Now in its 12th year as one of the biggest professional snowboard contest series in the United States, the US Snowboarding Grand Prix will make its second of three stops at Boreal Mountain Resort from Thursday through Sunday.Some of the worlds best male and female snowboarders will rip into the Donner Summit resort, competing in halfpipe and boardercross events. Top riders will cash in on a chunk of the tours $300,000 prize purse.The event will be taped by NBC Sports for broadcast on Feb. 14, so its a safe bet the talent on hand will be worth watching live. Confirmed riders include superpipe destroyers Louie Vito, Scotty Lago, Hannah Teter and Jaime Anderson, as well as boardercross heavyweights Nate Holland of Truckee, Seth Wescott, and Lindsey Jacobellis.Saturdays action includes the halfpipe finals from 1 p.m. until 2:30 and the X-Box Jam a special mini slopestyle contest featuring 13 of the top local and national snowboarders ages 10 to 13 at 7 p.m.On Sunday, boardercross takes center stage with the finals from 1:30 p.m. to 3.

Seth Lightcap caught up with Boreal Marketing Director Jon Slaughter to get the lowdown on the Grand Prix.SS: The Grand Prix has always been a huge competition. Boreal must be thrilled to host it for the first time?This is the biggest event we have had at Boreal in 10 years. Its been a lot of hard work planning all the logistics, but everything is coming together well. Im sure it will be a great event.SS: Whats in it for the fans?Fans can expect to see snowboarding at its finest. We have top riders like Hannah Teter, Louie Vito, Nate Holland and Lindsey Jacobellis competing in the main events, as well as the best young local talent throwing down in the X-Box Jam. In the sponsor village, theyll be giving away free swag and athletes will be on hand to sign autographs.SS: Where will the boardercross course be located?The course will drop straight down the face of the Prospector run, skiers right of the Accelerator chair and the halfpipe. People riding the chair will have an amazing view of all the action.SS: Will the mountain still be open for public shredding?Definitely. Well have the boardcross course and the halfpipe closed, but all the chairlifts and the terrain parks will be open. Spectators who would like to hike up the mountain to watch the competition will need to buy a spectator pass for $5.

Tahoe World editor Wendy Lautner caught up with Truckee snowboarder Nate Holland on Tuesday for a Qandamp;A about the Grand Prix at Boreal as well as his recent boardercross win at the Winter X Games his fourth straight.SS: Congratulations on your fourth first in the Boardercross at X Games, it looks like this is starting to become a habit for you. Why do you think you always hit it so well at the X Games?I just think that I am able to feed on pressure. Being one of the biggest events of the year, theres always a lot of pressure at X Games and Im able to utilize those nerves to perform really well. And the longer course suits me. It gives you time to really showcase your skills and time to come back from a mistake if you have one.SS: Were looking forward to having you back in Tahoe over the weekend at the Boreal Grand Prix. After coming off such a high energy week at X Games, how are you preparing going into the Grand Prix?Im definitely going in (to the Grand Prix) confident. Its hard to say how exactly Im preparing because I havent seen the course yet. But Im planning on taking all of this positive energy I have from X Games and rolling it into my performance at the Grand Prix.SS: What are your goals for the comp?I have a lot friends that will be coming to see me, and so thats good and that adds more pressure, which is good. Im planning to do well. Im riding really well right now, so Im confident that I can make it on the podium, if not win the whole thing.SS: What do you have your sights on beyond the Grand Prix this year?Well, the Grand Prix is the first stop in the US Championships, so its a pretty big deal. I havent been to the US Championships since 2004, and so of course Id like to go back, as well as Im in the running for the World Championships too, so thats also a priority. No matter how big or small the race is, when I show up I try to win it. Its always a fine line that I ride; its kind of wreck or win. Im fine with that. Id rather have a handful of podiums and three handfuls of top 10s.SS: Anything else to add?Id be stoked to have everyone come out and see the race, theres a lot of good guys out there, so there will be a lot of good battles.