For the first time ever at the Winter X Games, the skiers took to the SuperPipe. It's ironic that this Winter X Games first took place at Snowmass in Aspen, a location that was off limits to snowboarders, and their halfpipes until last April. But now, under clear skies, it was time for the two sports to merge a bit more as the skiers were given their chance to rip it in the pipe.
When it was all over with,
Jon Olsson was the first Winter X Games Skier SuperPipe champion. His first run score of 86.00 was high enough to stand througout a competition that was filled with some erratic riding. Olsson threw out some big airs at the start of his run, including a Flair tailgrab and then a McTwist 900 on his final hit.
 |
| Jon Olsson takes a different view of things at Winter X Games VI. |
Many of the riders looked a bit unsure of the new beast they were riding in. There were plenty of spills as everyone tried to go big in the later rounds to impress the judges.
With the exception of Olsson, the first round was very tame. The skiers were still feeling out the pipe, having only two hours before the competition to practice in it.
Jon had this to say about the Aspen pipe: "I thought it was really hard to ride, but I really like it. It was good once I got used to it. It just took awhile to figure it out, but then it was fine."
 |
| The winners circle. |
The second and third rounds saw much more action as everyone loosened up and began to throw some larger tricks in pursuit of Olsson.
Philippe Larose stepped up to the challenge in the second round, going very big out of the lip with some good combinations and a McTwist 900. He was unable to close the gap though.
Philippe Poirier locked himself firmly into third place with a big Flair and some tech grabs at the beginning of his second run. The crowd was behind him, but it was destined to be Olsson's day.
"This is way above my expectations, I am stoked," said Olsson. "This is my second Winter X Games, and I didn't do too well last year, so this is great."
 |
| Jon Olsson |
Winter X Games Slopestyle winner
Tanner Hall seemed extremely out of sorts, falling several times. He just couldn't seem to get enough speed off the walls and the height that he usually displays was missing.
Although a bit messy at times, the Skier Pipe competition was a step in the right direction. Most everyone was going just as big as some of the snowboarders, and the tech factor was high. The progression that will ultimately take place for this young group of guys in the pipe will be dramatic and hopefully lead to the expansion of pipe events throughout the world.
Related Photos:
Men's Skiing SuperPipe Gallery
Send to a friend
|
Submit your photo or video
Top Rated Photos |
Top Rated Videos |
Most Sent
