POSTED: Sunday, Feb. 07, 2010

LEGENDARY BANKED SLALOM: Pros Ricker, Cummins make it four

Maelle Ricker won her fourth straight Pro Women's title at the 25th Legendary Banked Slalom on Sunday, Feb. 7, while Temple Cummins, competing in the Pro Men's category, took home his fourth - just not in a row.

Next week Ricker also will have a chance to add an Olympic medal to her trove of Duct Tape trophies. The Squamish, B.C., resident will represent Canada at the Vancouver Games, set to begin Feb. 12.

But Ricker didn't think twice about heading for the Mt. Baker Ski Area, as the Banked Slalom celebrated its silver anniversary with a clear crisp day of racing.

"I didn't want to skip this event," Ricker said. "I'm actually really happy that it's before (Vancouver) because I was a little worried it was going to conflict. I got really lucky with the timetable."

Ricker clocked in at 1 minute, 49.88 seconds on her first of two Sunday runs during the final. On her second run, she fell on a tricky turn early on the course. But her earlier time was enough to edge Marni Yamada of Shoreline (1:50.98) and third-place Maria DeBari, the Glacier native who now lives in Lake Tahoe. Karleen Jeffery-Barlia holds the Pro Women's record for most titles won with six.

"I just love being here," Ricker said. "I love the race organizers and the spirit of the event. It's a great place to get in the right mind frame before going up to Vancouver."

Cummins, who also won the Pro Men's Banked Slalom in 2008, 2006 and 2001, now trails just Terje Haakonsen, who also has won six titles.

Cummins surprised himself by turning in the day's top time (1:43.08) on his second run, contradictory to his usual style.

"I'll tell you what (his best run) usually is, it's my first," said Cummins, who at age 35 considers himself on the "older end" of the pro men's category. "Then by my second one, I've cooked myself a little bit. But you never know."

Defending pro men's champ Nate Holland, who will represent the U.S. in snowboard cross at the Vancouver Olympics, didn't compete this year. But his brother Pat Holland looked to be the favorite after the first pro men's run, posting a 1:44.06. He ended up third behind Cummins and second-place Rob Fagan, of Squamish.

Glacier pro and 2007 Banked Slalom winner Lucas DeBari finished seventh, one spot behind Bellingham's Sky Risvold.

"To win, you've just got to go all out on your runs and get lucky," said Debari, who recently signed with The North Face snowboard team. "There's so many talented riders."

Bellingham's Jonathan Martens won the Masters in 1:48.37, after winning the category at the mid-January Locals' Qualifier to make the field.

Josh Charles, a Mt. Baker Ski Area employee, posted the top overall time at the same qualifier and then made it to Sunday's final field. But he got bested by his work buddy Craig Newbury, who despite recovering from a November knee injury and sporting a sturdy brace beneath his snow pants, repeated as the Older Amateurs' champ.

Newbury posted a 1:46.57 on his first run, a time so impressive he celebrated with a few tricks during his second time through, drawing applause from spectators.

"Well, I pulled a 1:46," Newbury said. "I might as well have fun."

Plenty of other riders took notice of his pro-esque time, too. Newbury's secret?

"Inside line, everything, inside line," he said. "Right, got to get into that tight spot and hold on."

Burlington's J.T. Taylor repeated as champ in the Grand Masters, overcoming some late foggy conditions at the top. Deming's Bob Satushek topped Bellingham's Will Pieti in the Super Masters.

For the second straight year, Bellingham's Odin Barnett made it to the Banked Slalom through the local qualifier, but he, like many, crashed on both runs. He wasn't that bummed, though, after beating six other riders for one of three spots in the Sunday final.

"It's all good," Barnett said. "I get Duct Tape (trophy) anyway because there's only three of us, but I'd like to get a gold or silver."

He got silver. And bettered his first run by seven seconds to do it.

Silver also awaited Bellingham's Brynn Hayes, who was edged by Martina Nemcova of Boulder, Colo., in the Women's Amateur. Third place in the Women's Masters went to Christine Zander, who beat out fellow Glacier resident Weeg Simmons.

Defending Next Generation champ Hank Kennedy, of Glacier, had to settle for third, even though he said he felt fast during the weekend.

"Yeah," he said. "There's some tough competition, though."

Maria Debari turned in the top Pro Women's time on Friday, but she said that was because the two fastest riders fell down. After finishing third two years ago, fourth last year, and third again this year, she's still determined to win her first Pro Women's title.

"Yeah, for sure, someday," she said. "It's on my list of things to do before I die."

Banked Slalom Results

Men

Pro Men's:

1. Temple Cummins 1:43.08

2. Rob Fagan 1:43.62

3. Pat Holland 1:44.06

Masters

1. Jonathan Martens 1:49.14

2. Jeff Caldwell 1:48.94

3. Adam Haynes 1:49.22

Pro Masters

1. Tim Carlson 1:50.73

2. Darin Bryant 1:50.82

3. Jason Troth 1:50.88

Older Amateurs

1. Craig Newbury 1:46.57

2. Josh Charles 1:47.41

3. Jack Freysinger 1:48.49

Mid Masters

1. Gorio Bustamante 1:54.40

2. Ben Pellegrino 1:54.60

3. Dave Wray 1:54.68

Grand Masters

1. Jim Taylor 2:06.89

2. Eddie Layne 2:13.94

3. Rob Skala 2:14.96

Super Masters

1. Bob Satushek 2:35.52

2. Will Pieti 3:17.24

Younger Amateurs

1. Austen Sweetin 1:47.76

2. Logan Beaulieu 1:49.00

3. Max Warbington 1:52.19

Juniors

1. Gus Warbington 1:55.14

2. Odin Barnett 1:59.95

3. Jacob Krigmire 2:01.01

Next Generation

1. Cody Warble 2:00.43

2. Milo Malkoski 2:08.63

3. Hank Kennedy 2:11.07

Women

Pro Women's

1. Maelle Ricker 1:49.88

2. Marni Yamada 1:50.98

3. Maria DeBari 1:54.66

Women Masters

1. Tanya Simonson 2:02.30

2. Marguerite Cossettini 2:02.44

3. Christine Zander 2:03.57

Women's Amateurs

1. Martina Nemcova 2:04.93

2. Brynn Hayes 2:05.38

3. Kari Hoss 2:05.62