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STRATTON -- After three decades the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, the longest snowboarding competition in the world, won't be held in Vermont.
Burton Snowboards made the announcement Monday, stating that the 31st edition of the competition will be held in Vail, Colo., at Golden Peak instead of Stratton Mountain Resort.
Representatives for both Burton and Stratton had been working on a new deal but talks eventually broke down.
But Burton Chief Creative Officer Greg Dacyshyn said the decision didn't have anything to do with discussions about a new deal.
"This move was about the next generation of the U.S. Open and evolving it to the next level," he stated in an e-mail to the Reformer. "The Open has always been driven by snowboarders, so first and foremost, the talks were focused on the riders themselves, to figure out what the event could or should be, to address their needs and the needs of the sport."
Dacyshyn said that Vail not only had the infrastructure and experience of holding world-class events, but that Vail officials have made a commitment "to inject a tremendous amount of investment into their snowboarding facilities."
A spokeswoman for Stratton said officials are unaware of what prompted the snowboard giants to move the location of the competition.
"They haven't said anything to us about why, but we're definitely going to miss it and watching the sport of snowboarding grow
Burton Founder and CEO Jake Burton wrote in a statement on Monday that the decision to move the event wasn't easy and that he wanted to thank Stratton for being such an integral part of the U.S. Open.
"Stratton not only hosted the Open for 27 years, but also played a pivotal role in making resort riding a reality," he wrote. "And as we look to the future progression of the U.S. Open, I feel that Vail offers us the ideal venue to host the event. Vail is an incredible mountain and has been my snowboarding home-away-from-home for over 20 years."
Last week, after Burton and Vail came to an agreement, members of the snowboard community, including local legend Kelly Clark of West Dover, gathered at the resort to check out the new venue and its proposed 22-foot half-pipe.
Clark, a two-time Olympic medalist and nine-time Winter X Games medalist, told ESPN that although she has many fond memories of watching and participating in U.S. Open held in the town she grew up in, she's hopeful for the event's new location.
"I'm optimistic and excited about the future," she said. "It will take a new identity in Vail and will look different than it ever has, but it still will remain one of the pinnacle events in snowboarding that embraces the core of the sport."
Josh Stilts can be reached at jstilts@reformer.com, or 802-254-2311 ext. 273.
