Utah para snowboarders Huckaby, Delson and Gabel podium in Germany

Noah Elliott of the U.S. Para Snowboarding Team stands atop the podium in Germany, following his back-to-back snowboard cross wins. Not pictured, Brenna Huckaby, Kate Delson, or Keith Gabel on the podium at the same competition. Photo: U.S. Ski & Snowboard – Brian Neff

GERMANY — The U.S. Para Snowboard Team wrapped up their snowboard cross series on Friday in Grasgehren, Germany, where Brenna Huckaby, of the Snowbird Sports Education Foundation (LL1) landed on top of the podium.

The wet, mushy snow from yesterday’s warm conditions froze overnight, creating a solid racing surface. However, as the storm rolled in around the course, it became covered it in snow that eventually turned to rain, creating interesting conditions for riders to overcome. 

“The weather was super unpredictable. The first race was super warm with almost slushy snow conditions,” Huckaby said to the U.S. Para Snowboard Team. “The second day, it was colder and a bit firmer, which was much better. I think a big part of the sport is being prepared for all conditions, so thankfully, the snow didn’t impact me too much.”

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While battling the mixed precipitation, Huckaby continued her reign on the circuit, winning her fourth straight snowboard cross World Cup. Right behind her was Kate Delson, who finished third. Delson is an up-and-coming Para snowboard athlete training with Team Utah Snowboarding, the same club Huckaby started her journey with back in 2013. Huckaby posted a photo of Delson on her Instagram story following the race, saying, “P.S. this girl crushes it! So excited for the future of our sport.” She went on to say, “I’m super proud of everyone for showing up and giving their all regardless of the conditions, and I’m excited to see how much the sport progresses this season.”

Huckaby, a three-time Paralympic gold medalist and five-time World Champion, was first introduced to Para snowboarding in 2013 after losing her right leg to cancer at age 14. She quickly achieved success in the sport, landing her first World title only two years into her competitive career. In her Paralympic debut at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, Huckaby cemented her place at the top of the Para snowboarding world, winning two gold medals, including the first-ever gold in banked slalom discipline.

A leading voice in disability advocacy, Huckaby orchestrated a multi-faceted inclusivity campaign in the lead-up to the 2022 Paralympic Games, for which she earned the right to compete in medal events initially limited to less impaired athletes. Huckaby went on to win gold and bronze at the Beijing Games and continues to advocate for increased disability representation and inclusion in all areas of society. A mom of two young daughters, Huckaby uses her platform to speak openly about parenting, overcoming cancer, mental health, and body positivity. 

On the men’s side, Noah Elliott also took home his fourth win of the season. Elliott has won every World Cup event this season that he has started in, an impressive feat considering the depth of competition and transitions between snowboard cross and banked slalom. In the men’s LL2 classification, Keith Gabel from Ogden, Utah landed on the podium for the second time this season in third. 

At the Paralympic games in 2018, Gabel improved on his 2014 results by finishing in second place in the snowboardcross. Since then, he has become a snowboardcross World Champion (2019) and earned a silver in snowboardcross team in 2023. Keith is a 2x X-Games boardercross gold medalist (2012, 2015). He was selected as the 2022 Paralympic closing ceremonies flag bearer in Beijing.

The team is now traveling to Colere, Italy for two banked slalom races and one snowboard cross event Feb. 28-Mar 3.