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Kevin Pearce at Burton US Open of Snowboarding
Posted on 03.15.09
Pearce Brothers Heavy Medals
Posted on 01.24.09
“I couldn’t wait to drop in the first run and start things off right. Despite the snow, the pipe was big and fast,” says Kevin. “When Shaun’s up last you can never take a lead for granted, but I feel like I rode hard, went big and put down a solid run.”
Kevin came into the superpipe hot, turning his first run into a solid lead. The Vermonter took full advantage of the extra four feet of height in the new, improved 22-foot X Game superpipe. Kevin went bigger than the competition linking an enormous frontside air, followed by a soaring McTwist, back-to-back 1080s. Having gone so big he ran out of pipe finishing up on a frontside 900 highpoint. The 21-year-old held gold in his grasp until the very last run of Winter X Games 2009, when Shaun White topped Kevin’s score by a controversial one point.
Kevin’s older brother, David also took home a medal on Sunday. David, an athletic 23 year old born with Down syndrome won the gold in Unified Bowling in the Special Olympics Vermont held in Berlin, VT. David exclaimed: "Winning this gold medal in Special Olympics bowling means so much to me and I'm really proud of Kevin too!" This win adds to his collection of over 40 Special Olympic Medals spread across bowling, basketball and track and field. Like Kevin, David also competes in winter sports, including skiing. Over the Christmas holiday, the four Pearce brothers walked to the hill behind their Vermont home and taught David to snowboard there. Kevin and his brothers have learned so much together – most of all the virtues of brotherhood.
Kevin defends his Burton European Title
Posted on 01.17.09Europe must be sweet on Kevin Pearce and the FRENDS. Today the Vermonter defended his title as the men’s halfpipe champion at the Burton European Open 2009 Snowboarding Championships. Paired with Danny Davis’ win in slopestyle yesterday, the FRENDS made a grand sweep of podium tops at the Burton European Open this week. Last season, Pearce swept up wins across Europe in everything from quarterpipe to big air and halfpipe.
“I knew that I had to put it all out there in my third run to get in front of Shaun’s big scores.” says Pearce. “After last year’s win in Laax, I knew that I could win here and really wanted to do well before going back to the states for Winter X. I love coming to Laax every year and with it also being the Burton European Open’s 10th anniversary this makes my win even better.”
Sitting in third position after his first two runs, Pearce chose to take one of his polished contest runs and then supersized it. Repeating history, the 21-year-old was the last rider to drop, and immediately threw an enormous Crail into a massive McTwist, followed by a frontside 1080 tailgrab, Cab 1080, Frontside 900, ending things with a stylish frontside grab.
Pearce emerged from the pipe with a score of 95.50, propelling him in to the first place position, knocking White, who dominated in the first two runs of the final, into second place with a 92.33. With today’s halfpipe win, Pearce holds 25641 points towards both the $100,000 Burton Global Opens Series title and moves up the ranks on the Swatch Ticket To Ride World Tour.
This repeat at the Burton European Open is a continuing trend for Pearce. In the 2007-8 season, everything that Pearce touched in Europe turned gold. He won every event that he entered on the old continent including the quarterpipe at the Nokia Air & Style in Munich, Germany, the halfpipe at the Burton European Open 2008 Championships in Laax, Switzerland, repeated at the Oakley Arctic Challenge’s quarterpipe in Norway and finally grabbed first place at the Billabong Air & Style Big Air event in Innsbruck, Austria, earning Pearce the 2008 TTR World Champion Title.
Check out this week’s ESPN Magazine feature to read more about Pearce’s rise in snowboarding, life as a FREND and his admirable approach to life and competition.
