Whistlers Crispin Lipscomb knows hes just one good result away from locking up a spot for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. Although theres a full World Cup schedule ahead to accomplish that, he understands that the FIS Snowboard World Championships in Whistler next month could be his ticket.
The only problem is that every elite snowboarder in the world is thinking exactly the same thing. While the organizers of the World Championships were originally expecting about 400 athletes and officials to take part, that list has grown to about 550 and could be as high as 650 when all is said and done. Its rumoured that some of the top American riders that have avoided FIS events in the past in favour of pro contests will be making an appearance, hoping to land quota spots with top-25 performances and make the U.S. Team in Whistler.
Still, Lipscomb has an advantage on his home turf. Last year he won the title in the Ripzone Snowboard Invitational during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival. In 2003 he was third in the event, and won a new snowmobile in the athlete-judged Super Hit contest. That was also the year he started to compete full-time after years coaching the national team in New Zealand.
"Theres a little home turf advantage. Its also nice to be at home, and not have to deal with any hotels or travelling," said Lipscomb, 25. "I just feel comfortable here and in that pipe, I spend so much of my time up there riding it. I can just put my head down, and listen to some of my favourite music, and just let everything out," he said. The new K-PS CD is particularly good when riding, he added.
Having a few supporters on the sidelines also helps, and Lipscomb is hoping to have a good crowd on hand for the World Championships.
"We just want everyone to come out and support us, like what happened at the last Ripzone, where the Canadians had their best results there ever. Its free so everybody should head up to Base II and the new pipe to cheer us on. And if you see one of us on the street, come on over and give us a bit of stoke, get everyone excited," said Lipscomb.
It will be a few weeks before Lipscomb will be seen on Whistler streets. He left on Monday for the U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix in Breckenridge, Colorado and wont be back until after Christmas. By then the new superpipe at Base II is expected to open, giving him three weeks to train at the facility prior to the World Championships getting underway on Jan. 15.
In fact, Lipscomb has been training constantly, following up on his win at Ripzone with a month training on the pipe in Europe, before returning home for a glacier camp with the rest of the national team. He then went to New Zealand for three months of pipe training. While there he won the New Zealand Open and a pro quarterpipe contest. He also flew over to Australia, where he finished second in a pro Billabong Halfpipe event. Hes also been down to Mammoth Mountain in California, taking advantage of their early conditions to train on the pipe there.
In other words, summer vacation was short and sweet for Lipscomb, who has probably logged more days on the mountain since April than most people fit in over an entire season another reason hes hoping to get a good result at the World Championships.
"I definitely want a top-five in the World Championships and a podium would be great. Im trying to get a win, or a couple of good results on the World Cup tour so I dont have to stress any more about the Olympics and I can get some time for myself to just go snowboarding," said Lipscomb.
"When you do the World Cups its tough, you travel three days a week, and then you only get to ride the halfpipe when you get somewhere for about two hours a day. You also spend a few days acclimatizing to the environment and the halfpipe, so you dont learn anything new.
"What I really want is to go home and really go snowboarding. Halfpipe is a part of snowboarding, (but) its not everything, its not what were here for. You have to go freeriding, you have to get face shots, you have to hit some jumps."
The first outing for the Canadian Freestyle Snowboard Team ended in a disaster, with none of the team members qualifying for the finals. Given the circumstances, Lipscomb said he was not that upset with the results.
"It just wasnt good. The day before we got maybe an hour of training in, thats all we had, and on the day of the competition some really terrible weather moved in and wrecked everything. My binding broke so that took care of me, and everybody was having troubles with their runs," said Lipscomb. "It happens. If you cant get training and the conditions arent the best, its easy to get off your game."
Most of his teammates will be in Breckenridge this weekend, along with members of the B.C. Snowboard Team. Some riders, like Whistlers Amanda Mourant, will be competing for the first time in years, hoping to qualify for the Olympics.
"I think were going to see a lot more faces out there now that its almost time for the Olympics, people will be at every event trying to get in there," said Lipscomb.
Although the competition will be tough, Lipscomb says hes confident he can ride with the best in the world.
"Im feeling super strong, doing a lot of snowboarding and Im still having a good time," he said. "Ive been working on linking it all together this year, its all about back to back to back to back to back tricks, mixing it up and throwing in some extra spins and things. Im working on some new stuff as well, but Ill keep that under my hat a little bit until the contest.
"When you get up into that circle (against the top riders in the world) you know they want to beat you every time you go out. Theyre your friends and everything but they still want to beat you, and thats how I look at it. I know I can beat those guys, too, on any given day, just as I know they can beat me any day, so Ive got to keep pushing it, keep trying harder."
The freestyle team has had the same coach for three years, and "he always knows how to get us stoked," said Lipscomb.
At a higher level, Lipscomb says team financial support could be better. The Canadian Snowboard Federation has new sponsors in Honda, RBC Royal Bank and Telus, and program funding is improving, but that new money has yet to trickle down to the riders. Currently the team only completely sponsors one rider each season. Although others can get funding through Sport Canada if they qualify, some of the national team athletes are still paying their own expenses, or going to their own sponsors for help. Lipscomb would like to see the CSF sponsor more athletes in the future.
"If we have more funding, it would ease so much pressure, wed laugh about everything, and I think wed have more success that way," he said.
Lipscomb, after his recent performances in the Ripzone events, has more sponsor support this year and recently signed on to ride for Salomon.
One of the resources that has been made available to elite snowboarders is a sports psychologists. Not all of the athletes are taking advantage of it, but Lipscomb says its helping him to stay positive.
"Its different for everyone, but basically its about asking yourself the questions you need to hear, identifying your successes and figuring out how to recreate them, and how to avoid pitfalls. You also need to analyze your life and see what parts are good, whats positive for you, and what you could be better at," he said.
"Basically its a lot of mental preparation. If youre not having fun and enjoying then youre not going to do very well. With all the competitions and the pressure on the tour, its easy to forget that.
"Were just a bunch of guys out there snowboarding, its as simple as that."
The FIS Snowboard World Championships take place from Jan. 15 to 22, featuring five disciplines: snowboard cross, parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom, big air and halfpipe. There will also be a pro invitational McDonalds Rail Jam in the village.
On the final day there will be a concert featuring K-OS.