It was a big weekend for Parkites at the Aspen/Snowmass Open ski and snowboard competition. Held at the same venue as the X Games, the event offered head-to-head competition from some of the best skiers and riders in the world.
Leading the headlines for Park City were teenagers Alex Schlopy and Siena Palmacci. Both finished second overall, Schlopy in men’s slopestyle and Palmacci in women’s superpipe.
“It was outstanding. All the competitors were saying it was much tougher than X Games because the field was so much deeper,” said Schlopy’s father, RT, after the event.
The Aspen/Snowmass Open is the only open event on the calendar this season and more than 130 competitors from around the world showed up to compete on the hallowed X Games ground and vie for the $5,000 first prize.
Schlopy’s accomplishment was even more notable considering that he had reconstructive knee surgery exactly one year ago. The 16-year-old, who trains and goes to school at the Western Sports Academy in Midway, injured his knee last year while training for the U.S. Open. The Aspen/Snowmass Open was his first competition since then — a test to see how the knee would do in intense conditions.
“It’s hard to explain how it feels,” Schlopy said. “especially after not being able to compete for so long.”
Palmacci, a 17-year-old who attends Park City High School, beat the first- and second-place finishers of last week’s World Cup at Park City Mountain Resort to earn a spot on the podium. She also competed in the slopestyle event and finished fourth.
For complete results and more information on the event, visit www.aspensnowmass.com.