Rahlves, Sullivan to race in Jeep King of the Mountain World Championships

By Published On: February 24th, 2006Comments Off on Rahlves, Sullivan to race in Jeep King of the Mountain World Championships

Rahlves, Sullivan to race in Jeep King of the Mountain World Championships{mosimage}Already boasting a lineup featuring seven athletes from the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, the Jeep King of the Mountain Professional Skiing & Snowboarding World Championships announced that Daron Rahlves of Truckee, Calif, one of the biggest names in U.S. skiing, will compete in the event, set for Feb. 25-26 at Squaw Valley USA, Calif.

Rahlves, the most accomplished speed-event skier in U.S. history, just returned from the Winter Olympics, where he placed ninth in the super G and 10th in downhill. Rahlves is a three-time World Championships medalist, and won the overall super G title in 2001.

Joining Rahlves at the Professional Skiing & Snowboarding World Championships as late entrants will be fellow winter Olympians Marco Sullivan of Tahoe City, Calif., and Nate Holland of Squaw Valley, Calif. The two will compete in the National Open Qualifier on Saturday Feb. 25, to try and earn a wildcard entry into the World Professional Championships.

The Jeep King of the Mountain Series, which offers the richest cash purse in snow racing, will feature 32 of the world’s top skiers and snowboarders competing head-to-head in this final race of the season. Also at stake is a share of the record prize payout topping $450,000 (U.S.) plus $20,000 (U.S.) in additional bonuses from John Paul Mitchell Systems. Adding to the allure of the event, this year the keys to four new 2006 Jeep Commanders will be presented to the men’s and women’s ski and snowboard champions.

At the grand finale of the 2005-06 Professional Skiing & Snowboarding World Championships, the rosters will again feature some of the most talented racers in the world. Aside from Rahlves, the seven fellow Winter Olympians already on the roster for Sunday’s races include Jasey Jay Anderson of Canada, Graham Watanabe of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Dieter Krassnig and Lukas Gruener of Austria on the men’s side, and Julie Pomagalski of France and Austrians Doresia Krings and Manuela Riegler on the women’s side.

A national audience will be able to view the Jeep King of the Mountain Series race from Squaw Valley USA on March 25 from 1:00 2:00 p.m. EST on CBS Sports, and on nationally syndicated television across the U.S. between March 13 and April 2.

The Jeep King of the Mountain Series implements an innovative racecourse known as ‘The Y-Cross.’ Racers begin on separate courses and must maneuver parallel giant slalom turns. Midway through the course, racers meet at the Y-Cross, the point where the two parallel courses merge into one. There, skiers and snowboarders must race side-by-side on a single course while negotiating banked turns and single and double rollers leading to an exciting finish.

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About the Author: Pete Rugh