By Elizabeth Karam, U.S. Snowboarding

TELLURIDE, Colo. – The 2011 U.S. Snowboarding Snowboardcross Team was announced Thursday during the Visa U.S. Snowboardcross Cup at Telluride. Spearheading the 15 riders named to the Team are nine Olympians including two-time Olympic champion Seth Wescott of Maine, Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis of Vermont and six-time snowboardcross Winter X Games gold medalist Nate Holland of Squaw Valley.

With nine returning Olympians, the U.S. Snowboarding SBX Team is stacked for the 2011 season. Joining the crew are several up-and-coming riders with lofty goals, helping push and motivate the veterans as they head into a World Championship year with the FIS World Snowboard Championships to be held in La Molina, Spain this January.

Wescott is coming into 2011 hot, having successfully defended his 2006 Olympic gold medal, while Holland looks to make it six straight in SBX at the Winter X Games in Jan. 27-30 in Aspen. Jacobellis, who clinched two World Cup wins last season, looks to continue the World Cup momentum kicking off the seasons strong in Telluride as well as adding on another “W” to her resume at the X Games.

Other returning riders include action sports legend Shaun Palmer of South Lake Tahoe, halfpipe gold medalist Ross Powers of Vermont and up-and-comers including World Junior runner-up Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City), 2010 NorAm powerhouse JJ Tomlinson (Park City) and Brooke Shaw (Litchfield, Conn.), who is making her comeback debut from a sidelining injury suffered in Telluride last year.

With the 2011 season officially under way, the team is ahead of the curve in terms of training. While Holland was winning the World Cup opener a week ago, other Team members were at a final tune-up camp in Telluride. SBX is a tough sport, forcing the athletes to push the limits on and off the snow. They’ll be looking to charge all stops on the World Cup tour especially during the Visa U.S. Snowboardcross Cup this week at Telluride – the lone World Cup on U.S. snow. The Team will be back in the USA Feb. 9-12 for the Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix at Canyons in Park City, UT.

2011 U.S. Snowboarding Snowboardcross Roster

A Team

Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI

Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA

Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT

Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID

Seth Wescott, Sugarloaf, ME

B Team

Jonathon Cheever, Saugus, MA

Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girwood, AK

Alex Deibold, Manchester Center, VT

Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City

Jayson Hale, Sierraville, CA

Pat Holland, Squaw Valley, CA

Shaun Palmer, South Lake Tahoe

Ross Powers, Stratton Mountain, VT

Brooke Shaw, Litchfield, CT

J.J. Tomlinson, Park City, UT