Slopestyle competition looks to close out Sierra Nevada 2017 with a bang
Aug 31, 2018·Freeski Park & Pipe
Sierra Nevada, SPA - The final competition of the Sierra Nevada 2017 Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships is slated to take to the slopes of the Spainish resort on Sunday, when the best ladies and men of slopestyle skiing face off on the big Sierra Nevada course.
Friday’s qualifications were initially postponed due to wind, and then eventually cancelled after the course deteriorated throughout the afternoon training, becoming slushy and unridable by the time judged runs were scheduled to start.
While Saturday features a packed schedule of ski cross qualifications and finals, and nighttime halfpipe finals, organizers and officials have put together a plan to accommodate slopestyle qualifications with some creative scheduling. If all goes to plan, it should be all systems go for world championship slopestyle competition on Sunday.
In order to offer full training, complete a successful program, and meet the needs of television providers, men’s qualifications will now be limited to a single run, beginning at 11:00 CET on Saturday. With their small field, a two-run qualification is possible for the ladies, with the first run dropping in at 14:25 and the second at 15:25.
Finals remain scheduled for Sunday, beginning at 12:00CET.
While 2015 world champions Lisa ZImmermann (GER) and Fabian Boesch (SUI) will both miss out on the Sierra Nevada championships due to injury, the slopestyle field is exceptionally strong across both the men’s and the ladies’ startlists.
For the ladies, watch out for 2016/17 slopestyle crystal globe winner Sarah Hoefflin (SUI), as well as Devin Logan (USA), Emma Dahlstrom (SWE), and Kim Lamarre (CAN). All have proven themselves big-time performers in the recent past, and all can be counted on to put down a solid run in Saturday’s qualifications.
On the men’s side, any number of names could be pushing for Sierra Nevada 2017 gold come time for finals on Sunday, but the likes of 2016/17 crystal globe winner Mcrae Williams (USA), Alex Beaulieu-Marchand (CAN), Henrik Harlaut (SWE), and Andri Ragettli (SUI) are just a few of the names that should pushing through qualies and looking for a podium on Sunday.
With better weather (see: low wind) expected on Saturday, and an earlier start time that should allow for a sturdier course, it’s fingers crossed for good skiing and a successful program, as we look to closer the Sierra Nevada 2017 Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships out with an exclamation point this weekend.
Sierra Nevada 2017 data page (startlists & results)
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