Stage Set for Thrilling Junior World Champs Slopestyle Final

Stage Set for Thrilling Junior World Champs Slopestyle Final at Winter Games NZ

Cardrona, New Zealand (30 August 2018) – The Big Bucks Park at Cardrona Alpine Resort was the place to be today for high flying action in the FIS Junior Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships 2018 at the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ. Competitors welcomed blue skies and calm conditions for the qualifying rounds of the JWC Freeski and Snowboard Slopestyle.

12 men in both Freeski and Snowboard, and eight ladies in Snowboard will move through to tomorrow’s (Friday) finals. Ladies’ Freeski Slopestyle will run tomorrow as a straight final.

Tomorrow’s start list will see some familiar names vying for Junior Worlds medals with Snowboard Big Air gold medallist Takeru Otsuka (JPN) topping men’s Snowboard heat one and Big Air silver medallist Luke Winkelmann (USA) top of heat two.

After taking out gold in women’s Snowboard Big Air yesterday, Japan’s Kokomo Murase (JPN) was back on top form, landing the highest qualifying score in the ladies’ Snowboard field, just ahead of hometown hero Zoi Sadowski-Synnott.

“I’m feeling good,” said Sadowski-Synnott. “First run went well, I was just a bit sketchy. I want to step up my tricks and clean it up a bit. We’ve got tomorrow to look forward to and I’m super happy to be competing. It’s just nice to be at home, having my friends and family watching and getting to ride this amazing course.”

Taisei Yamamoto (JPN) was a standout in men’s freeski with the most technical rail line of the day, putting him top of heat one, while Ryan Stevenson (USA) and Birk Ruud (NOR) had a close battle for the top spot in heat two. Stevenson just pulled ahead with a more technical combination of tricks on the jump line.

New Zealanders Ben Harrington and Fraser McClellan also made the cut to finals, placing sixth in their respective heats.

The slopestyle events are also sanctioned by the AFP at gold level for freeski and by the World Snowboard Tour at national level for snowboard.

Top qualifying runs

Takeru Otsuka
Frontside 180 switch 50-50 half cab out, backside bluntside 270 out, frontboard 270 out, frontside 540 lean bonk, cab double 900 mute, backside 720 mute, frontside 1260 tail grab.

Luke Winkelmann
Frontside blunt 270, backside 270, frontside 270, frontside 360 hand plant, frontside 900 mute, switch backside 900 melon, backside 1080 double mute

Kokomo Murase
Switch 180, frontside lipslide, tailslide 270 out, 50-50 frontside 180 indy, switch backside 180 indy, backside 720 mute, frontside 1080 melon

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
Frontside 180, switch 180 frontside 50-50, tailslide 270 out, 50-50 backside 180 out, switch backside 5 stalefish, backside 720, frontside 720 mute

Ryan Stevenson
Backswap on wallride, left 270 in, right 270 in, backslide 270 safety out, left double 1260 safety, switch right double 1080 Japan, switch left double 1260 safety

Birk Ruud
Left 270 on to wall, switch on frontside 450, right 270, backslide to backside 450 on rainbow, switch left double 900 Japan, right double 1080 tail grab, left double misty 1080 truck driver

Taisei Yamamoto
Left 270 on, pretzel 270 out, right 270 on, continuing 270 out, switch on to front 450 out, 450 on rainbow 630 out, switch right double 900 high safety, left double 10 Japan, right double 12 mute to truck driver

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