Canadian snowboarders gear up for worlds

Canada's snowboarders produced three medals, including two gold, at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

They'll take on the world again starting Friday at the 2011snowboard world championship.

Olympic champion Maelle Ricker leads 28 Canadian boarders into La Molina, Spain, to compete in the disciplines of parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom, snowboard cross, big air, halfpipe and slopestyle.

Over 370 athletes from 44 countries will compete over nine days in the biggest snowboarding event outside the Winter Olympics.

Ricker, from Whistler, B.C., won her gold in snowboard cross. Teammate Dominique Maltais of Petite-Riviere St-Francois, Que., is the current overall World Cup leader after winning all three races to start the season.

Either woman could end Canada's drought in snowboard cross as the country hasn't won a world championship medal in that discipline since 2005.

"Both Maelle and I are riding strong, and we intend to deliver our best performances at the worlds," Maltais said.

With the retirement of Olympic champ Jasey Jay Anderson in the alpine events of giant slalom and parallel slalom, Matthew Morison of Burketon, Ont., is Canada's top contender. He won bronze in giant slalom at the 2009 world championship.

Justin Lamoureux of Squamish, B.C., headlines the men's halfpipe team. The 34-year-old won the overall World Cup title in 2009 and was third at the 2007 world championship.

Brad Martin of Ancaster, Ont., is another Canadian to watch in halfpipe with five career World Cup podiums on his resume.

In women's halfpipe, Mercedes Nicoll of Whistler, B.C., is knocking on the door of the world's elite after finishing fifth in the Olympics.

Slopestyle, in which riders are judged on their ability to perform tricks on rails, kickers and jumps, is expected to be introduced to the Winter Olympics in 2014. Four men and four women will represent Canada in that event.

CBC will carry all the action on Saturday afternoon (CBC Bold, CBCSports.ca, 1 p.m. ET).