The 2003 U.s. Open Women’s

THE 2003 U.S. OPEN WOMEN’S halfpipe championships showcased some of the best snowboarding ever. After watching the finals, experts felt that any of the runs would have brought home the gold at the 2002 Olympics. Blowing away anything that was thrown at the 2002 Olympics, these women showed how far their sport had progressed. And possibly nobody is doing more for the sport than Gretchen Bleiler.

Bleiler began the Open by facing off against Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark. Clark rode well, but Bleiler pulled a combination of tricks that left no doubt in the judges’—or audience’s—mind about who was moving on.

The finals pitted Bleiler against two-time Open champ Natasha Zurek and 15-year-old Hannah Teter. Bleiler started things with a frenzy by ripping a crippler 540, frontside 720, backside 720, cab 720, and another crippler. Zurek showed her championship form with nifty airs, a McTwist, and a crippler 720. Then the teen displayed her high-energy moves by sticking a 540, 720, and the only 900 in the finals. But in the end, nothing was good enough to catch Bleiler. Zurek took second, while Teter claimed third.

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POINT Gretchen Bleiler continued her hot streak by winning the 2003 U.S. Open women’s halfpipe. Throughout much of the 2002–03 snowboarding season, it was hard to find a rider hotter than Bleiler.

Isn’t it great to be on a hot streak? You feel like you can’t lose. Everything seems to go your way. You pull one victory after another from the ashes of defeat. Your confidence soars.

The apostle John wrote in Revelation about how God likes Christians who are hot on fire for him. God also understands if people are cold toward heavenly things. However, God dislikes people who are neither cold nor hot toward him.

GOAL! Have you noticed in church how some people are on fire for God, while others want nothing to do with him? And there are those who are hot one minute and cold the next. Then there are those who sort of ride the fence, not caring one way or the other. They might say they’re Christians, but their words and actions don’t show it—which can actually hurt God’s kingdom. Ask God to keep you from that kind of lukewarm faith.