Vail's Seibert siblings go big at nationals

Click to Enlarge Browse Vail Daily Photos Ski & Snowboard Club Vail's Lizzie Seibert prepares to drop in for her run Friday at the U.S. Freestyle Championships in Park City, Utah. Special to the Daily Get Sports Feeds

Ian Cropp
Vail, CO Colorado
March 28, 2008

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PARK CITY, Utah — Up until this winter, Lizzie Seibert only skied in one direction — forward.

But Seibert, a lifelong alpine racer, decided to spin things around and give freestyle a shot for this season.

Only a few months into the discipline, Seibert, who competes for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, took fifth at the U.S. Freestyle Championships halfpipe Friday.

“I wanted to try something different,” Seibert said. “I had a few competitions in January that I did OK at, and it’s been getting better and better. My coach (Beau Hanley) is good, so I’ve learned a lot. (Friday) was really fun.”

Earlier this month, Seibert took fifth at the Junior Olympics slopestyle event in Steamboat Springs.

“I was pretty nervous coming into (Friday),” Seibert said. “It’s a lot different than the other competitions I’ve been in this year.”

Seibert made it through qualifiers and then used her second of two runs in the finals to take fifth among all women’s competitors. World Cup finals champ Jennifer Hudak won the competition.

“During qualifiers I was really nervous because there were girls from all over the country, and I didn’t know how they skied,” Seibert said. “I’m really happy about how the season ended. I’m excited because I learned a bunch of new stuff at the end of this year and want to build off it and do well next year.”

Ski & Snowboard Club Vail's Tony Seibert airs out of the pipe during Friday's U.S. Freestyle Championships. Seibert was sixth. Special to the Daily Browse Vail Daily Photos

Brotherly air
In the men’s competition, Tony Seibert, Lizzie’s older brother, placed sixth despite a bad back.

“I didn’t get the result I wanted, but I skied well,” said Tony Seibert, who was eighth recently at the Mount Snow Open halfpipe. “I’ve done the (U.S. Championships) the previous two years, and every year I’ve made the finals.”

Tony Seibert said his best trick was a 540 mute.

“It was the biggest hit I’ve ever done in the pipe,” he said. “I guess the judges didn’t like me.”

Competing with family is nothing new for the Seiberts, as Tony skied with their mother, Terry, at last month’s Crested Butte U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships, where Terry placed third.

“She beat a girl who competed here two years ago,” Tony Seibert said.

Earlier this season, Tony Seibert placed third at the Aspen Open halfpipe and took seventh in the slopestyle.