US National Snowboard Team practices at Otsego Club
GAYLORD, MI -- World-class athletes were flying through the sky in Gaylord Monday.
The United States National Snowboard Team stopped by to get some practice in before going on the national stage.
The Otsego Club has one of only a handful of competition size half-pipes in the world.
You may remember 12 Olympic teams practiced here last year.
This year, the United States National Snowboard Team visited for the first time and there were some nasty tricks.
You can call it the convention of air dogs and it's happening in Gaylord. Some of the best of the best put on a show at the Otsego Club, doing tricks you normally "only see on TV."
The athletes were at the Otsego Club, using the “Acro-bag” to work on new tricks and doing tricks in the only Olympic-style, 22 foot Monster Pipe east of the Rockies. Kelly Marren is a member of the U-S National Snowboard Team. This is the first year the team has stopped by Northern Michigan's Otsego Club.
"The facilities are top-notch," Marren explained.
"Cutting edge up here, and it's a thing that we wish places like Breckenridge and Park City would do more of,” said snowboarder Steve Fisher.
Fisher is a two time gold metal winner at the Winter X-Games, a competition of extreme winter sports, and he says this weekend, the team has been practicing for the games that begin in two weeks.
Matt Ladley will be doing the X-games for the first time this year. He was practicing new tricks and landing on the acro-bag as he worked out the kinks.
"You’re able to practice all the big tricks that you're not quite comfortable to throw right to snow," said Ladley.
Ladley is from Chicago, but coming to Northern Michigan is nothing new. His aunt and cousin are from Traverse City and were watching Ladley perform.
“It's great to have them around, I don't think they've been out snowboarding with me for a while so it's good," said Ladley.
And for the Club, the hope is this will be used as a new home for the athletes.
"Coming in on a non-Olympic year is a great way to start this relationship and I'm sure it'll continue on," said Kris Klay, General Manager of the Otsego Club.
The ultimate hope is the relationship with the United States team will have them training in Gaylord for the 2014 Olympics.
Kris Klay says this is a good start.
