Killi and Ragettli on top in weather-affected Laax Open freeski slopestyle
Jan 22, 2023·Freeski Park & Pipe
While finals the Laax Open slopestyle World Cup did not go strictly to plan on Sunday afternoon when women’s finals were cancelled due to the weather, a home victory for Laax’s own Andri Ragettli (SUI) in the men’s finals and deserved win for Johanne Killi (NOR) in the women’s event based on qualification results meant that all was not lost at freeski’s Laax Open debut.
While snowboard slopestyle finals went off without a hitch on Sunday morning, by the time it got around time for the skiers to drop in, the snow and fog was beginning to move over the Laax course.
With the men dropping first in an effort pack the fresh snow down before the women’s competition, speed was sometimes an issue through the two-run final. However, all but one of the finals skiers on the men’s side were able to put down at least one top-to-bottom run by the end of the day.
As mentioned, tops amongst them with a score of 79.08 was Ragettli, who took advantage of the better conditions during run one to land a run that lead off with a transfer front swap continuing 270 out, to left 270 on continuing 450 off, then through the jumps going right double cork 1260 mute, switch left double bio 1260 double mute, left double cork 1620 tail grab, and finally a switch on to frontside 270 off on the up rail to switch right corked 720 Japan off the step down final of the final feature.
The win was the 11th of Ragettli’s career, and put him back in a tie with Birk Ruud (NOR) atop the all-time freeski World Cup victories rankings. On top of that, the Swiss ace was able to steal the yellow slopestyle World Cup leader’s bib from his Norwegian counterpart, as Ragettli now has 180 to Ruud’s 160. Ruud, however, remains atop the freeski overall rankings.
“It’s super special to be able to get my 11th World Cup win here in Laax,” Ragettli said after the awards ceremony, “This is where I learned to do my first 360, my first backflip, and to get the win here with family and friends watching is just amazing.”
Second place for the men with a score of 76.81 went to the Beijing 2022 slopestyle gold medallist Alex Hall of the USA, whose run began with a transfer front swap pretzel 270, then a switch right 270 on pretzel 450 out with a nosebutter, into a left double cork 1260 mute, switch right double cork 1080 safety, and switch left double cork 1440 Japan through the jumps, and then a switch left 270 Tokyo drift to continuing 450 safety out on the butterbox.
Finally, third place belonged to the aforementioned Ruud, who lead off his run with an incredible left nosebutter 620 on to continuing 270 off on the first rail, into a switch left 270 on to continuing 620 off, and then a right double cork 1440 safety, a left double cork 1620 mute, a switch left double cork 1620 safety, and finally a slide frontside 270 off to nose butter 720 to finish with a score of 75.63.
For the women, Killi’s win via her qualification rankings now gives her back-to-back slopestyle victories so far in the 2022/23 season, after she claimed top spot at the season-opener in Stubai back in November.
“Unfortunately we were a little unlucky with the weather,” Killi said once the official decision had been made to call off the women’s finals, “I’ve been here in Laax before with sunshine and soft conditions and that’s what we were hoping for, but we’re doing an outdoor sport and this is how it has to be sometimes.
“Of course I would like to win in the finals and not just in the qualies, but also we should be able to show out best skiing and we can’t really do that in these conditions. But still, I’m really happy we’ve been able to be part of this week in Laax and I hope they have the freeskiers back again next year.”
Second place behind Killi was Switzerland’s own Sarah Hoefflin, who earned her 14th career World Cup podium, while France’s Tess Ledeux earned her 15th career World Cup top-3 with a third place finish.
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