Gretchen Bleiler
Encyclopedia
Gretchen Bleiler is an American professional halfpipe snowboarder
. She currently resides in Aspen, Colorado
and is married to Chris Hotell.
gold medalist, most recently winning the superpipe at Winter X Games XIV
.
In 2003, she was a U.S. snowboard Grand Prix champion, a U.S. Open of snowboarding champion, and a Triple Crown of Snowboarding champion.
She posed for the February 2004 issue of FHM
, along with fellow snowboarder Tara Dakides
and sportscaster Jamie Little
.
Bleiler, who missed qualifying for the 2002 Winter Olympics
due to a tiebreaker, won a silver medal
in the women's halfpipe
at the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
, Italy.
Starting in 2007, Bleiler expanded her career into snowboard and outerwear design, through Oakley
and K2 Snowboarding
, designing her own signature outerwear line for Oakley, and participating in the K2 Alliance, which develops and tests women's products, as well as working on the graphics for several K2 Boards. In 2008, she helped to create a new all-female invitational superpipe competition at Snowmass
called the Snow Angels Invitational.
While competing in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, many considered Bleiler a gold medal favorite. However, she fell on both of her final runs, and took 11th place.
When she is not competing, Bleiler enjoys surfing, mountain biking, interior design and fashion. She is also active in several environmental organizations, including the Aspen Snomass Save Snow campaign, and stopglobalwarming.org.
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
. She currently resides in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
and is married to Chris Hotell.
Career
Bleiler aspired to compete in the Winter X Games from a very young age, and found her passion in snowboarding at age 11 (1992). She has been riding ever since and became professional in 1996. Among her accomplishments, she jump-started the invert revolution for female riders as the first to land a Crippler 540 in competition, and won more halfpipe competitions in 2003, 2005 and 2006 than any other female snowboarder. In the pre-Olympic season she won four of the five US Olympic halfpipe qualifiers and is also a four-time X GamesX Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
gold medalist, most recently winning the superpipe at Winter X Games XIV
Winter X Games XIV
Winter X Games XIV were held from January 28 to January 31, 2010, in Aspen, Colorado. They were the 9th consecutive Winter X Games to be held in Aspen...
.
In 2003, she was a U.S. snowboard Grand Prix champion, a U.S. Open of snowboarding champion, and a Triple Crown of Snowboarding champion.
She posed for the February 2004 issue of FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
, along with fellow snowboarder Tara Dakides
Tara Dakides
Tara Dakides, born August 20, 1975, is an American snowboarder and co-owner of O-matic Snowboards. She was born in Mission Viejo, California. She has snowboarded since she was 18 years old. She now resides in Mammoth Lakes, California.-Career:...
and sportscaster Jamie Little
Jamie Little
Jamie Little from Las Vegas, Nevada is the pit reporter for NASCAR Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series coverage on ESPN/ABC. Little is a former pit reporter for ESPN/ABC coverage of the Indy Racing League, although she returned to her pit reporting duty for the 2007 and 2008 Indianapolis 500...
.
Bleiler, who missed qualifying for the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
due to a tiebreaker, won a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the women's halfpipe
Half-pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, and inline skating. The structure is wood, concrete, metal, earth, or snow. It resembles a cross section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramps , topped by copings and...
at the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy.
Starting in 2007, Bleiler expanded her career into snowboard and outerwear design, through Oakley
Oakley
Oakley may refer to:* Oakley, Inc., an eyewear manufacturer* Baron Oakley, a hereditary title-United Kingdom:*Oakley, Bedfordshire, England*Oakley, Buckinghamshire, England*Oakley, Dorset, England*Oakley, Fife, Scotland...
and K2 Snowboarding
K2 Snowboards
-K2 History:After World War II Bill Kirschner, the founder of K2 Sports, started manufacturing splints and animal cages. They where the leading manufacturer of research cages. In 1961 Kirchner followed the pattern of a borrowed ski to make his first pair of fiberglass skis...
, designing her own signature outerwear line for Oakley, and participating in the K2 Alliance, which develops and tests women's products, as well as working on the graphics for several K2 Boards. In 2008, she helped to create a new all-female invitational superpipe competition at Snowmass
Snowmass
Snowmass may refer to:*Snowmass Village, Colorado, USA, a town in Pitkin County**Snowmass , part of the Aspen/Snowmass ski resort complex*Snowmass, Colorado, USA, an unincorporated town in Pitkin County, known locally as "Old Snowmass"...
called the Snow Angels Invitational.
While competing in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, many considered Bleiler a gold medal favorite. However, she fell on both of her final runs, and took 11th place.
When she is not competing, Bleiler enjoys surfing, mountain biking, interior design and fashion. She is also active in several environmental organizations, including the Aspen Snomass Save Snow campaign, and stopglobalwarming.org.
Career highlights
- 2010 X Games Superpipe Gold Medalist
- 2008 Winter Dew Tour Superpipe Champion (Breckenridge, Co)
- 2008 X Games Halfpipe Gold Medalist
- 2006 FIS World Cup 1st Place, Saas Fe, Switzerland
- 2006 Olympic silver medalist
- 2006 Overall Grand Prix Champion; won four of the five Grand Prix events determining Olympic team
- 2005 X Games and Gravity Games Gold Medalist
- 2005 US Open Halfpipe Champion
- FIS World Cup 1st Place, Bardonecchia, Italy
- Eight straight wins in 2003
- 2003 X Games Halfpipe Gold Medalist
- 2003 US Open Champion
- Won 2003 Overall Grand Prix Title
- One of only four females invited to coveted 2003 Arctic Challenge
- 2002 and 2003 Vans Triple Crown Overall Title Winner
- Won 2003 World SuperPipe Championships
Awards
- Voted 2006 Female Snowboarder of the Year at FUEL TVFuel TVFuel TV is a U.S. cable and satellite specialty channel that launched on July 1, 2003. It focuses on the cultures of such extreme sports as skateboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding, motocross, surfing, BMX and FMX. It is a unit of Fox Cable Networks and is currently available to 26-million...
's inaugural Action Sports Awards - Nominated for 2006 ESPY Award
- Won 2004 Colorado Female Athlete of the Year Award
- Earned Transworld Snowboarding's Reader's Choice Award in 2004
- Nominated for 2004 Laureus "Female Action Sports Athlete" Award
- Named Snowboarder and Transworld Snowboarding 2003 "Female Rider of the Year"
- Nominated for 2009 Teen Choice AwardsTeen Choice AwardsThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
"Other Action Sports Athlete - Female"
Media exposure
- Bleiler prominently featured in all advertising and promotion for Oakley and K2K2 Snowboards-K2 History:After World War II Bill Kirschner, the founder of K2 Sports, started manufacturing splints and animal cages. They where the leading manufacturer of research cages. In 1961 Kirchner followed the pattern of a borrowed ski to make his first pair of fiberglass skis...
; she featured in Olympic commercials promoting 2006 NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Olympic Games and had a cameo appearance on NBC's hit show Las Vegas. She starred in an ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
commercial promoting 2004 Winter X Games, featured in multiple 24-hour Fitness national print and TV advertisement campaigns. - She profiled in sports and lifestyle publications including ESPN The MagazineESPN The MagazineESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
, Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, Golf for Women, PeoplePeople (magazine)In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, Men's FitnessMen's FitnessMen's Fitness is a men's magazine published by American Media, Inc and founded in the United States in 1987. The premier issue featured Michael Pare from the television series The Greatest American Hero....
, Jane Magazine, Transworld SnowboardingTransworld SnowboardingTransWorld SNOWboarding is an American magazine focused on the snowboarding culture. It is published 10 times a year by Bonnier Corporation and features the sport, culture and lifestyle of modern snowboarding.-History:...
, Snowboarder, SnowboardSnowboard MagazineSnowboard Magazine is an independent snowboarding publication. It was founded in April of 2004 by Mark and Liz Sullivan. Soon they were joined by Jeff Baker, Aaron Draplin, Gary Hansen and Jason "J2" Rasmus. Most of the crew were previous employees and/or contracted employees of Snowboarder Magazine...
, Frequency, Future, The DriftThe Drift- Personnel :* Scott Walker – Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Sax, Sound Treatment* Hugh Burns – Guitar* Ian Thomas – Drums* Mark Warman – Keyboards, Orchestration, Conducting, Percussion, Woodwind, Sound Treatment* Philip Sheppard – Orchestration, Conducting, Cello...
, Salt Magazine, Her Sports, Discovery GirlsDiscovery GirlsDiscovery Girls magazine is an American preteen magazine for girls ages 8 and up. Their first issue was published in fall 2000, and as of 2011 Discovery Girls now features two magazines, the original edition titled Discovery Girls for ages 8 and up along with now their new Discovery Girls...
, LuckyLucky (magazine)Lucky is a shopping and style magazine which calls itself the " Ultimate Shopping Guide " and " The Magazine About Shopping ." Lucky "showcases what to wear and how to wear it, making fashion and beauty fun and accessible." Available by subscription, issues are published once a month and offer...
, Shape, Women's HealthWomen's Health (magazine)Women's Health, published by Rodale in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, is a magazine focusing on health, nutrition, fitness, sex, and lifestyle. It's published 10 times a year in the United States and has a circulation of 1.5 million readers...
, SelfSelf (magazine)Self magazine is an American magazine for women that specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, beauty and happiness. Published by Condé Nast Publications 12 times a year, it has a circulation of 1,486,992 and a total audience of 5,541,000 readers, according to its corporate media kit. The...
and V MagazineV (American magazine)V magazine is an American fashion magazine published since 1999. The magazine is printed seasonally and highlights trends in fashion, film music and art. A men's fashion quarterly entitled VMAN started as an offshoot in 2003.-History:...
. - She featured in leading newspapers including the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, New York Times, USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Boston Globe, Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, Denver Post and the Aspen TimesAspen TimesThe Aspen Times is an 11,500-circulation, 7-day-a-week newspaper in the ski resort of Aspen, Colorado with a history dating back to 1881.-History:...
. - She appeared on national TV programs including the Today Show, Good Morning AmericaGood Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, Tonight Show with Jay LenoJay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, Cold PizzaCold PizzaCold Pizza was a television sports morning talk show that aired weekdays on ESPN2. The show's style was more akin to Good Morning America than SportsCenters straight news and highlights format. It included daily sports news, interviews with sports journalists, athletes, and personalities, and an...
, Access HollywoodAccess HollywoodAccess Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
, Inside EditionInside EditionInside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
, ESPN Hotlist & Dinner: ImpossibleDinner: ImpossibleDinner: Impossible is an American television program broadcast by the Food Network. The first episode aired on January 24, 2007. Food Network began airing the eighth season on March 3, 2010....
. She most recently appeared on The Tonight Show With Conan O'BrienThe Tonight Show with Conan O'BrienThe Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
. - She profiled on ABC Sports, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, MTV2MTV2MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, Fox News, ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, NBC SportsNBC SportsNBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
and FUEL TVFuel TVFuel TV is a U.S. cable and satellite specialty channel that launched on July 1, 2003. It focuses on the cultures of such extreme sports as skateboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding, motocross, surfing, BMX and FMX. It is a unit of Fox Cable Networks and is currently available to 26-million...
. - She served as guest host to FUEL TV's 54321 and also hosted numerous times for X Games coverage on ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. - She penned her own column in Transworld Snowboarding in 2004 and has made editorial contributions in The Denver Post.
- She appeared on the cover of the January 28, 2008 edition of ESPN: The Magazine.
- Gretchen hosted Yahoo sports' coverage of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.
- Featured in the Warren MillerWarren Miller (director)Warren Miller is an American ski and snowboarding filmmaker. He is the founder of Warren Miller Entertainment and produced, directed and narrated his films until 1988. His credits include over 750 sports films, several books and hundreds of published non-fiction stories...
film Playground. - She was mentioned in Warren Miller's Storm (2002) at about 14:05.
- She was named in the top 5 of Planet Green's Eco Athletes.
Speaking engagements
- 2005 World Congress of Sports panel
- 2006 Adweek "What teens want" Conference Special Guest
- Invited as honorary speaker for 2005 Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club, Snowboard Club Annual Banquet, Aspen High School Honors Graduation Banquet
- Speaks to local middle and high school students about importance of mountain safety
- Teacher and mentor at her Signature Session of High Cascade Snowboard Camp, summers ’06, '07, '08, and 2010
- Contributor and editor of "The Innocents" graphic novel project to launch Q1 ’07
- Covered in Neil Beidleman's book about local Aspen personalities
- One of featured Aspen locals in new documentary about Aspen, Colorado produced by AspenSkiCo
- Impassioned spokesperson and activist in the fight against global warming; working with stopglobalwarming.org and other environmental groups
- Honored guest and athlete representative for the Women's Sports Foundation
- Threw first pitch at Colorado RockiesColorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
home-opener, 2006 - NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
honorary starter, ‘06 - 2010 National Scout Jamboree
External links
- Gretchen Bleiler interview in frequency:The Snowboarder's Journal
- Gretchen's Official Website
- Gretchen Bleiler's U.S. Olympic Team bio ... with links to photo galleries, features
- Biography and interview at offthepodium.com
- Gretchen Bleiler on Go211.com Exclusive photos, videos and blogs submitted by Gretchen.
- Gretchen Bleiler Launches Signature Sports and Casual Apparel Line
- Gretchen Bleiler Signature Session at High Cascade Snowboard Camp