Sun, Dec 15 2013 5:54 pm | Comments
Canadians and a Swede dominate 2013 Dew Tour slopestyle
Part of the Five Stops To Sochi series presented by MammothAll photos Chris Wellhausen
The 2013 Dew Tour slopestyle finals at Breckenridge might have been the first stop for US riders looking to qualify for the Olympic team but it was the Canadians and a Swede who dominated. First place qualifier Shaun White was noticeably absent, having pulled out of slope finals earlier in the day due to a re-injured ankle from his fall in halfpipe finals on Saturday.
What appeared to set scores apart today was not so much the tech jump tricks as might be expected, but rather rail tricks. Most riders now have some variation of 1080s and double corks on lock and can put them down pretty consistently. So with jumping close to equal, if a rider lands a run cleanly it’s the technical rail tricks that seem to make the difference in final scores. Of the riders who made the podium today, they all had a clean run of jumps plus the most technical, cleanly landed jibs.
In the first round, Sweden’s Sven Thorgren quickly set the bar with a score of 91. Fresh off a win at the 2013 Air & Style Beijing, Sven started his run with a backside 270, 270 out on the down bar to gap Cab 270 on next down bar. Heading into the first of the jumps he laid down a Cab 1260 into a double backside rodeo. On the middle jib setup he kept his tech run going on the “chicken coop” box with a half-Cab to backside 360 tail grab out to boardslide 270 out on the battleship. Capping it off on the final two jumps, Sven put down a clean frontside 1080 into a huge backside 1080.
Sven’s second place runSoon it was Mark McMorris’s turn to raise the bar. When he kicked off his run with a near-perfect hardway backside 270, 270 out it looked like those jitters he was feeling in qualifiers were gone. Next Mark lined up a gap Cab 270 to fakie into a Cab double cork off the first jump followed by a frontside double cork 1080. He kept it mellow on the first of the middle jibs with a frontside 180 to 180 out but then put down a smooth backside 270 on the rainbow rail. On the last two jumps he threw down a double Wildcat to backside 1080, securing the lead with a score of 95.
Mark’s winning runSeb Toutant also put down a solid first run with a backside 180 to switch backside 180 out on the down bar to gap backside 270, 270 out. On the first jump he came out swinging with a Cab 1260 to frontside 1080 double cork, followed by a boardslide 270 out on the “chicken coop” to frontside boardslide change-up backside boardslide on the battleship. On the last jumps Seb stomped a backside 1080 to double backside rodeo. Earning only an 87.60, Seb’s score prompted a fresh round of questioning about the judging from many of those watching. Seb ended up in fourth.
In round two, 19-year-old Canadian Max Parrot moved himself into the third spot with a heavy run worth 89 points. It all started with a backside 270, 270 out on the down bar to gap 450, 270 out on the next rail. Moving into the jumps Max set down a Cab double cork to backside double rodeo. On the middle jibs Max got a half-Cab to backside 360 out to boardslide 270 out on the battleship. Setting up for the last two jumps, Max landed a frontside 1080 double cork to backside 1260 double cork.
Max’s third place runOn his second run, Mark McMorris drove the final nail into the coffin with a repeat of his first run plus the addition of a triple cork 1440 on the last jump. In a case of one-upping himself, Mark scored a 97.80.
With Mark already qualified for the Canadian Olympic team he no longer needs to do any events before Sochi.
Video and current US Olympic team standings coming soon.2013 Dew Tour Slopestyle Results1. Mark McMorris
2. Sven Thorgren
3. Max Parrot
4. Seb Toutant
5. Chas Guldemond
6. Sage Kotsenburg
7. Brandon Davis
8. Spencer Link
9. Eric Willett
10. Eric Beauchemin
11. Ulrik Badertscher
12. Nikolas Baden
13. Stale Sandbech
14. Alek Ostreng
15. Gjermund Braaten
16. Peetu Piiroinen
17. Shaun White (DNS)
