The increasingly business-minded Shaun White will ride again. He will compete this week amidst a fierce crowd of his colleagues in the Burton U.S. Open at Vail, Colo.
Other competitors include the precocious Chloe Kim, who took home an X Games gold in the superpipe this year, Danny Davis, Yuki Kadono (fresh off a win at the LA Air + Style event), Spencer O'Brien of Canada and Matt Ladley.
Kelly Clark will be looking for her ninth win in the event (although being the winningest snowboarder ever in both male and female disciplines, it doesn't seem she has much to prove). She won the event last year. Japanese snowboarder Taku Hiraoka will be defending his 2015 title as well.
"The U.S. Open has always been the event I look forward to in the season," said Danny Davis in a press release. "It's a special one to me, it was the first professional contest I ever did as a kid, and in many ways helped launch my career. I'm always excited to go. It's the season ender and a really fun one for music and seeing all of our friends. I would love to take home a U.S. Open title!"
Spectators will be interested to see White's performance; he has had an interesting season. After winning the Dew Tour in December, White was not invited to compete in the X Games due to disparaging remarks he made at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in which he described the X Games' global expansion as a "huge failure."
While other athletes have been landing back-to-back 1080s and competing in events, White has been hard at work promoting his own event series, Air + Style.
The U.S. Open is unique in prize-format. The total purse is $343,000. Riders - both male and female - will share this prize based on their scores in both superpipe and slope-style events (several athletes only compete in one). The cash is divided based on each riders' placement in their respective events. Women and men are paid equally.
Musical acts will include the Sheepdogs of Alberta, Canada, Big Grams, Griz, and the Bright Light Social Hour. The entire event is free.
