Tanno and Ruud claim wins in Kreischberg to open 2020/21 big air season
Jan 09, 2021·Freeski Park & Pipe
The first big air competition of the 2020/21 FIS Freeski World Cup season went down in truly epic fashion on Friday evening in Kreischberg (AUT), with the athletes on hand pushing their boundaries in an inspiring display from start to finish of the competition, and with last season’s women’s and men’s big air crystal globe winners Giulia Tanno (SUI) and Birk Ruud (NOR) starting the new campaign on a high with impressive wins.
After the women’s qualifications took place on Thursday morning, the tone for Friday was set by the men’s qualification heats, where some incredible moments - like Evan McEachran (CAN) losing a ski mid-triple cork and still stomping the landing, and Thibault Magnin (ESP) landing a never-been-done-in-competition switch double cork 1080 - became footnotes, as neither skier would end up advancing through to finals from the fiercely fought qualifying heats.
As the sun went down and finals approached, the conditions in Kreischberg were near perfect, with the big jump in pristine shape, clear skies overhead, and no wind. And while the pandemic safety protocols in place meant that there wouldn’t be any fans in attendance to witness proceedings, the skiers nonetheless rose to occasion in a massive way, making the first big air World Cup competition of 2020/21 one to remember.
Tanno keeps battling to take first big air victory in over three years
The women’s finals field was reduced from six to five after Norway’s Johanne Killi suffered an injury in training leading up to the start of competition, and after the first of three runs it was looking like top qualifier Tess Ledeux (FRA) would be leaving the other four girls to simply battle it out for second place. Ledeux’s massive first-hit left double 1260 mute earned her a score of 91.80 to put her more than 8 points up on her next closest competitor.
However, a three-run final leaves lots of room for movement on the leaderboard, and Ledeux’s early lead was shrunk significantly after Tanno stomped a clean switch left 1080 tail grab on her second run and Ledeux put down a somewhat shaky switch left 1080 double Japan.
Tanno then took things up another level on her final run of the evening, landing an exceptional left double cork 1080 safety that earned her a score of 88.00 and bumped her into the lead, putting the pressure on Ledeux who was set to drop as the last competitor of the women’s competition.
Unfortunately for 19 year-old Ledeux, she would not be able to rise to occasion this time, falling on her final attempt of the evening and handing the win to the 2019/20 big air crystal globe winner Tanno. For Tanno the win was her first big air victory in over three years, as she had claimed last season’s big air crystal globe on the strength of three runner-up finishes but no wins.
“It feels really good,” Tanno said just after realizing that her 173.40 points would be enough for the win, “I was second so much last year, which was nice, but it was like…I just wanted to win for once. Tonight I was almost done with the competition, in my head. Tess was skiing so good and I didn’t think that I could beat her, so for my last trick I just tried to do the best I could do for myself. I said to my coach at the top ‘I’m going to do the best double 10 that I can do.’ And that’s what I did, and it ended up working up for me. I really didn’t expect to take the win, but I’m happy that I did.”
While an emotional Ledeux would have to settle for second place with a score of 172.40 - just one point behind Tanno - third place would go to the Estonian phenom Kelly Sildaru, who skied an amazingly consistent competition from start to finish of her big air World Cup debut and ended up with a score of 160.60.
Ruud prevails in jaw-dropping men’s final
On the men’s side of things, the first run of the 10-man final established pretty quickly that the Kreischberg competition was going to be something special, as nine out of 10 skiers in the final stomped a first trick that earned them a score of 90 points or higher.
Tops amongst those in the first run was Birk Ruud’s switch left double 1800 tail grab, which earned him a score of 96.00 points. However, while through most of last season Ruud was the only one putting down clean, stylish 1800s in competition, in Friday’s event in Kreischberg his 18 was one of at least a half-dozen that we saw go down through the evening, as once again we witnessed the big air standard being raised in real time by the incredible collection of athletes on hand.
The men’s second run saw France’s Antoine Adelisse put down the highest-scoring jump of the evening when he stomped perfectly his signature switch pre-nose grab triple 1440 to mute, for a score of 97.20, which briefly jumped him into the lead. However, immediately after Adelisse’s jump, Ruud would earn an identical 97.20 points for his own signature trick - the left double bio 1800 mute.
While other men all over the finals start list continued to put down scores in the 90s through the third and final run of the day, in the end it would be only Adelisse who could knock Ruud from top spot with his final attempt. However, the Frenchman would wash out on his last hit and give Ruud the chance to take his first-ever victory lap, where the 20 year-old Norwegian put down a mind-bending corked 0 spin before cruising into the finish area for his fourth career World Cup big air win.
“It feels incredible, yeah,” said Ruud just after the awards ceremony, “I love competing and I missed competing a lot. Obviously there’s what’s going on in the world right now, and as well I’ve had some other struggles and difficulties in my personal life. I’ve put competition and skiing a little to the side to spend more time with my family due to my father getting sick. But to be back and then be back on top of the podium is an amazing feeling.
“I had a really weird feeling at the top of the course before the last run,” Ruud went on, “It was like deja vu or something, like this victory had happened before. I don’t know…it was a crazy feeling. I’m just super stoked to take this win. Feeling a lot of love to my family and everyone around me.”
With Ruud earning a score of 193.20, Adelisse would finish in second with 189.60 points. Third place would go to Sweden’s Oliver Magnussen, as the 20 year-old showed that he has taken another step forward this season by stomping two 1800 variations of his own for a score of 189.20 and his second career World Cup podium.
Up next for the FIS Freeski World Cup is likely to be a series of competitions in Calgary (CAN) in February and March, although the exact schedule and dates are still to be determined. Stay tuned for more.
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