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Riddle and Sharpe take wins in Tignes halfpipe, while Wise and Onozuka claim globes
It was a tremendous display of skiing under the lights in Tignes, France, on Friday night at the halfpipe World Cup finals, as Canadians Mike Riddle and Cassie Sharpe took impressive wins in the competition, while runners-up on the evening David Wise (USA) and Ayana Onozuka (JPN) were awarded the 2014/15 halfpipe World Cup titles and crystal globes.
It become clear from the start that Sharpe was in a zone that would be tough to even compare to for the other ladies. Hit after hit throughout her first run were in an amplitude zone usually reserved some of the men in the finals, and though she found herself in second place behind Onozuka, the best would be yet to come.
In her second run Sharpe was able to best Onozuka, but it would be her third run that would earn her the biggest score of the evening, as she took every trick in her run to the moon, with an exclamation point second-to-last hit left side flare that photographic evidence will show was higher than three out of six of the men were going in that zone.
Earning her a score of 93.80, it was one of the most impressive ladies halfpipe runs probably anyone has ever seen, and it will be talked about for a long time to come.
“It was the biggest, craziest, best run I've ever done in my life,” Sharpe said just before awards, “It's taken a lot of hard work to get it there, and I'm super stoked on it. This is my first really big win. It's been a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, a lot of help from my coaches. But this feels amazing. It's surreal.”
Onozuka, with her unmatched technical riding, would hold on to second place with her first run score of 90.40, while Brita Sigourney (USA) would earn some redemption after a disappointing turn at the last World Cup in Park City, USA, nailing a solid final run to earn herself a score of 86.40 and third place.
In the men's competition, the loss of top qualifier Gus Kenworthy (USA) to injury earlier in training was something of a disappointment to fans and riders alike, as the charismatic skier had designs on a double crystal globe season by winning in Tignes and then heading to Silvaplana, Switzerland, for the slopestyle World Cup finals.
However, even without Kenworthy, the level of riding on the night was exceptional, and it would take one of the best runs Mike Riddle had ever put down to best Wise and take the win.
Wise had been a machine all week, stomping run after run throughout training and qualifiers, and in the finals things were no different. Wise's second run was put down almost perfectly, included a double cork 1440 that was probably the trick of the evening, and earned him a score of 93.60 that was more than six points ahead of anybody else at that point.
Then, in his final run Riddle dropped in and simply nailed it, with back-to-back double cork 1260s, his signature flat 360 bow-and-arrow, and a final hit switch right-side 900 tail grab that was most certainly the difference between his previous third-place score and the 95.00 that would earn him the win.
“Just before I was dropping in for my last run I found out I was guaranteed third place, and I was so stoked on that because I haven't been on the podium yet this year,” said Riddle, “So I was just like, 'Nice, no pressure,' so I just let it ride and it was my best run of the evening, by far.”
He laughed holding his novelty-sized check.
“It's been a while since I had a check I couldn't put in the bank. I haven't podiumed since Sochi, so this feels really good right now. Especially to be on top. I'm over the moon right now.”
Alex Ferreira (USA) would take third place on the evening, stomping a technical, clean first run for a well-deserved podium.
As mentioned above, Wise and Onozuka's second place finishes were more than enough to earn them the 2014/15 halfpipe crystal globes.
“It always plays out interesting at the end of the season for the World Cup title,” Wise said, “There's so much that goes into it. It's not just one event. It's not just one run. It's the whole season. So to come down with the crystal globe for the first time in my career is an amazing feeling, for sure.”
Despite not competing in the Tignes finals, Kenworthy would hold on to second spot for the men on the season, while local favourite Kevin Rolland (FRA) would take third place. On the ladies' side, Janina Kuzma (NZL) finished the season second overall, with Devin Logan (USA) rounding out the top three.
WINNING RUNS:
Mike RIDDLE – left double cork 1260 mute, right double cork 1260 mute, left 900 opposite japan, left alley-oop flat 3 bow-and-arrow, switch left 9 mute, switch right 900 tail
Cassie SHARPE – big safety grab, left 900, right flare safety, left flare safety, left alley oop truck driver
Source: fis-ski.com
It become clear from the start that Sharpe was in a zone that would be tough to even compare to for the other ladies. Hit after hit throughout her first run were in an amplitude zone usually reserved some of the men in the finals, and though she found herself in second place behind Onozuka, the best would be yet to come.
In her second run Sharpe was able to best Onozuka, but it would be her third run that would earn her the biggest score of the evening, as she took every trick in her run to the moon, with an exclamation point second-to-last hit left side flare that photographic evidence will show was higher than three out of six of the men were going in that zone.
Earning her a score of 93.80, it was one of the most impressive ladies halfpipe runs probably anyone has ever seen, and it will be talked about for a long time to come.
“It was the biggest, craziest, best run I've ever done in my life,” Sharpe said just before awards, “It's taken a lot of hard work to get it there, and I'm super stoked on it. This is my first really big win. It's been a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, a lot of help from my coaches. But this feels amazing. It's surreal.”
Onozuka, with her unmatched technical riding, would hold on to second place with her first run score of 90.40, while Brita Sigourney (USA) would earn some redemption after a disappointing turn at the last World Cup in Park City, USA, nailing a solid final run to earn herself a score of 86.40 and third place.
In the men's competition, the loss of top qualifier Gus Kenworthy (USA) to injury earlier in training was something of a disappointment to fans and riders alike, as the charismatic skier had designs on a double crystal globe season by winning in Tignes and then heading to Silvaplana, Switzerland, for the slopestyle World Cup finals.
However, even without Kenworthy, the level of riding on the night was exceptional, and it would take one of the best runs Mike Riddle had ever put down to best Wise and take the win.
Wise had been a machine all week, stomping run after run throughout training and qualifiers, and in the finals things were no different. Wise's second run was put down almost perfectly, included a double cork 1440 that was probably the trick of the evening, and earned him a score of 93.60 that was more than six points ahead of anybody else at that point.
Then, in his final run Riddle dropped in and simply nailed it, with back-to-back double cork 1260s, his signature flat 360 bow-and-arrow, and a final hit switch right-side 900 tail grab that was most certainly the difference between his previous third-place score and the 95.00 that would earn him the win.
“Just before I was dropping in for my last run I found out I was guaranteed third place, and I was so stoked on that because I haven't been on the podium yet this year,” said Riddle, “So I was just like, 'Nice, no pressure,' so I just let it ride and it was my best run of the evening, by far.”
He laughed holding his novelty-sized check.
“It's been a while since I had a check I couldn't put in the bank. I haven't podiumed since Sochi, so this feels really good right now. Especially to be on top. I'm over the moon right now.”
Alex Ferreira (USA) would take third place on the evening, stomping a technical, clean first run for a well-deserved podium.
As mentioned above, Wise and Onozuka's second place finishes were more than enough to earn them the 2014/15 halfpipe crystal globes.
“It always plays out interesting at the end of the season for the World Cup title,” Wise said, “There's so much that goes into it. It's not just one event. It's not just one run. It's the whole season. So to come down with the crystal globe for the first time in my career is an amazing feeling, for sure.”
Despite not competing in the Tignes finals, Kenworthy would hold on to second spot for the men on the season, while local favourite Kevin Rolland (FRA) would take third place. On the ladies' side, Janina Kuzma (NZL) finished the season second overall, with Devin Logan (USA) rounding out the top three.
WINNING RUNS:
Mike RIDDLE – left double cork 1260 mute, right double cork 1260 mute, left 900 opposite japan, left alley-oop flat 3 bow-and-arrow, switch left 9 mute, switch right 900 tail
Cassie SHARPE – big safety grab, left 900, right flare safety, left flare safety, left alley oop truck driver
Source: fis-ski.com
