WILMINGTON, New York ??” When the State Farm U.S. Snowboard Cup returns to Whiteface March 9-12, it will feature a number of medal winners from the recently-concluded Torino Winter Games.

Hosted by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in conjunction with the New York Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), the top men and women riders in the world are amped and ready to display their best stuff on the 1980 Olympic mountain in an event that is part of the Nokia World Cup snowboard tour. It gets underway with the Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS) on Draper’s Drop, Thursday, March 9. Qualification begins at 9 AM, leading up to the 1:00 finals.

The action resumes Friday, March 10, with all day halfpipe qualification on the Bear trail starting at 8:45 AM. After the cut is made, the halfpipe finals are slated for Saturday, March 11, at 1 PM. Saturday commences on the Boreen trail with women’s qualifications for the unpredictable snowboardcross ??“ roller derby on snow – on Saturday at 9:30 AM.

The popular quarterpipe tow-in competition, which stoked the participants in its debut last March, is scheduled to return on Saturday night from 7-9 PM on the infield of the Olympic Speed Skating Oval on Main Street in Lake Placid. This two-hour spectacle will begin with live music by the North Mississippi Allstars at 7 PM before the athletes take center stage. Bulleted like a water skier into the pipe by snowmobile, the boarder releases the rope and tries to go HUGE up the 30 foot wall of the quarterpipe in the ultimate dash for cash. The night will end with a spectacular fireworks display above the complex.

The men’s snowboardcross (SBX) qualifications start on Sunday, March 12, at 9:30 AM to be followed by the men’s and women’s SBX finals at 1 PM.

There are numerous ticket packages available for the Whiteface / Lake Placid region’s final World Cup event of the season. You can look over those options by logging on to www.whiteface.com where you will find selections from $0 to $75 in just a click of your mouse. Some on-line deadlines, dated March 5, are rapidly approaching. These packages will enable you to ski and ride Whiteface as well as access the competition courses. Spectators may also employ the two-heel method to arrive at the PGS and SBX finish areas free of charge.

More volunteers are needed in a variety of areas. Anyone interested should call Marilyn Lamiman at 1-800-462-6236 x 286.

For more information on the State Farm U. S. Snowboard Cup, please log on to www.whitefacelakeplacid.com.

NBC will air coverage of this event on Sunday, March 26, at 12:30 PM Eastern time.