Slate of top riders ready to rip Vail at Burton U.S. Open

The Burton U.S. Open presented by MINI announces a world-class field of riders slated to compete in Vail March 4–7.

Confirmed riders for this year’s event include 2015 X Games gold medalists Danny Davis (USA), Mark McMorris (CAN), Chloe Kim (USA) and Silje Norendal (NOR); four-time Olympian Kelly Clark (USA), 2015 Burton European Open slopestyle gold medalist Stale Sandbech (NOR) and halfpipe Olympic silver medalist Ayumu Hirano (JPN).

As the grand finale of the competitive snowboarding season, the legendary US Open gives riders one final chance to take home a major title, and spectators get to watch all the action for FREE.

“The US Open is one of those events that everyone respects and looks forward to,” says back-to- back defending US Open slopestyle winner Mark McMorris. “There’s such good vibes and it really wraps up the year for me.”

The 33^rd annual US Open kicks off on Wednesday, March 4^th with men’s and women’s slopestyle semi-finals featuring defending US Open champion Mark McMorris (CAN), 2015 X Games silver medalist Stale Sandbech (NOR), Olympic gold medalist Jamie Anderson (USA), 2014 Olympic silver medalist Enni Rukajärvi (FIN) and 2015 X Games gold medalist Silje Norendal (NOR), along with Maxence Parrot (CAN), Roope Tonteri (FIN) and Darcy Sharpe (CAN).

Next, the highly anticipated halfpipe semi-finals take place on Thursday, March 5^th in Vail’s 22-foot superpipe featuring back-to-back X Games gold medalist Danny Davis (USA) and seven-time US Open champion Kelly Clark (USA). Brothers Ben and Gabe Ferguson (USA) as well as Olympic gold medalist Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI) and Olympians Christian Haller (SUI), Ayumu Hirano (JPN) and Greg Bretz (USA) are also set to compete in this legendary event steeped in snowboarding history.

Kelly Clark is really looking forward to the Open and says, “The US Open is one of the best events of the season—everyone has been riding all season and they get to showcase their efforts. If there ever was a peak in riding during the year, it’s at the Open.”

Then on Friday and Saturday, it all comes down to the finals when 10 men and 6 women compete for equal prize money in slopestyle finals on March 6^th followed by halfpipe finals on March 7^th.

In addition to world-class competition, there’s also plenty of action to enjoy off the hill, with three nights of live music on the Solaris Concert Stage, including Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros following slopestyle finals on Friday, and Girl Talk following halfpipe finals on Saturday.

And if you can’t experience the US Open in person, catch all the action online via the live webcasts at www.Burton.com/USO. And be sure to tune in to the men’s and women’s slopestyle and halfpipe competition live shows on FOX Sports 2. Check out the complete broadcast schedule to get air dates.