slopestyle course in Woodward at Copper's Central Park terrain park.
Qualifying events began Dec.18 and continue through Friday, Dec. 20. You can conveniently catch the action in the Main Vein Superpipe, which is walking distance from Burning Stones Plaza in Center Village, or access the competition on skis or snowboard via the Main Vein trail. The best slopestyle vantage point is the Central Park spectator viewing area, located to the skiers right of the slopestyle course, accessible for skiing or riding guests only via Loverly trail off of the Union Peak Quad chairlift. Slopestyle viewing will be completed with food and beverage service during finals, Saturday 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Full event schedule is available here.
Burning Stones Plaza in Center Village transforms into the Grand Prix Vendor Village on Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. with sponsor tents featuring Paul Mitchell, The North Face, GoPro, Zeal Optics and many others handing out free samples to guests.