Holland wins South Korea World Cup in Olympic preview

BOKWANG, South Korea — Showing that he’s fully recovered from a pelvis injury sustained in the first World Cup in Austria, while also still perfectly capable of taking down the young pups, Sandpoint native Nate Holland won a snowboard cross World Cup last weekend in South Korea, racing on the same course that will be used for the 2018 Olympics.

Holland has had great success in his snowboardcross career, including seven X Games gold medals, but it was his first World Cup win in four years, when he won at Veysonnaz, Switzerland. It was a big win for the 37-year-old, who was sidelined for the first part of the season with an injury.

It’s the first World Cup win in four years for Holland, and the 16th time he’s stood on a World Cup podium.

“Today went killer, it’s always different to show up to a hill you haven’t raced, you never really know what to expect,” said a happy Holland. “This season’s been brutal for me. I sprained my pelvis in December and basically sat on a couch for a month, so I’m not the strongest I’ve been and I still have some hip pain. It’s a long injury but I just have to wake up early and get the bones moving — once you’re in the gate all that goes away.”

By all accounts the 2018 Olympic event is sure to be an exciting one, as the athletes are very happy with the course, which is big with lots of passing opportunities.

“The slope is perfect, the jumps were big and there are some tactics and strategy involved,” Holland said. “I like courses that are big and wide open with strategy — it makes you think a little more versus a holeshot scenario. And I’m stoked to see that this hill has the DNA of tactics, big jumps and fast speeds.”

American Nick Baumgartner was third, Alex Deibold placed fifth in the big final, Robert Minghini placed 12th out of the small final, Hagen Kearney was 18th, Mick Dierdorff was 28th and Jonathan Cheever was 32nd for the American men.

Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) made the women’s final, finishing just off the podium in fourth.

Holland, who cut his teeth on the slopes of Schweitzer as a snowboard trailblazing youth, stuggled with the wind and was only 35th in qualifying. Once the racing started, he found his groove.

“It feels great to be back and on top of the podium because it was a slow start to the season and I was happy to show up here and see a course I like and that it is going to be the Olympic venue in two years,” said Holland, casting a wayward eye toward the 2018 Winter Games on a course he likes. “I knew going into finals I needed to clean up my riding and that the wind played a factor, but you win the course at the finish line, not at the start gate.”

The next stop of the snowboardcross World cup tour is in Veysonnaz, Switzerland March 4-6.