By Eddie Pells , Canadian Press

SALT LAKE CITY — Snowboarder Danny Davis won’t have a chance to dedicate his Olympics to a fallen friend after a season-ending back injury suffered when he crashed his four-wheeler into a closed gate outside a house in Utah.

Davis, who is good friends with injured halfpipe rider Kevin Pearce, was scheduled to undergo surgery Monday to repair a vertebrae in his lower back. A message on his Facebook site said Davis would not be competing in remaining snowboard events in 2010.

The Summit County sheriff’s department in Park City, Utah, released a statement that said Davis was leaving a housing development at around 3:30am Sunday, after celebrating his victory in a Dew Tour halfpipe event, and was knocked unconscious when he crashed his four-wheeler into a closed metal gate on a private driveway.

Read the whole story

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 4am Tuesday for Lake Tahoe. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

Jamie Anderson of South Lake Tahoe placed fourth in Sunday’s Dew Tour slopestyle finals at Snowbasin Resort.

Spencer O’Brien of Whistler won the women’s event in Ogden, Utah.

The two women are tied for the overall lead as they head to the Toyota Championship in West Dover, Vt.

South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena is conducting sign-ups for skate school and hockey school sessions.

Adult hockey players can sign up for Fall League, which will have divisions for all ability levels. Place your name on the “Free Agent List” if you don’t know of a team to join.

For more information come by the arena at 1176 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe or call (530) 542.6262.

By Lindsey Sine, USSA

PARK CITY -– The first leg of Heather McPhie’s (Park City, UT) Olympic dreams were achieved Saturday night as she finished second at the Visa Freestyle International to lock her spot on the 2010 Olympic Team. McPhie was joined on the podium by teammate Michelle Roark (Denver) who threw her name in the Olympic running, finishing third.

The clear winter night belonged to McPhie who, only two days earlier, had her first World Cup victory. There was electricity in the air for the Park City resident as she took in the feeling of World Cup success, and more importantly, a future as an Olympian.

“Amazing. My season just keeps building. It’s been really, really awesome. Working with the coaches and the support staff has been awesome and I’ve been able to lay it down,” McPhie said. “My biggest goal for this event was to find that next gear. I didn’t know how to quite turn the dial and I did it two days in a row.”

McPhie and Roark led the way for the U.S. to take four of the top five spots with Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) finishing fourth and Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) fifth.

While her spot on the 2010 Olympic Team is assured, McPhie isn’t planning on slowing down any time soon as she competes her hardest day to day.

Also nearing another Winter Games is Roark, who with her third place finish is happy to have the momentum back in her skiing. And it came on the same venue where a win four years ago sent her to Torino.

And Roark’s skiing was elevated thanks to some help from some special friends – Olympic medalists Toby Dawson and Jonny Moseley, as well as Jeremy Bloom.

“I went back this summer and interviewed a bunch of athletes that had been successful – Johnny Moseley, Toby Dawson Jeremy Bloom – and they all gave me some advice,” Roark said. “I went back and read the rule book and realized a good turn is a nice carved turn, not a sliding turn. So I was like, ‘alright what do I have to do to change my turns,’ because I was a good slider.”

In only his second appearance in a World Cup competition, Jeremy Cota (Steamboat Springs, CO) led the way for the U.S. men, finishing seventh. Guilbaut Colas of France won, followed by Australia’s Dale Begg-Smith in second and Alexandre Bilodeau of Canada in third.

While his 14th place finish wasn’t a big deal for him, with two second places on the World Cup this season, Wilson also essentially locked in his ticket to Vancouver with one competition left to go in the season.

With the Visa Freestyle International wrapped up, the freestyle world moves along to Lake Placid for the final World Cup competitions prior to the 2010 Games Jan. 21-24.

Olympic moguls spots are still up for grabs in Lake Placid. On the men’s side, Deneen has a spot from Olympic Trials, while Wilson has virtually locked his spot on the basis of a pair of seconds last month. Nate Roberts (Park City, UT), who crashed in qualifications both days at Deer Valley, is the only other man with a podium. The USA will name up to four men.

In women’s moguls, Kearney has the Olympic Trials spot with McPhie clinching her berth. Both Roark and Bahrke have third place finishes.

The Nature Valley Freestyle Cup at Lake Placid opens with moguls Thursday afternoon.

Park City, Jan. 16, 2010, Moguls

Men

1. Guilbaut Colas, France, 26.80

2. Dale Begg-Smith, Australia, 26.21

3. Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada, 25.95

4. Mazime Gingras, Canada, 25.20

5. Nobuyuki Nishi, Japan, 25.19

–

7. Jeremy Cota, Steamboat Springs, CO, 24.90

9. Patrick Deneen, Cle Elum, WA, 24.77

11. Jimmy Discoe, Ridgway, CO, 24.72

14. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT, 17.41

(16 make finals)

17. Michael Morse, Duxbury, MA, 23.30

23. Shane Cordeau, Sun Valley, ID, 22.74

24. David Babic, Washington, VT, 22.51

30. Joe Discoe, Ridgway, CO, 21.33

48. Dave DiGravio, Farmington, ME, 11.20

58. Nate Roberts, Park City, UT, 0.00

Women

1. Jennifer Heil, Canada, 25.59

2. Heather McPhie, Park City, UT, 24.93

3. Michelle Roark, Denver, 24.91

4. Hannah Kearney, Norwich, VT, 24.89

5. Shannon Bahrke, Tahoe City CA, 24.88

–

12. Shelly Roertson, Reno, NV, 22.52

13. Eliza Outtrim, Steamoat Springs, CO, 22.05

16. Laurel Shanley, Squaw Valley, CA, 4.23

(16 make finals)

36. Heidi Kloser, Vail, CO, 13.20

45. Emiko Torito, Denver, 0.00

By USSA

MARIBOR, Slovenia — Austria’s Kathrin Zettel won for the second consecutive day as the U.S. Ski Team was unable to land a finalist in Sunday’s Audi FIS Alpine World Cup slalom in Maribor, Slovenia.

“Today was just a tough day all around,” said U.S. women’s head coach Jim Tracy. “They were out there competing and it just didn’t happen.”

Zettel trailed compatriot Marlies Schild by more than a second after the first run, but Schild skied out to meet the same fate as Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA), Megan McJames (Park City, UT) and Sarah Schleper (Vail, CO).

“The conditions were pretty tough, but it’s an outdoor sport,” Tracy said. “We just didn’t get it done today.”

Two-time defending overall champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) lost her World Cup overall lead with an uncharacteristically slow run, while rival and friend Maria Riesch of Germany gained a 28-point advantage by taking third behind Slovenia’s Tina Maze.

The U.S. women now move into two consecutive weeks with speed events in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy and St. Moritz, Switzerland with Vonn currently leading the World Cup downhill, super G and super combined standings.

The only remaining technical event before the Olympic selection is a giant slalom Jan. 24 in Cortina.

Maribor, Slovenia, Jan. 17, Women’s Slalom

1. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 1:42.98

2. Tina Maze, Slovenia, 1:43.69

3. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:44.26

4. Susanne Riesch, Germany, 1:44.34

5. Sandrine Aubert, France, 1:44.70

–

DNQ: Kaylin Richardson, Edina, MN; Kiley Staples, Park City, UT; Sterling Grant, Amery, WI; Hailey Duke, Boise, ID; Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO

DNF1: Julia Mancuso, Olympic Valley, CA; Megan McJames, Park City, UT; Sarah Schleper, Vail, CO

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

South Tahoe’s Elena Hight was on top of the podium Saturday night after winning the snowboard superpipe final at the Winter Dew Tour. Danny Davis of Highland, Mich., won the men’s event.

Sunday’s events in Ogden, Utah, include the snowboard and freeski slopestyle finals.

By USSA

MARIBOR, Slovenia — Two-time defending overall champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) was challenging for a podium result until going out near the finish line of her second run Saturday in an Audi FIS Alpine World Cup giant slalom won by Austrian Kathrin Zettel.

“It happens,” said women’s alpine head coach Jim Tracy of the bad breaks that have riddled Vonn’s recent slalom history. “Unfortunately, she’s had her fair share of it, and enough’s enough now.”

Vonn, who had failed to reach the final run of her previous three giant slaloms, charged to a second-place first run that positioned the 2010 overall leader to bid for her first World Cup podium in the discipline.

Vonn made a mistake early in her second run, going up on one ski, then recovered and skied aggressively to make up time before hitting a bump and going off course late.

“I just hit a rut,” she said. “I couldn’t really see anything. I’m just so mad.”

A day after she said Vonn’s 112-point World Cup overall lead was insurmountable because of the preponderance of speed events remaining, Germany’s Maria Riesch took second and closed the gap to 32.

Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA), the only other American to make the top 30 final, was 25th for the U.S. Team.

Sunday’s slalom – the second of the Golden Fox races – is the last before the Olympic Team is nominated on Jan. 25, and the second-to-last technical event (a giant slalom is slated for Jan. 24 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy).

Maribor, Slovenia, Jan. 16, Women’s Giant Slalom

1. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 2:36.22

2. Maria Riesch, Germany, 2:36.45

3. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 2:36.70

4. Kathrin Hoelzl, Germany, 2:37.08

5. Andrea Fischbacher, Austria, 2:37.13

–

25. Julia Mancuso, Olympic Valley, CA, 2:39.13

–

DNF2: Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO

DNQ: Megan McJames, Park City, UT; Jessica Kelley, Starksboro, VT; Sarah Schleper, Vail, CO

By USSA

WENGEN, Switzerland -– Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) continued to establish himself as a consistent force in Audi FIS Alpine World Cup speed events, taking 13th for his eighth career top-15 in Saturday’s downhill at Wengen, Switzerland, while Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) was a tactical error away from putting down another podium run.

“Today was a good day for Andrew Weibrecht,” said U.S. men’s head coach Sasha Rearick. “He executed from top to bottom his gameplan.”

With the eyes of Switzerland watching the 80th running of the famed, 2.7-mile Lauberhorn – the oldest and longest World Cup downhill – Weibrecht didn’t look like a man making his third season in Wengen.

Switzerland’s Carlo Janka won the race a day after Miller edged him for a super combined victory, and he nearly got another run for his money from the two-time World Cup overall champion.

Miller had the fastest time of the first 12 racers at the fifth and final interval, but an aggressive line through the super G turns forced him low, and he tried to take an aggressively straight line through the final turns to compensate and missed a gate just before the finish.

“I hit my elbow on the ground,” said Miller, who won back-to-back downhills at Wengen in 2007 and 2008 and became the first American to win the super combined there since Buddy Werner in 1958. “I just hit one bump. I couldn’t really see that great. It kind of got overcast today and it was tough light, and once I made that mistake, I came out of the turn with no speed at all.”

Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) said he was tired at the end of his run, but he earned a solid 21st place after injuring his ankle in last year’s Lauberhorn and missing the World Championships.

Erik Fisher (Middleton, ID) landed in the points, but that didn’t satisfy the high expectations Rearick has for the talented 24-year-old.

Squaw Valley’s own Travis Ganong took 43rd in just his third World Cup start, while Marco Sullivan was 36th after his tails slid out near the start and he lost speed before the flats.

Next up for the speedsters is the similarly prestigious Hahnenkamm races in Kitzbuehel, Austria, next weekend.

Wengen, Switzerland, Jan. 16, Men’s Downhill

1. Carlo Janka, Switzerland, 2:32.23

2. Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Canada, 2:32.89

3. Marco Buechel, Liechtenstein, 2:33.05

4. Werner Heel, Italy, 2:33.06

T-5. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, and Andrej Jerman, Slovenia, 2:33.09

–

13. Andrew Weibrecht, Lake Placid, NY, 2:34.09

21. Steven Nyman, Sundance, UT, 2:35.10

28. Erik Fisher, Middleton, ID, 2:35.66

36. Marco Sullivan, Squaw Valley, CA, 2:37.28

41. Scott Macartney, Crystal Mountain, WA, 2:37.82

43. Travis Ganong, Squaw Valley, CA, 2:38.46

DNF – Bode Miller, Franconia, NH