The most up-to-date info you can get about the 1999 US Open:

· Big Punisher, Fat Joe, and the Terror Squad are the musical act, scheduled
for after the Halfpipe finals. They signal the triumphant return of rap to
the US Open main stage and we applaud Stratton and Burton, and the guys at
The Fridge for bringing this act to the contest.
· The Big Air finals are being held on Friday night, under lights. Back
after a one year absence, the Big Air is open to all this year (so long as
you got into prequalifiers or ride a board with your name on the topsheet
and a big "F" on the base). Some of you may know that the nighttime is the
right time for things like fireworks, which YoBeat thinks are very bad. Very
bad, so just forget that we ever mentioned it.
· Here's a YoBeat exclusive (we think). They are going to have one of those
giant Jumbotron super TV's at the Open this year with a direct feed from the
action to the screen. Jumbotrons are high-tech, just like YoBeat, so they
must be good.
· Terje Haakonsen killed it over in Japan in the Nippon Open and is a
favorite among many in the betting circles. Don't count out the Monster from
Massachusetts, Todd Richards (yes, he's still on Morrow despite rumors to
the contrary), Mike Michaelchuk (Canada's true Olympic hero), Ross Powers
(back to back 900s) and a handful of others hoping to take home first place.
In the women's division it's anything goes. Will Nicola Thost come back to
try and keep her title? Stay tuned...
· After a couple wayward years of being cut with one of those miserable
minipipe machines (otherwise known as a Pipe Dragon) the Open Pipe is being
cut, AS WE SPEAK, with a backhoe and a chainsaw, just the way God intended
it.
· It's been officially confirmed that Beer will be back in attendance at
this year's event. For those of you that don't know, Beer has been at every
US Open since the first (in 1982, at that time called the National
Championships). We're glad to see this veteran showing up (and not getting
thrown up hopefully) and advise everyone that the legal drinking age in
Vermont is 21.
· Shaun Palmer, the world's greatest athlete, is, as of press time, not
coming to the Open to compete in the Boardercross event, despite dozens of
calls from the event organizers trying to get him to come. Maybe Terje
should bring the cat graphic back with a clown wetting its pants on the
topsheet?
· M&M signed on as a late sponsor of the event. Free M&M's, how cool is
that?

Well, that's about it. Pray for sun. Prequals start on Tuesday and they are
FULL. If you have time, get over to Waterville Valley for the Snowboarder
Magazine Quarterpipe Championships. Get to Stratton early; the parking
situation is VERY different than last year. And keep an eYe out for those
bootleg sticker vendors; we hear there are some real gems in this year's
crop.

YoBeat Special Correspondent, Goldenbear, signing off...