Gasser, Collins and McMorris best qualifiers in Beijing
Aug 31, 2018·Snowboard Park & Pipe
The top favourites for the win at the 2017 Infinite Air + Style Beijing have underlined their demand on a top result in today's qualifiers for the 2017-18 season's second Big Air World Cup event.
Men were first to drop in on the massive scaffolding ramp constructed in the Worker's Stadium, the second biggest stadium of the Chinese capital.
And the boys were talking serious business right away delivering a mouth watering spin show at its best with tons of triple corks, 1440's and 1260's stomped.
Coming back from an injury break and stronger than ever, it was Canada's superstar Mark McMorris taking the top spot with his first jump earning a 83.00 for his backside triple cork 1440 mute.
Also making their way to the finals from heat one, which saw slightly weaker scores compared to heat 2, were Clemens Millauer (AUT; switch backside double cork 1260 stalefish; 80.00), Torgeir Bergrem (SWE; backside 1260 mute; 77.75), Aleksi Partanen (FIN; frontside double rodeo 1080 indy off toes; 77.50) and Nikita Tiuterev (RUS; backside triple cork 1440 backside grab; 76.75).
In the second heat, Tiarn Collins (NZL) was able to take the top spot with his backside 1440 mute (90.00) edging off Japan's wunderkind Hiroaki Kunitake to the second rank (87.50).
Just two weeks after his career's first Big Air World Cup and an eighth rank finish in Milan, the 15-year old rider once again showcased with his backside triple cork 1440 mute that the Land of the Rising Sun has a deep stock of snowboard talent.
Rounding out the finals of the top-10 men from heat two were Emil Andre Ulsletten (NOR; cab 1260 nose grab; 83.25), reigning FIS Snowboard World Champion Stale Sandbech (NOR; cab 1260 stalefish; 81.75) and Carlos Gerber (SUI; frontside double cork 1260 mute; 80.25).
In the women's event later the day, Anna Gasser was able to live up to the expectations keeping the momentum from her win at the season's opener in Italy.
The 26-year-old Austrian stomped her cab double cork 900 mute and therefore took the high score of 94.75 which gave her the freedom to sit out the second qualifier run and give her right foot a little rest after injuring it in yesterday's training.
Gasser will face Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN; cab 900 stalefisch; 89.25), Enni Rukajarvi (FIN; cab 720 indy; 84.00), Klaudia Medlova (SVK; frontside 720 mute; 82.75), Cheryl Maas (NED; backside 720 tail; 80.25) and Sofya Fedorova (RUS; backside 720 indy; 75.50) in the finals of the best six women.
Women's and men's finals are slated to take place on Saturday, 25 November, at 7:30 PM (12:30 PM CET).
Live scoring will be available for both, women and men.
Live TV/streams are also available:
