STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO  February 9, 2015 -The Steamboat Powder 8 team of Travis Cooke and Ryan Watts took home sixth place out of a field of 22 teams from some of the best resorts in the Rocky Mountain region in the legendary Powder 8 Championships, which returned this winter after a 15-year hiatus. 

“This is a fantastic showing by Travis and Ryan in their first Powder 8 competition,” said Nelson Wingard, Steamboat’s SnowSports School director.  “Steamboat is home to Champagne Powder® snow and these guys really skied their hearts out and represented Steamboat-Ski Town, U.S.A. ® in a big way among some amazing powder skiers.”

Powder 8 Top-10 Results

1.     Schanzenbaker/Roennau (Aspen)........................191

2.     Herrin/Nedved (Big Sky/Crested Butte)...............189

3.     Denny/Hewson (Jackson Hole Local)..................187

4.     Cieciuch/Glanzing (Telluride)...............................186

5.     Flynn/Flynn (Jackson Hole Local)........................185

6.     Cooke/Watts (Steamboat)....................................178

7.     Levine/Puccia (Jackson Hole Local)....................173

8.     Huber/Truss (Alta)................................................168

9.     Flanagan/Leger (Jackson Hole Local)..................167

10.   Hunt/Hunt (Jackson Hole Local)..........................167

With judges looking for team synchronization, dynamic skiing and symmetry of the 8 (turn shape), the Steamboat team powered their way down Cody Bowl in the Jackson Hole backcountry to a score of 178.  A mere 13 points separated Cooke/Watts from overall event winners Jim Schanzenbaker and Thomas Roennau from Aspen, who scored a 191.

To earn their way to the competition, Cooke and Watts overcame a rigorous local process involving an application, essay and three-run scored tryout. They defeated three other Steamboat teams in the Steamboat finals to earn their spot in representing the resort at the big mountain powder competition. Both Watts and Cooke are trainers in the Steamboat SnowSports School and currently working to reach their next level of training accreditation.

The 2016 Powder 8 competition took place this past Saturday, February 6, 2016.  Before its return this winter, this nationally recognized competition ran from 1975 until 2001 and was first won by Pepi Stiegler and Peter Habeler. Over its more than two decade run, the event featured a long tradition of participating and winning teams from some of the best resorts in the Rocky Mountains.

Sponsored by GoPro and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the 2016 Powder 8 competition was an invitational team contest with over $10,000 in cash and prizes awarded to the top three places.