NZ Snowboard & Freeski Teams Compete at Copper
In another stepping stone towards the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, Copper Ski Resort hosted a week-long dual sanctioned International Ski Federation (FIS) Nor-Am and 5-Star Ticket-to-Ride (TTR) Snowboard Halfpipe event, along with a dual sanctioned FIS World Cup and Association of Freeski Professionals (AFP) Platinum Freeski Halfpipe event.
The Winter Performance Park & Pipe Programme are based in Summit County, Colorado from November until April, and used the event held during the third week of their pre-Xmas training camp as a build-up towards other major events in the season including the Pinnacle Events: the Snowboard and Freeski World Championships coming up in February and April 2012 respectively.
"The training camp has been a huge success with fantastic weather, great training facilities, and top-notch support," said Tom Willmott NZ's Park and Pipe Head Coach. "Members of the NZ National and Development Freeski and Snowboard teams have been progressing their riding, reaching new heights and competing against the very best in the world in stacked lineups with all of the major players from the freeski and snowboard world duking it out in the Halfpipe putting their bodies on the line for fame and glory at the first major stop of the season."
First up in qualifying at the Grand Prix were the freeskiers. Beau-James Wells (15), gearing up for the Youth Olympic Games in Austria, had a breakthrough performance in qualifying landing back-to-back 900's and back-to-back 720's in the same run for the first time finishing in 32nd position. Older brother Jossi (21) was rewarded for his silky execution performing the smoothest run of the day qualifying for finals in 5th position.
Beau James, Left, throwing a Left 540 Mute Jossi Wells, Right, trowing a Left 900 Tail Photo: Sally BirchallPhoto: Sally Birchall
Janina Kuzma (26) had a nasty fall in training, landing heavily on her back and had to withdraw from the competition - a real shame based on the strides she was making towards a competitive finals run. Rose Battersby (18), who rates Slopestyle as her number one discipline was mixing it up in the Halfpipe, boosting big airs to place a respectable 23rd in her first World Cup Halfpipe event.
Battersby is currently sitting in 2nd position in the Overall AFP Women's World Rankings based on strong results in Slopestyle and Big Air during the NZ season. Sam Poots (15), the youngest competitor in the women's field, who like Beau is gearing up for the Youth Olympic Games placed 28th.
On to the finals and yet another bluebird day made for some radical performances. Jossi put down a safety run first up, and then laid down the hammer in his second run linking back-to-back 900s into a left double cork 9 into trademark back-to-back 720s, finishing up with a right flair. A backseat landing on the double was enough to put Jossi out of podium contention this time round and he had to settle for 8th place. Gaining valuable AFP Halfpipe points, Jossi who has already had podium Big Air results in Europe is now ranked 2nd on the AFP Overall World Rankings. Jossi, the 2010 World Champion is currently sitting behind 2011 World Champion Gus Kenworthy from the USA. The stage is set for a season-long battle of epic proportions between these two and other challengers to see who will end up on top of the world in 2012.
Rebecca Sinclair, Frontside Air Photo: Sally Birchall
The Snowboarders got down to action in the only snowy day of the week, and NZ was represented in the men's division by up-and-coming Youth Olympic Games representative Hamish Bagley (15) and Development Team member Ben Stewart (19). Stewart landed an impressive cab-double cork 1080 in training but the slow conditions did not allow him to perform this move on comp day and he was unable to progress to finals. Bagley (15) used the week to gain valuable training and elite competition experience landing back-to-back 900s for the first time in competition.
Bex Sinclair (20) made a strong return from an enforced six-week break from impact due to an overuse injury that developed in NZ. "Bex faltered on the first run, but handled the pressure on run two landing a new run including a frontside 720, back-to-back 540s into a last-hit crippler (inverted 540)," said Willmott. "Bex did not have enough amplitude to make the finals and had to settle for a 13th place finish in a stronger than Olympic field, although was happy to move up the TTR World Tour Halfpipe rankings into sixth position."
Next week NZ Snowsports athletes will be competing at the first stop of the Winter Dew Tour at Breckenridge. This event, which doubles as an X-Games qualifier for Halfpipe and Slopestyle Snowboarding, and a platinum level Men's AFP event will see NZ's elite Slopestyle Snowboarders joining their Halfpipe counterparts for their first taste of Northern Hemi action with Shelly Gotlieb, Rebecca ‘Possum' Torr, Stefi Luxton and Christy Prior holding confirmed starts. Will Jossi move into pole position on the Freeski World Rankings? Tune in for a Dew Tour report at the end of next week.
