Three years ago, Edwards resident Jack Coyne competed in the junior jam halfpipe competition at the Burton US Open. The top three riders received a spot in the semifinals; Coyne finished fourth.
And since then, he has dreamed of receiving an invite to the event and getting another chance to compete alongside 30 of the top riders in the sport.
“Ever since the event has been in Vail I’ve wanted to be in it,” Coyne said of the Burton US Open. “I was an alternate this year and I got one of the last spots, I was so stoked.”
Now 17, Coyne was 11 years old when the event arrived in Vail from Stratton, Vermont, where it had been since 1985. The year was 2013.
“I would just watch it every year and then I got in the junior jam but didn’t make it through,” he said. “I got to poach the pipe a few times but it will be sweet to be actually in it.”
In 2013, Eagle resident Jake Pates was one of the youngest competitors in the event at just 14 years old.
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In 2014, Eagle County locals Zoe Kakapos and Ryan Wachendorfer also made their way into the halfpipe event.
This year, you can cheer on Coyne, Pates and Wachendorfer in the men’s halfpipe competition and Kalapos in the women’s competition on Thursday at Vail’s Golden Peak halfpipe venue. The women are scheduled to start at 10 a.m.; the men are set for 12:30 p.m.
The event will air live on on Red Bull TV and BurtonUSOpen.com.
