It’s cliche, but “all good things come to a close” and today it was Kelly Clark’s unprecedented 16-straight winning streak that reached its final stop. Kelly’s riding was, as always, a thrill to watch with massive air and stylish flow throughout her runs, but it was South Lake Tahoe’s Elena Hight who managed to squeeze an extra .31 points out of the judges and come out on top with a score of 86.50. Kelly held on to the second place position and twenty-year-old Ellery Hollingsworth followed in third.

Hot on their heels was 15 year old, Arielle Gold of Steamboat Springs, who took 4th and was also awarded the Nokia Newcomer Award. While she may be young, today this girl proved she can shred, so watch out ladies.

Elena Hight unseated reigning champ Kelly Clark, the first to do so since Fall 2010.

Kelly Clark took home second place.

Ellery Hollingsworth picked up third.

By the time the men stepped up, the sun was on full alert beaming down on the pipe and softening the pipe walls and slipping out riders left and right. Despite the changing conditions, Shaun White put down a solid first run of 90.44 that secured him the first place position. Louie Vito followed in second and local boy Benji Farrow, out of Ludlow, VT brought up third.

Shaun White had no problem clearing the 20 foot mark out of the pipe.

Louie Vito landed second place.

Benji Farrow of Ludlow, VT took home the bronze medal.

In traditional Open fashion, pipe poachers kept the crowd stoked up between runs, airing out with huge methods. Gotta love it. Here’s to another 30 years.

Even the dudes poaching were going HUGE!

After a crash landing during a whiteout snow squall on his second slopestyle run, Canadian-born snowboarder Sebastien Toutant turned out a banger run on his third and last attempt here at Stratton Mountain, scoring a 92 and a top podium spot.

Classic New England weather (don’t like the weather? wait a minute.) swept over Stratton Mountain during the 2-hour slopestyle competition. The snow squall blew over quickly, revealing sunshine for all the competitors’ third runs.

Norwegian rider Ulrik Badertscher’s first run, under a growing pall of darkening clouds, ended up being his best, garnering enough points to take second. His double front flip off the cannon box at the end of the course arguably received the loudest reaction among fellow riders in the start tent.

The only Vermonter in the competition, Hans Mindnich from Stowe, briefly held first place after his stellar run in the first round. After several years competing in qualifying rounds at the US Open, this was his first time making it to the finals. He ended up in fourth place and will take $3 G’s in prize money back home to Stowe.

Seb Toots was able to bounce back after this crash in the second round to end up in first place.

 

Maxence Parrot from Canada ended up in 10th place.

 

Vermont's Hans Mindnich (left) greets Chas Guldemond at the top of the slopestyle course.

 

Vermont Kevin Pearce, who suffered a serious head injury in the lead up to the 2012 Winter Olympics, landed a seat in the announcer's booth for Red Bull's live webcasts of the US Open on Friday. Watch the action at Redbull.tv.