Quebec Jamboree big air set to close out 2017/18 World Cup season
Aug 31, 2018·Freeski Park & Pipe
Quebec CIty (CAN) - Eight months ago the 2017/18 FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup tour got underway on the scenic slopes of the Cardrona Valley, New Zealand, and this Saturday - after 42 World Cup competitions in 13 countries on four continents - the season will come to a close in the middle of downtown Quebec City (CAN), where a 40m tall, 90m long scaffold ramp set up between two highway overpasses is ready to host the 2017/18 World Cup-ending Snow Jamboree big air competition.
The 113,000kg structure was assembled over the past 10 weeks by a team of 50 workers and then covered in 285 cubic meters of snow, and after a big day of training by both the freeskiers and the snowboarders in attendance at the season’s Jamboree it seems clear that the builders have done an excellent job, with plenty of big tricks going down throughout the day.
The end of an Olympic season sees often sees many athletes elect to put the competition skis away earlier than normal, and the end of 2017/18 has been no different. However, despite a smaller-than-expected field on hand at the season finale in Quebec, there will be no shortage of drama as a select group of athletes are locked in a down-to-the-wire battle for this season’s big air crystal globes.
Ohaco and Bertagna aim to chase down top spot and make history
Over on the ladies’ side of things the big air World Cup leaderboard is currently lead by Switzerland’s Gulia Tanno, who will not be on hand to defend her lead in Quebec City due to an injury suffered at the X Games in January. Tanno currently holds 160 points, putting her very much within striking distance for two of the ladies’ on hand in Canada.
Tops on that list is Dominique Ohaco of Chile, who currently has 105 points, while just behind her is Silvia Bertagna of Italy with 82 points.
A result putting her on any step of the podium on Saturday would give Ohaco enough points to leapfrog Tanno, although she would need a second or first-place finish to put herself safely out of reach of Bertagna. Bertagna, meanwhile, would need a second or first-place finish to top Tanno, though she would need Ohaco to finish lower than third in order for a second-place finish to be enough for the globe.
For both Ohaco and Bertagna there is some history to be made in Quebec City, should either one of them be successful, as neither Chile or Italy as ever earned a Freestyle crystal globe in the ladies side of things.
In fact, Chile has never taken one of the top World Cup prizes on either the men’s or the ladies’ side, making Ohaco’s quest a compelling one indeed.
Others to watch out for on the ladies’ side include Dara Howell and Kim Lamarre of the host Canadian squad. The respective Sochi 2014 Olympic gold and bronze medalists, the pair of slopestyle specialists will be entering their first big air World Cup competitions this weekend and will be looking to thrill what should be an enthusiastic home crowd on Saturday afternoon.
Nummedal and Ambuehl tied at the top with one to go
In men’s competition there are several scenarios that could play out in the race for the men’s big air crystal globe, but the one that everyone will be focused on is the one at the top, where Christian Nummedal or Norway and Elias Ambuehl of Switzerland head into Thursday’s qualification deadlocked at 129 points apiece.
Both Nummedal and Ambuehl have one victory and one ninth-place result each so far this season, and both have the bag of tricks to put themselves back on the podium at the end of the day on Saturday, making for an end-of-season showdown that could not have been better scripted by Hollywood.
However, and it’s a big “however,” the final push for the globe isn’t just a two horse race, as there are fully six athletes lined up behind the two frontrunners who could, through a combination of factors, find themselves holding the big trophy at the end of the weekend.
With Hugo Burvall (SWE), Elias Syrja (FIN), Jonas Hunziker (SUI), Ralph Welponer (ITA), Mac Forehand (USA), and Paul Vieuxtemps (THA) all within mathematical reach of Nummedal and Ambuehl, there's some serious drama forming around what could go down on Saturday.
But even that list of talented big sir skiers is going to be in tough when you factor in a host Canadian squad that features some of the biggest names in freeski, including Alex Bellemare, Noah Morrison, and Evan McEachern. Though none of the Canadian squad are in the hunt for the season title, all will be hungry to perform well on home soil and more than happy to spoil the day for their international guests.
Competition in Quebec City gets underway on Thursday with a two-jump qualification round beginning at 12:45 EST. With a day off on Friday as snowboard qualifiers take over, the top six ladies and 10 men of freeski will get back at it for finals on Saturday, beginning at 16:00
QUICK LINKS:
Quebec City data page (live scoring, results)
Photos (credit FIS Freestyle)
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