Snowboarder Mike Casanova wins Munich rail jam competition

• Mike Casanova gives a thumbs up sign from Munich, Germany

Mike Casanova gives a thumbs up sign from Munich, Germany, where he took first place in the rail jam at a major snowboarding competition. The photo is from a Facebook report on the competition.

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Hudson native Mike Casanova continues to have success as a professional snowboarder.

Last weekend, he took first place in the rail jam competition at the biggest snowboarding event in Europe – Munich, Germany’s Air & Style contest.

“Mike Casanova, who has been winning most of the contests he has entered over the last years, did what he does best: Win rail contests,” ESPN.com reported.

“His textbook hard-way Cab 270 back lip moved him up the ladder all the way, just in front of United Kingdom rookie Jamie Nichols, who got second with a blunt Danish 50/50 backside 180 out, and Forrest Bailey, who came third,” the website said.

Only a speaker of snowboarding lingo would know what that means. The rail jam is an event in which the rider comes off a jump and lands on a handrail, and performs tricks on the ride down the rail.

Casanova’s father, Hudson glass artist Patrick Casanova, said Mike was late in arriving for the competition because security agents at Atlanta wouldn’t accept his worn passport, and he had to fly back to Denver to get a new one.

He reached Munich Saturday morning, jetlagged and just in time for the competition.

In spite of the handicap, Casanova outperformed nine qualifying riders from around Europe and eight other professionals invited to the event.

Casanova moved to Colorado to pursue snowboarding full time shortly after graduating from Hudson High School in 2003. He’s been a professional snowboarder since 2004.

Tags: sports, outdoors, proam