Gu and Moffatt triumph in Seiser Alm
Jan 27, 2019·Freeski Park & Pipe
The final World Cup competition before the eyes of the ski world turn to the USA for the Utah 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle & Freeski World Championships took to the slopes of Seiser Alm (ITA) today, where Eileen Gu (USA) and Max Moffatt (CAN) both stepped up to claim the first World Cup wins of their respective careers in an incredible day of riding on the perfect Seiser Alm course.
Gu came into Sunday’s action as the top qualifier and favourite despite it being only the third World Cup competition of her career. However, through the first two runs of the three run final she couldn’t quite put it all together, and was sitting in fourth before dropping in for her final run of day and the final run of the ladies’ competition.
Showing no signs of feeling the pressure, the 15-year-old proceeded to step it up big time. Starting her rail section with a switch right-side slide 270 off, she then put down a switch 180 on to the butter box to right-side 270 on 270 off on the down rail, into a switch left-side 270 on 270 off on the flat bar to finish off the rail run.
Through the jumps she the went left rodeo 540 safety, switch left 900 tail, to right 900 opposite tail to finish things off. Despite back-seating a little bit on her second air that run would be enough to please the judges, who awarded Gu a score of 84.40 for the first World Cup victory of her very young career and the lead in the World Cup slopestyle standings.
“This is insane,” a clearly thrilled Gu said from the finish area, “This is my first year on the World Cup and my third World Cup, and I didn’t expect this at all just coming into it. I’ve been trying to just focus on skiing my best and doing my runs so I was just happy to land my run. But to find out I won and I’ve taken the lead in the World Cup standings is just icing on the cake.
“I didn’t do my first two runs like I wanted to, but I was actually feeling less nervous than I thought I would be before my third run. I had landed it four or five times in practice, so I knew I could do it and I was feeling pretty calm.”
Gu’s final run bumped Canada’s Megan Oldham down into second place, giving the 17-year-old the first podium of her career in what was also just her third World Cup event, as she finished just back of Gu with a score of 83.00.
Third place on the day with a score of 77.30 went to Julia Krass (USA), making it three-for-three in the first-time podium department.
Moffat’s first run holds up for first career victory
In the men’s competition it was Canada’s Max Moffatt who took advantage of the better wind conditions at the start of Sunday’s competition to stomp an exceptional first run that would end up holding up throughout the competition to give him his first podium the form of a victory and set him atop the World Cup leaderboard for the first time in his career.
Dropping in seventh on the day, Moffatt started his run out through the rails with a switch-up transfer frontside 270 out, into a switch left-side slide to pretzel 450 out on the high side of the Prinoth box, into a switch 360 on 180 off on the barrel feature.
Then he went huge through the jump section, first with a left double cork 1080 double Japan grab, then a right double cork 1260 leading cuban, and finishing things off with a switch right double 1440 safety, earning himself a score of 83.10 and capping an incredible week of skiing in Seiser Alm with the win.
“It feels pretty surreal right now…I feel like I’m dreaming,” Moffat smiled at the competition’s end, “I managed to put it down first run and then it was a little stressful as all the boys were dropping. But man, that was such a fun contest. I’ve gotta give it up for all the organizers and the park crew and everyone. This is my third year coming to this comp, and every year it’s just amazing. Everyone’s always so stoked, the course is perfect…I can’t even say how good it is…I’m too hyped!”
As with the ladies, all three members of the men’s podium on Sunday would be stepping on to the World Cup prize-winner’s steps for the first time.
Sweden’s Oliwer Magnusson would claim second place on the day, finishing his best-scoring second run with a huge double cork 1440 and earning a score of 82.35 for his efforts.
Third, meanwhile, went to the the US rider Kiernan Fagan, who took the unofficial prize for the top newcomer on the day, as he was competing in his very first slopestyle World Cup competition. With a best-run score of 81.00 points, Fagan’s first slopestyle start would be a memorable one, capping off a three-podium day for the Canadian squad.
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