The first contest of the 2013 FIS Snowboard World Cup season went down in Copper Mountain, USA last weekend and by bagging the slopestyle and halfpipe titles, Jamie Anderson and Torah Bright are one step closer to the Olympic Winter Games in Sotchi, Russia next year! Big congrats to the girls – although seeing they’ve both graced our covers in previous years (here and here) and bagged several TTR World Snowboard Tour, X Games, and what not other titels) we didn’t expect anything less…
But since we weren’t able to attend the event ourselves, here are the insights the press releases revealed!
Jaime was the clear leader with 83 Points, 8.8 points ahead of Kjersti Buaas (SUI) who came second place with an impressive 74.2. Isabel Derungs (SUI) claimed the third place spot with a respectable 71.5. Anderson achieved her score with a near flawless run consisting of a backside tailslide on the down rail and a 50/50 on the bus stop feature. She did a frontside 360 mute on the first jump, a backside 540 mute on the second and a switch backside 180 indy on the third.
Buaas did a backside noseslide on the downrail and a 50/50 backside 180 off the pole jam feature. Buaas took to the smaller jump in the course and did a switch backside 180 indy on the first, a frontside 360 stalefish on the second and a very clean backside 540 on the last jump.
Derungs did a backside lipslide on the down rail a 50/50 frontside 180 on the pole jam and a switch backside 180 on the first jump. She did a backside 360 on the second and backside rodeo 5 on the last.
Jamie Anderson was the 2010/2011 overall Women’s tour champion, when asked about her run and her experience at this event she said “it has all been unreal, I feel so lucky, I am so grateful to be here”
Saturday’s halfpipe finals brought a close to the first North American 5Star event on the World Snowboard Tour calendar, and a close to the first event in snowboarding history that was both a World Snowboard Tour event and a FIS event. The sun was out in full force making the halfpipe a prime location for the finalists to throw down their most technical tricks.
The eight Women finalists battled it out in the two run format leaving only three to stand atop the podium. Australia’s Torah Bright came in first place with 85.75 points. In 06/07 Torah was the Women’s overall tour champion. Today her run consisted of a backside air, air to fakie tailgrab and a cab 720 indy grab. She finished her first place run with frontside air to backside 540 mute and backside rodeo 540 alley-oop melon grab. Kelly Clark (USA) who is currently ranked 2nd in Women’s Halfpipe was close behind Bright with 82 points. Clarke started off with a huge frontside 900, followed by a backside 540 mute, a frontside 720 with an Indy grab then she finished her run off with a Cab 720 and a finally a frontside 540.
Queralt Castellet (SPA) scored an 85.75 for a front straight air, a backside method followed by a frontside 540 tailgrab, a backside 540 mute then a stylish frontside 720 with an Indy grab. Bright was pleased to have began her qualification for the Olympics with this event and to get her Tour ranking points. “I am so happy to have been able to put down a run and to have won, I have got my Olympic qualification underway.”
