FIS Snowboard preview: Modena Skipass big air World Cup
Oct 29, 2019·Snowboard Park & Pipe
After opening the World Cup season in Cardrona at the Winter Games NZ back in August, FIS Snowboard is gearing up for the first Northern Hemisphere competitions of 2019/20, as big air action is set to once again take to the skies above Italy at the Modena Skipass big air World Cup on November 2, 2019.
Last year was the first visit to Modena for FIS Snowboard, where, in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the ModenaFiere SKIPASS winter sports trade show and festival, a hugely successful event saw an impressive collection of the best riders from around the globe thrilling the crowd on the massive Modena ramp set-up. Now, with an even stronger set of riders on hand for this season’s event, it’s shaping up to be an epic kick-off to the winter on this side of the equator.
Qualifications and finals were both originally set to go down on Saturday, November 2 in Modena, with morning qualifiers followed up by nighttime finals under the lights in Modena. However, due to some possible weather issues over the coming days, the qualification programme has been adjusted with the women likely to drop in on the qualifier session on Thursday. Please keep your eyes on our social media channels tomorrow for updates.
Meanwhile, finals featuring the top six women and top 10 men are still set to begin at 18:30 on Saturday evening.
Who to watch: Women
The women’s snowboard field this year will be highlighted by one of the biggest names in snowboarding, as Anna Gasser (AUT) is set to once again bring her elite bag of tricks to the massive Modena ramp. While Gasser finished last season in third place at Modena, she comes into this season’s competition fresh off of winning big air gold at the X Games in Norway - her first competition back after missing much of last season due to a fractured ankle.
However, Gasser will be in tough against a number of athlete this season - foremost among them the Japanese duo of Reira Iwabuchi and Miyabi Onitsuka. Iwabuchi and Onitsuka finished first and second, respectively, last season in Modena, with Iwabuchi going on to take the 2018/19 big air crystal globe and Onitsuka winning the globe for top slopestyle performer. Along with 2017/18 slopestyle and big air junior world champion Kokomo Murase, the Japanese women’s team is one to watch out for.
And, then of course there’s Jamie Anderson (USA), the two-time reigning Olympic slopestyle gold medalist and PyeongChang 2018 Olympic big air silver medalis who is slated to make her first World Cup start in nearly two years. While known as a slopestyle specialist, Anderson has her Olympic medal, two X Games medals, and two World Cup wins in big air to her credit, and is a considered a favourite at every contest she drops in on.
After Gasser, Anderson, and the Japanese squad there’s a strong selection of riders from around the globe who should also make some waves, including PyeongChang 2018 Olympic slopestyle silver medalist Laurie Blouin (CAN), four-time X Games gold medalist Silje Norendal (NOR), seven-time X Games medalist Julia Marino (USA), Sarka Pancochova (CZE), and a handful of others.
Who to watch: Men
On the men’s side of things it’s the USA’s Chris Corning who comes into Modena as the top dog on the tour, after winning the season-opening Cardrona big air World Cup in a staggering display of snowboarding that included his signature quad-cork 1800. At last season’s Modena competition Corning sought to become the first rider anywhere to land the quad on a scaffold jump, and while he failed in that attempt by the barest of margins, it seems certain he’ll lock it down in the near future. Whether he gives the trick another go this season remains to be seen.
Despite the fact that last year’s Modena winner Takeru Otsuka (JPN) will not be competing this season as he recovers from injury, Corning will still be facing down a formidable list of challengers at this year’s event.
At the top of everyone’s must-watch list will be Mark McMorris (CAN), as the Canadian veteran looks to make his return to World Cup competition for the first time since the start of the 2017/18 season. With two Olympic medals, two World Championships medals, and a staggering 17 X Games medals to his name, McMorris is widely considered to be one of the greatest competition riders of all time, and his presence in Modena is an exciting prospect for all.
McMorris is just the tip of the iceberg on the men’s SB side of things, however, with riders like Red Gerard (USA), Sven Thorgren (SWE), Staale Sandbech (NOR), Clemens Millauer (AUT), Hiraoke Kunitake (JPN) and Matty Cox (AUS) just a few of the names capable of pushing the envelope come competition time. And, with an exciting Italian team that includes Leo and Loris Framarin, Nicola Liviero, and Emil Zulien, there will be plenty for the home fans to cheer for come competition time on Saturday.
WATCH LIVE
ORF Sport + (Austria), CCTV (China), Eurosport 1 (Europe & Asia/Pacific), Rai Sport Web (Italy), NRK 3 (Norway), NBC Sports Gold (USA).
Furthermore live streaming will be available on our YOUTUBE channel. Please note that due to broadcasting rights restrictions, live streaming may not be available in your region. Full list of countries with the live streaming available can be found HERE.
QUICK LINKS:
Modena Skipass big air World Cup data page (start lists, live scoring, results)
Photos (coming soon)
TV Broadcast info (coming soon)
