Sports

Gnarly! Family of Snowboarders Eyes Olympic Team

Three of the Tierney kids -- who grew up in Rumson and Little Silver -- are making names for themselves in the world of competitive snowboarding.

The Tierney family might have grown up along the Jersey Shore but it's on the ski slopes that they've found their groove.

Patch hears that three teenagers in the family, who lived in and Rumson, have taken the snowboarding circuit by storm -- so to speak -- and have been invited to the U.S. Olympic Team's Gold Camp this summer.

Fifteen-year-old Meghan won the National Championship for Youth Women's (14-15 year old) in the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA) Nationals, according to her dad, Chris Tierney Sr., who grew up in Little Silver.

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"She just killed it," he told Patch in an e-mail.

Meghan also took the silver medal in the same division's half pipe contest.

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Brother, Chris Jr., 17, recently turned pro and competes in the Dew Tour, said his dad, and events like the European Open and U.S. Open. He is ranked 38th on the World Snowboarding Points List. Chris Sr. said he's also up for Rookie of the Year for the Dew Tour.

Makayla, 16, is also making a name for herself, as she recently took second and third in the USSA Hole Shot Boarder Cross in Mt. Hood Meadows and is a member of the USASA National Team.

"She is generally the youngest by four-to-six years," explained her dad.

A back injury sidelined Makayla this season and she spent most of her time working on physical therapy and training for the Hole Shot, he said.

All three have been invited to the U.S. Team's Gold Camp, their dad explained, "which identifies potential Olympic hopefuls." While there, they have the opportunity to train with the U.S. Team's coaches for a week.

Chris Sr. said that the family moved from Stratton, VT to Edwards, CO at the beginning of the school year so that both girls could attend the Vail Ski and Snowboarding Academy.

Brother Chris does online work through the Keystone School, explained his dad, which "works great because of his intense travel schedule."

During the winter season, the younger Chris travels through Europe and most of the United States snowboarding.

While at home, their dad said the three kids train primarily at mountains such as Vail, Copper, Breckenridge and Keystone.

"Then it's a brief rest for a few weeks in the summer and then off to New Zealand, where they usually train for a month and compete in the New Zealand Open," he said.

Gnarly.


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