Iwabuchi and Roisland prevail at Copper Mountain Big Air

Reira Iwabuchi (JPN) and Mons Roisland (NOR) have claimed victory in this season's fourth Big Air Snowboard World Cup which was staged as part of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Copper Mountain, CO., today.

Facing perfect snow conditions, a blue bird sky and the opportunity for a few turns before finally hitting the jump as the penultimate Big Air event of the season and last prior PyeongChang 2018 was the sole on-mountain competition of the season all worked together for a great show.

A show which saw a surprising and very young winner on the women's side of things.

Reira Iwabuchi, who had already impressed the judges in the qualifiers as top rider of heat 1, was able to keep up the momentum from Friday earning her career's first in her third start on the circuit.

The 15-year-old rider who turns 16 in just four days landed a cab 900 stale and a huge backside 1080 mute to walk away with a combined score of 169.25.

The ninth youngest rider to ever win a World Cup therefore edged off Julia Marino (USA; 160.25) and Silje Norendal (NOR; 156.75) to the respective second and third.

Posting her career's second podium thanks to a cab double cork 900 mute and frontside 720 mute during a national Olympic qualifier made 2016 Boston Big Air winner Julia Marino pretty happy:

“I'm feeling great. It's really cool to see where the sport is going. And I'm really happy with what I did but I'm most excited to push myself a little bit more because obviously the level of women's snowboarding has been stepped up by all these younger and even older girls which is really cool.”

And also Norendal was pleased with the result as it made her appearance at the Olympic Big Air event next February to be even more expected:

“I kind of already secured my Olympic spot with a top-6 result in Milan last month but a podium is definitely better for the selection,” she said.

And it's pretty likely that Mons Roisland will join the 24-year-old in the Viking squad to represent Norway at the Olympic debut of this jaw-dropping event as the 20-year-old from Oslo owned the kicker in Copper Mountain.

Coming in the finals of the top 8 women and top 10 men with the confidence of a great showing in the qualifier session two days ago, Roisland impressed the judges with a switch backside 1620 stale and a frontside 1440 tail to claim his career's second with a 182.75.

A result which he didn't really had expected:

“I'm feeling great, I can't describe how happy I am. I haven't done really well in Big Airs before, so winning here means a lot. It's the greatest feeling,” he stated.

Chris Corning (USA; 177.25) and Chandler Hunt (USA; 159.00) rounded out the podium as second and third, respectively, with Corning taking over the Big Air World Cup lead (1,800).

In the women's standings, Anna Gasser (AUT), who missed out the last two big airs including the one in Copper today due to a bruised ankle, is still sitting in front with 2,000 points and a tiny lead on Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN; 1,960).

The Snowboard Freestyle World Cup will continue in less than ten days with this season's third Halfpipe World Cup being scheduled in Secret Garden, China from December 19 to 21, 2017.

The next big air will be the last of the season and is slated to take place at the World Cup finals in Quebec City, Canada from March 22 to 24, 2018.

Jumps

• Jumps Iwabuchi: cab 900 stale, backside 1080 mute

• Jump Roisland: switch backside 1620 stale, frontside 1440 tail

• Jumps Marino: cab double cork 900 mute, frontside 720 mute

• Jumps Corning: frontside 1440 melon, backside triple cork 1440 melon

• Jumps Norendal: cab 900 stale, backside 720 mute

• Jumps Hunt: cab double cork 1260 nose, backside triple cork 1440 mute