PARK CITY, Utah, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Snowboarding became an American Olympic medals bonanza Monday as Ross Powers led a United States sweep of the men's halfpipe.
One day after teen-aged snowboader Kelly Clark won the United States' first gold medal of the Games, Powers and teammates Danny Kass and Jarret Thomas thrilled a capacity crowd of more than 16,500.
The 1998 bronze medalist in Nagano, Powers spearheaded the first American medals sweep in any Winter Games since men's figure skating in 1956.
"Snowboarding was started in the USA and there are so many good snowboarders in the USA, and I guess we've kind of been leading the way, whether it's been in the halfpipe or in the videos," Powers said
Powers set the standard early, scoring a 46.1 on his first of two jumps. He linked back-to-back McTwists, adding a Cab cork-720 to the delight of the pro-American crowd.
"I just dropped in and tried to get as much speed as I could," Powers said. "I did a method air, which is a backside air, and then a frontside air. Those are probably some of the biggest airs I've ever done in a halfpipe, if not the biggest."
Like Clark, Powers is a Vermont native.
"Just watching her yesterday kind of psyched us up and Vermont must be psyched. I know it is huge for me," Powers said. "It is going to be crazy to go home."
Kass was second with 42.5 points, just ahead of Thomas' 42.1. Countryman Tommy Czeschin, the pace-setter in qualifying, was sixth with 40.6.
"I'm really happy to be part of the United States sweep and to be on the program with J.J. and Ross," said Kass, a 19-year-old from Hamburg, N.J.
Defending silver medalist Daniel Franck of Norway was 10th, followed by reigning world champion Magnus Sterner of Sweden.
