Tanno and Nummedal victorious in Moenchengladbach
Aug 31, 2018·Freeski Park & Pipe
Moenchengladbach (GER) - The second competition of the 2017/18 FIS Ski big air World Cup season went down on Friday night in Moenchengladbach, Germany, as part of the second-annual ARAG Big Air Festival, with Switzerland’s Giulia Tanno taking top spot for the ladies and Norway’s Christian Nummedal throwing down for the men’s victory.
Conditions were perfect under the lights as Moenchengladbach’s SparkassenPark on Friday night, allowing the skiers on hand to focus on showing their best stuff on what was one of the nicest stadium jump set-ups the big air World Cup tour has seen. And, with a solid crowd looking on and a finals line up of competitors stoked and looking to push their limits, the competitors did just that, with some heavy tricks stomped throughout the evening.
Ladies’ winner Tanno was locked in from the word “Go” on Friday night, riding away cleanly from a left-side double corked 1080 safety on her first hit that would earn her a score of 94.20 - the highest-scored jump on either the ladies’ or men’s side on the evening. After another clean landing on a switch left 900 in her second run to bring her combined score up to 174.60, 19-year-old Tanno had done everything she needed to in order to take the first victory of her World Cup career.
“I'm super happy that I finally managed to land in the top spot,” said Tanno from the finish area as she waited for the awards ceremony, “So many times before I was so close, scoring second or third, but this time my tricks were good enough for the first place. And it’s cool that so many people came to watch the event. To compete in the city big air is always something special and for sure I'll be here to compete again next year.”
With Friday’s victory to go along with her third place at the big air season opener in Milan (ITA) and her fourth place finish at last weekend’s Stubai (AUT) slopestyle World Cup, Tanno sits atop the big air and Freestyle overall standings at this early phase of the season.
Second place for the ladies on Friday night went to Tanno’s teammate Sarah Hoefflin (SUI), as the winner of last season’s slopestyle crystal globe showed once again the stylish smoothness that has consistently marked the first two seasons of her World Cup career. Her first run’s switch right-side 720 high mute was one of the nicest tricks of the evening, and her fourth career podium was well-deserved.
Third on the day belonged to Chile’s Dominque Ohaco, who finally jumped onto the World Cup podium for the first time in her 24th career World Cup competition.
Nummedal steps up after first run crash
After taking his first career World Cup victory at the 2016/17 season-ender in Voss-Myrkdalen last March, Nummedal wasted no time returning to the top of the podium in 2017/18, stomping the day’s biggest trick in his final attempt to slip by Oscar Wester (SWE) and countryman Oystein Braaten (NOR) and into top spot in an all-Scandinavian men’s podium.
After going down on his first attempt there would be no room for error for Nummedal in a men’s final that saw nine out of 10 competitors stomp at least one jump that scored them 82.00 points or higher.
Nummedal however, was up to the task, putting down a switch left-side double corked 1440 mute in his second run, and then sending it to the moon with a left-side triple corked 1620 safety on his final hit to earn an impressive victory and a share of the big air World Cup lead with Elias Ambuehl (SUI), who finished in ninth on the day.
“It’s crazy,” a clearly stoked Nummedal said after the event, “I crashed on my first run and then of course had to do two different tricks on the runs I had left, but I made it work. Everyone skied so well today so I’m not even sure how I made it on top. And to share a podium with my teammate Oystein (Braaten) and with Oscar (Wester), who’s a good friend of mine, it’s great.”
For much of the evening it looked like Wester was on his way to his first career victory after landing a first-hit right double 1440 to step into first place. However, Nummedal’s triple would prove to be too much, and Wester would have to settle for runner-up and his second career podium.
“I tried my best, but it just wasn’t enough to knock Christian,” said Wester, “But I’m still so stoked to get second place. I’m hyped.”
Third on the evening went to Braaten for his second podium in a row after winning last weekend’s Stubai slopestyle contest.
“I’m super stoked to get a podium, and super stoked for Nummedal and Oscar and how they skied today,” said Braaten, “I couldn’t be more happy. Squeaked through to finals and had a lot of fun riding in front of that crowd.”
Honourable mentions on the evening go to Italy’s Ralph Walponer for throwing down some of the evening’s most stylish tricks while hyping up the crowd and clearly having himself a good time, and to 19-year-old Finnish representative Elias Syrja, whose early-grab variations - including an impressive if somewhat-sketchy pre-grabbed triple corked 1260 safety - earned him fourth place and the best result of what is his first World Cup campaign.
With the Moenchengladbach competition in the bag the big air World Cup now takes an extended break, with the final competition of this season’s tour - and the final competition of the FIS Freestyle season - taking to the night skies of Canada’s Quebec City on March 24, 2018.
TRICK-LIST
Ladies:
First - Giulia Tanno (SUI): left-side double corked 1080 safety; switch left-side 900 safety
Second - Sarah Hoefflin (SUI): switch right-side 720 mute; right-side bio 720 mute
Third - Dominique Ohaco (CHI): right-side 720 safety; switch left-side 720 mute
Men:
First - Christian Nummedal (NOR): switch left-side double corked 1440 mute tweak; left-side triple corked 1620 safety
Second - Oscar Wester (SWE): right-side double corked 1440 tail grab; switch right-side double misty 1260 mute
Third - Oystein Braaten (NOR): switch left-side double corked 1440 reverse tail grab; left-side double corked 1440 tail grab
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