VAIL – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail athlete David Retzlaff made it to the final selection round in the Burton US Open Clif Best Line competition, and the local athlete is looking for your support.
Voting occurs on Instagram.com/burtonsnowboards — comment @davidretzlaffofficial to vote for Retzlaff. Voting closes on Saturday, March 2.
The Clif Best Line contest welcomed all US Open competitors to film an unedited segment, 50 seconds or less, somewhere in bounds on Vail Mountain. While many competitors filmed their segments in the park, Retzlaff went into the trees near the Minnie Haha run where he found a bevy of downed logs to slide across.
Competitors entered their submissions and a final five were chosen. Retzlaff finds himself in good company in the final five — the other athletes are all former Olympians and/or members of their respective national teams. Retzlaff, on the other hand, is an up-and-coming talent; he’s not on the U.S. Team and is hoping to have a breakout moment. So far, the 2019 Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships has been that moment for the 19-year-old, as he earned a spot to compete in the US Open slopestyle competition, which also gave him an opportunity to compete in the Clif Best Line contest. Making it to the US Open and competing in the slopestyle event was by far the biggest moment of his career, Retzlaff said.
But that was before he made the final five in the Clif Best Line contest, where early voting seemed to put him near the top. A win might be just what he needs to launch his career, but even more important for an up and coming athlete who doesn’t have nearly the same level of support as the rest of the field, the $10,000 will go a long way.