Dual Slalom / 4X Jeek KOM #1 Results

Jeep KOM #1 Results

Video

Young Guns Shake Up Men’s Podium while Experience Prevails for the Women

Heading into the first stop of the Jeep 48STRAIGHT Series in Mountain Creek, NJ the question was: Can the veteran “legend riders” like Brian Lopes (36), Eric Carter (38) and Rich Houseman (30) hold off a charge from “young gun” riders like Cody Warren (22), J.D. Swanguen (19), and Cole Bangert (23)? Right from the start of the race, the door opened up for the younger riders when Jeep favorite, Lopes, fell in his first quarterfinal. Lopes was so disappointed, he disappeared from the event site immediately.



The legends continued to fall by the wayside until Swanguen, fresh off a dual slalom win at Crankworx in Whistler, and Warren, the 2005 National Downhill Champion, battled head-to-head in the final. When Swanguen went down in his second run, Warren cruised his way to his first ever Jeep victory. With Warren (1st), Swanguen (2nd) and Australia’s Jared Rando (3rd) sweeping the podium, it signified a new guard of riders for the Jeep Series.

“They proved us all wrong,” said Rich Houseman who ended up in 7th. “In every interview I did, I was like, look for the veterans like myself and EC (Eric Carter) and Lopes (Brian), and we weren’t even in the top four. I think they (the young guns) are hungry and ready to take us vets down.”



While youth and hunger was the key to success in the men’s race, experience prevailed for the women. The favorites coming into the race, Kathy Pruitt, a two-time US Nationals Series Winner in downhill, and Melissa Buhl, the current dual slalom National Champion, both easily won their heats all day until the final. Unfortunately, in the second run of the final, Buhl went down on the same turn that took out Lopes and Swanguen, and she handed over the race win to Pruitt.

Coming up at the second stop of the Jeep Series in Park City, Utah (Sept. 19-20) look for legends like Brian Lopes and Rich Houseman to seek redemption, while women riders Pruitt and Buhl will battle again for top honors. For more details on the Utah event click here.