Leduex and Boesch on top in Utah 2019 Freeski Big Air
Feb 03, 2019·Freeski Park & Pipe
It was a big day for freeski action at the Utah 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, with the first-ever world championships freeski big air competition hitting the massive jump located at the foot of Utah’s Canyons Resort, where Tess Ledoux (FRA) and Fabian Boesch (SUI) made history with the gold-medal wins.
With freeski big air slated to join Olympic programme at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, it was long overdue that the event see its premier in world championships competition. And on Saturday at Canyons that debut did not disappoint, with what might have been the greatest FIS Freeski big air competition of all-time wowing a packed crowd at the resort’s base.
Finishing in second in Saturday morning’s qualifying session, Ledeux had no difficulties carrying that momentum through to the nighttime finals, where she delivered a dominant showing. Starting things off with a huge left-side double corked 1260 mute that earned her a score of 94.75 (the high score of the evening in the ladies’ competition), Ledeux then closed things out with a switch left bio 1080 japan for an even 90.00 points and a best-two-of-three jump total of 184.75 for the gold medal.
“I’m so happy,” said Ledeux just before the awards ceremony, “It’s the first time for me on top of the podium at a big air competition. It’s just a dream. It’s so nice.”
Second place for the silver medal in the ladies’ Utah 2019 big air world championships was Julia Krass (USA), giving the host nation their sole podium result of the evening with a score of 173.75 for her two-jump combo of a right-side double cork 1080 safety and a switch right 1080 safety
Finally, third place for the ladies went to Isabel Atkin of Great Britain, as the PyeongChang 2018 slopestyle bronze-medallist stomped a right-side 900 opposite tail and a switch right 1080 mute for a score of 168.75.
Boesch drops big air bombs at Canyons
Over in the men’s competition the stakes got even higher, with a dizzying stream of spin variations going down over the course of the 10 riders’ three attempts at the Canyons kicker, with 21-year-old Fabian Boesch of Switzerland standing tallest at the end of the evening.
Boesch first truly broke onto the scene back at the Kreischberg 2015 world championships, where he took gold in the slopestyle competition at 17 years of age. Saturday’s big air competition was his first time entering a world championships event since that winning turn in Kreischberg, and he was able to make it a perfect two-for-two at the world champs with a show-stopping performance.
Stomping a first-hit left-side double cork 1620 opposite tail grab, Boesch saved his best for the second run, where he put down a mind-bending right-side triple cork 1620 safety to opposite tail grab that earned him the a score of 96.00 - the highest single trick score of anyone in the competition - and added up with his first run score fo a total of 186.00 and the win.
“I still can’t believe it,” Boesch smiled from the finish area, “The last couple of competitions haven’t really gone my way, but I knew I had the tricks and that I could get a podium for sure if I could just land them. And that it worked out tonight…I’m just so happy.”
Second place and the silver medal went to Swedish superstar Henrik Harlaut, whose switch left-side triple cork 1440 mute and left double cork 1620 tail grab gave him a score fo 184.00, leaving him just short of Boesch’s winning mark.
Third place in the tightly-packed men’s final with a score of 183.25 was Alex Beaulieu-Marchand of Canada, who was able to put together a left-side triple cork 1260 safety grab and a switch left-side triple cork 1440 bow and arrow grab for the bronze medal.
Second place and the silver medal went to Swedish superstar Henrik Harlaut, whose switch left-side triple cork 1440 mute and left double cork 1620 tail to tail grab gave him a score fo 184.00, leaving him just short of Boesch’s winning mark.
Third place in the tightly-packed men’s final with a score of 183.25 was Alex Beaulieu-Marchand of Canada, who was able to put together a left-side triple cork 1260 safety grab and a switch left-side triple cork 1440 bow and arrow grab for the bronze medal.
TRICKLIST
Ladies:
Tess Ledeux (FRA) - left dub 1260 mute, switch left bio 1080 Japan
Julia Krass (USA) - right dub 1080 safety, switch right 1080 safety
Isabel Atkin (GBR) - right 900 opposite tail, switch right 1080 mute
Men:
Fabian Bösch (SUI) - left dub 1620 tail to tail, right triple 1620 safety to opposite tail
Henrik Harlaut (SWE) - switch left triple 1440 mute, left dub 1620 tail
Alex Beaulieu-Marchand (CAN) - left triple 1260 safety, switch left triple 1440 bow and arrow
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