Thrilling finale to Freeski World Cup season in Silvaplana
Mar 26, 2022·Freeski Park & Pipe
With perfect blue skies, warm temperatures, plenty of spectators, and perhaps the best course of the season all coming together on Saturday in Switzerland, the season finale of the 2021/22 FIS Freeski World Cup was one for the ages. And, with Kelly Sildaru (EST) and Birk Ruud (NOR) capping off another epic winter of competition with the wins at the Silvaplana slopestyle World Cup on the Corvatsch 3303 resort, two of freeskiing’s finest shined the brightest at one of the season’s marquee competitions.
SILDARU TAKES THE WIN AND THE SLOPESTYLE GLOBE WITH IMPRESSIVE SHOWING
The top qualifier from Thursday and winner in two-of-two slopestyle World Cups entered leading up to the seasons finale in Silvaplana, Sildaru was the odds-on favourite to take the victory on Saturday, and the 20-year-old delivered in a big way with her first run of the final.
Kicking things off with a left 270 on to the down rail, Sildaru then went with a right 540 mute on the quarterpipe, into a left 360 tail on the side hit before getting into the heavy stuff on the jump line.
Through the three big kickers she then stomped a right corked 900 tail, then a switch left 720 mute, into a switch right 900 tail grab, before finishing things off with right slide to a forward 450 out on the ending rail feature, riding away with a score of 88.25 and 300 points on the season - more than enough to claim the slopestyle season title and her first career crystal globe.
“Yeah, I mean, the crystal globe was really the only trophy I was really missing,” Sildaru said from the finish area, “So it’s really cool and it means a lot to get it now. It’s been a super busy season and also emotional and hard, so I’m really happy that the season is finally done and I can take a break.”
Second place for the women went to last season’s Silvaplana winner Tess Ledeux (FRA), as Sildaru’s fellow 20-year-old also put down a strong first run, going switch left 1080 japan, switch right bio 900 safety, and finally a slick left double cork 1260 safety through the jump line to help her earn a score of 80.50 and her fourth World Cup podium of the season.
Third place on the day would go Johanne Killi (NOR), who stepped things up in her second run with a switch left 1080 tail to switch right double cork 1080 japan on the final jumps for a 79.25 that would bump Katie Summerhayes (GBR) down to fourth.
While Sildaru grabbed the slopestyle crystal globe, Switzerland’s Sarah Hoefflin took the second-place silver medal on the season’s standings, while Tess Ledeux would jump up into bronze-medal position with her performance on Saturday.
Ledeux’s second-place finish on Saturday would also shakeup the women’s FIS Freeski overall podium. While the winner of the season’s biggest trophy had long been decided, with Eileen Gu (CHN) and her history-making season ensuring her top honours on the season weeks ago, Sildaru would take the Freeski overall silver medal, and Ledeux would also take her second bronze medal of the day, bumping Hoefflin down to fourth.
RUUD LOCKS DOWN THE WIN AND OVERALL GLOBE WHILE RAGETTLI WINS SLOPESTYLE TITLE
Over on the men’s side of things the Birk Ruud show was in full effect on Saturday, as the world’s most explosive freeskier once again asserted himself with aplomb, putting down two runs that would have landed him on the podium, including a show-stopping first that earned him a score of 94.50.
Leading things off with a switch left 450 onto the downrail, Ruud then stomped a big right corker 900 safety on the quarterpipe into a left double cork 900 safety on the side hit, before going ballistic on the kickers, with a switch double cork 1440 mute, then a switch left double cork 1620 tail, and then his signature left double bio 1800 mute on the final hit before finishing things off with a left slide to frontside 810 out on the launch rail.
Second place on the day would go to Mac Forehand (USA), who stomped what he himself declared to be the “best run of (his) life” as soon as he rolled into the Silvaplana finish area after his first turn on the prime Corvatsch course.
Starting things off with a bang with a right 450 gap lipslide continuing 270 off on the down-flat-down rail and stomping a right double cork 1620 blunt, a switch right double 1440 mute, and a switch left double 1620 mute to japan through the jumps, Forehand would score a 91.75 for his fourth career World Cup podium.
Rounding out the men’s podium would be Switzerland’s own Andri Ragettli, as the winningest freeskier in FIS World Cup history added another podium to his ever-growing record, earning a score of 90.00, third place and his 23rd career World Cup podium with a run that included a switch right 270 on to pretzel 450 out on the down rail, and his signature switch double misties both ways - left 1260 mute on the first jump and right 1620 safety on the final hit.
While Ragettli didn’t get the win he so dearly wanted in Silvaplana, with two wins, a fourth place and Saturday’s third he was able to do just enough on to secure his fifth career crystal globe, taking the 2021/22 slopestyle title and joining some elite company in FIS Freestyle history - freestyle legends like Donna Weinbrecht (USA), Nicolas Fontaine (CAN) and Dale Begg-Smith (AUS).
Making his fifth globe even more impressive is the fact that Ragettli was able to lock it down after missing the first half of this season as he recovered from knee surgery due to an injury suffered at the Aspen 2021 World Championships just over a year ago.
"I've already been asked if this crystal globe is a consolation prize. No! For me, it's more," said Ragettli after the final podiums of the season were presented in Corvatsch. ”Exactly one year ago I had an operation on my knee. I wondered if I would even be able to start again in a year's time - if I would be able to compete this season in Silvaplana. I’m super proud. What an incredible season given what I went through."
Despite winning three of three slopestyle World Cups entered in 2021/22, Ruud would have to settle for the second-place silver medal on the slopestyle rankings, where he was followed up by Forehand with the bronze medal, as a reshuffled version of the day’s competition podium found themselves together again for the second set of men’s awards handed out on Saturday.
However, while Ruud wasn’t able to catch Ragettli in the slopestyle rankings, the 21-year-old was able to bring home the biggest trophy of the men’s season, taking the Freeski overall title on the strength of his three slopestyle wins, a third at the Big Air Chur, and a 10th in at the Steamboat big air World Cup.
“It’s incredible,” said Ruud after Saturday’s results were in, “I’m super happy to win the last World Cup here in Silvaplana. It’s been a long season and to finish up here on the top of the podium is a great feeling. I’ve been working hard and it’s been a long season with the Olympics and everything, so to be able to continue and to stay on top, it’s the best feeling.”
Finally, there were the nation titles also to hand out on Saturday, with the US Freeski team claiming the FIS Freeski Nations Cup, and the Canadians once again nabbing the FIS Freestyle Overall Nations Cup for the success across all the six events that fall under the FIS Freestyle umbrella - slopestyle, big air, halfpipe, moguls, aerials and ski cross.
With Silvaplana now in the books and the 2021/22 World Cup season officially over, we’d like to congratulate to all of the winners, and say a big thank you to everyone who’s been a part of what was a sometimes challenging, but always exciting season of World Cup action - from the athletes, to the organisers, to the volunteers - and especially the fans.
It’s been a wild, thrilling and thoroughly entertaining ride yet again, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
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