Ross Powers (born February 10, 1979), is an American world champion halfpipe snowboarder from South Londonderry, Vermont. Though he originally rode at Stratton Mountain, Vermont, his home mountain is now Okemo, VT. Ross helps with the design of the Superpipe and also helped design the RossCross Family Terrain Park. Ross also runs a snowboard camp through Okemo. He led the U.S. sweep in the 2002 Winter Olympics men's halfpipe competition, one day after his 23rd birthday. This is the first time the Americans have swept a Winter Olympic event since the men's figure skaters did in 1956. Powers, with a score of 46.1, dominated the competition.
During his final run, Powers dropped in and aired out with an 18 foot method grab (a world record at that time), and followed up with two McTwists, a cab 720 indy grab, a frontside 720 indy grab and a switch frontside air.
Powers is one of the most high profile figures on the halfpipe snowboard circuit. He regularly competes in such events as the US and European Opens of Snowboarding, the Vans Triple Crown (now known simply as the Vans Cup), and the X-Games. During the 2004/2005 season, Ross won the Mt. Bachelor Grand Prix event and went on to be the overall champion for the series.
In 2007 Powers, shifted gears and began (or returned to) racing in snowboard cross. He had his 1st world cup podium in that discipline in Feb. 2009 at Sunday River Maine, and again in Dec. 2009 in Telluride, CO.
In 2010 Powers narrowly missed earning a spot on the US Olympic Team, this time for snowboard cross. He finished the season with his SBX World Cup rank at 11th.
In April 2010 Powers was named Director of the snowboarding program at The Stratton Mountain School (SMS), in Vermont. Powers is a 1997 graduate of SMS. His current snowboard sponsor is RAMP Sports.
Read more about Ross Powers: Family
Famous quotes containing the words ross and/or powers:
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“Great abilites are not requisite for an Historian; for in historical composition, all the greatest powers of the human mind are quiescent. He has facts ready to his hand; so there is no exercise of invention. Imagination is not required in any degree; only about as much as is used in the lowest kinds of poetry. Some penetration, accuracy, and colouring, will fit a man for the task, if he can give the application which is necessary.”
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