Zachary FenellGretchen Bleiler – Snowboarder Elite
February 5th 2009 22:03
A Brief History of Gretchen Blieler
Gretchen Bleiler tears up the FHM Calendar
Moving to a winter sport intensive environment I realized that learning the name of some premiere athletes was high on my to-do list. It didn’t take long tracing the annuls of women’s snowboarding to discover this name.
Gretchen goes into the big blue
Boasting three X-Games gold medals, a silver from the 2006 Winter Olympics and several world titles, Gretchen Bleiler is a dominant force in the world of pro snowboarding .
A veteran who specializes in the half and super pipe Gretchen has since been described as a pioneer and entrepreneur of the sport. Savvy with her publicity she has also become an Ambassador for women’s snowboarding
Blieler goes air
Born in Ohio in 1981 by age 11 Gretchen Bleiler had moved to Aspen Colorado with sights set on Olympic gold. Making the leap to professional athlete at 16 she immersed herself in competition and training. According to Wikipedia:
“Among her accomplishments, Gretchen jump-started the invert revolution for female riders as the first to land a Crippler 540 in competition, and won more halfpipe competitions in 2003, 2005 and 2006 than any other female snowboarder”
“In 2003, she was a U.S. snowboard Grand Prix champion, a U.S. Open of snowboarding champion, and a Triple Crown of Snowboarding champion”
“In 2003, she was a U.S. snowboard Grand Prix champion, a U.S. Open of snowboarding champion, and a Triple Crown of Snowboarding champion”
Gretchen Bleiler in Competition
Most recently competing in the Winter X Games and now the push is on for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. We here at seekextreme.com wish her good luck and will naturally report on any future accomplishments
Here is a list of career highlights from her very own website gretchenbleiler.com
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• 2008 X Games Halfpipe Gold Medalist
• 2008 US Open, 3rd Place, Stratton, VT
• 2008 Nippon Open, 2nd Place, Japan
• 2008 Snow Angles Invitational, 1st place, Snowmass, CO
• 2007 Breckenridge Grand Prix, 1st Place
• 2007 Abominable Snow Jam, 1st Place
• 2007 US Open Halfpipe 2nd Place
• 2007 Grand Prix 1st Place, Tamarack
• 2007 Grand Prix 2nd Place, Mt. Bachelor
• 2007 Mount Baker Banked Slalom, 3rd Place
• 2007 X Games Halfpipe Silver Medalist
• 2006 FIS World Cup 1st Place, Saas Fe, Switzerland
• 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist, Torino, Italy
• 2006 Overall Grand Prix Champion; won four of the five Grand Prix events determining Olympic team
• 2005 X Games and Gravity Games Gold Medalist
• 2005 US Open Halfpipe Champion
• FIS World Cup 1st Place, Bardonecchia, Italy
• Eight straight wins in 2003
• 2003 X Games Halfpipe Gold Medalist
• 2003 US Open Champion
• Won 2003 Overall Grand Prix Title
• One of only four females invited to coveted 2003 Arctic Challenge
• 2002 and 2003 Vans Triple Crown Overall Title Winner
• 2003 World SuperPipe Champion
AWARDS
• 2008 ESPY Women’s Action Sports Athlete of the Year
• 2008 Winner of National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Spirit Award
• Nominated for 2008 and 2007 Teen Choice Awared: Best Female Action Sports Athlete
• Voted 2006 Female Snowboarder of the Year at Fuel’s inaugural Action Sports Awards
• Nominated for 2006 ESPY Award
• Won 2004 and 2008 Colorado “Female Athlete of the Year” Award
• Earned Transworld Snowboarding’s 2004 Reader’s Choice Award
• Nominated for 2004 Laureus “Female Action Sports Athlete” Award
• Named Snowboarder and Transworld Snowboarding 2003 “Female Rider of the Year”
• 2008 X Games Halfpipe Gold Medalist
• 2008 US Open, 3rd Place, Stratton, VT
• 2008 Nippon Open, 2nd Place, Japan
• 2008 Snow Angles Invitational, 1st place, Snowmass, CO
• 2007 Breckenridge Grand Prix, 1st Place
• 2007 Abominable Snow Jam, 1st Place
• 2007 US Open Halfpipe 2nd Place
• 2007 Grand Prix 1st Place, Tamarack
• 2007 Grand Prix 2nd Place, Mt. Bachelor
• 2007 Mount Baker Banked Slalom, 3rd Place
• 2007 X Games Halfpipe Silver Medalist
• 2006 FIS World Cup 1st Place, Saas Fe, Switzerland
• 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist, Torino, Italy
• 2006 Overall Grand Prix Champion; won four of the five Grand Prix events determining Olympic team
• 2005 X Games and Gravity Games Gold Medalist
• 2005 US Open Halfpipe Champion
• FIS World Cup 1st Place, Bardonecchia, Italy
• Eight straight wins in 2003
• 2003 X Games Halfpipe Gold Medalist
• 2003 US Open Champion
• Won 2003 Overall Grand Prix Title
• One of only four females invited to coveted 2003 Arctic Challenge
• 2002 and 2003 Vans Triple Crown Overall Title Winner
• 2003 World SuperPipe Champion
AWARDS
• 2008 ESPY Women’s Action Sports Athlete of the Year
• 2008 Winner of National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Spirit Award
• Nominated for 2008 and 2007 Teen Choice Awared: Best Female Action Sports Athlete
• Voted 2006 Female Snowboarder of the Year at Fuel’s inaugural Action Sports Awards
• Nominated for 2006 ESPY Award
• Won 2004 and 2008 Colorado “Female Athlete of the Year” Award
• Earned Transworld Snowboarding’s 2004 Reader’s Choice Award
• Nominated for 2004 Laureus “Female Action Sports Athlete” Award
• Named Snowboarder and Transworld Snowboarding 2003 “Female Rider of the Year”
A Video Introduction to Gretchen Bleiler
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