SALT LAKE CITY -- The Swatch Freeride World Tour will make a stop at Snowbird this week.
The event was moved to Utah because of poor snow conditions in California. The switch is just fine for Kearns snowboarder Shannan Yates.
“I am very happy it’s at Snowbird because I love my mountain," Yates said. “ I’ve been riding Snowbird for about 20 seasons, and it’s a fantastic place.”
Yates is having a great season. She won the first two stops on tour in Austria and France.
“This season has been fantastic,” Yates said. “Every day that I am riding I’m having a great time. There’s not a day on my snowboard that’s a bad day.”
She has had some troubling moments. Yates injured her MCL one month before the first competition of this season.
“I was really worried if I was going to be able to compete or not, but a solid month of physical therapy and training got me ready for it,” she said.
And now she’s put herself into a great position to win her first world championship.
“I’m really excited about this shot at winning the overall title,” Yates said.
Open ceremonies are Friday, and the first possible day of competition is Saturday, but there is a five-day weather window to provide the best conditions for the athletes.
