Murase and Collins take Audi SnowJam slopestyle wins
Mar 19, 2022·Snowboard Park & Pipe
After five years off of the World Cup calendar, the Audi SnowJam slopestyle World Cup showed once again why it’s one of the most fun and well-loved competitions in snowboarding when finals went down on Saturday in Spindleruv Mlyn, with a hugely entertaining day of competition ending in wins for Kokomo Murase of Japan and New Zealand’s Tiarn Collins.
While finals were delayed by an hour due to gusty winds, once they did get underway the sunny skies, huge crowd, and party atmosphere at the base of the Audi SnowJam slopestyle course meant that vibes were high and the 10 women and 16 men in the finals were pushing hard throughout the afternoon.
MURASE WINS TO LOCK DOWN PARK & PIPE OVERALL CRYSTAL GLOBE
17-year-old Murase came into competition at Spindleruv Mlyn with the possibility to lockdown both the slopestyle and the Park & Pipe overall crystal globes ahead of the season’s final competition in Silvaplana (SUI) next week.
While the slopestyle season trophy is not quite a sure thing yet, Murase’s victory on Saturday was more than enough to ensure that she’ll claim the overall title for 2021/22, becoming the second Japanese women in World Cup history to win the big globe after Miyabi Onitsuka did it in both 2017/18 and 2018/19.
Murase locked in her claim on the big globe in emphatic fashion in Saturday’s finals, stomping two runs that were both head-and-shoulders above the rest of the women’s field, with the first scoring an 87.25 before she stepped it up a couple points in her victory lap for a score of 89.25.
Leading things off with a switch noseslide pretzel 270 out, Murase then went with a big backside 900 on the first jump, followed by a cab 540 on the hip jump, then a frontside lipslide 270 on the second rail feature, before ending things off with a massive frontside 1080 melon on the final hit.
Scoring her second-straight World Cup second-place finish, and in the process jumping up into second place on women’s slopestyle World Cup standings, was Canada’s Jasmine Baird, as the 22-year-old put down a 76.25-scoring second run that included a switch lipslide 270 out on the first rail, into a cab double underflip 900 on the first jump, then a wildcat on the hip feature, a tail slide 270 out on the second rail section and then a backside 720 weddle grab to finish things off for a score 76.25.
Scoring 72.25 for her first career World Cup podium with a third-place finish was Switzerland’s Ariane Burri. The 21-year-old impressed in a big way on Saturday, bloodying her face in a hard slam in her first run, only to charge her second run even harder, with a switch boardslide 270 out on the first rail, a cab 540 on jump number one, then a frontside 360 over the hip, a bluntslide 270 out on the second rail, and a massive backside 720 weddle on the final jump.
With 396 total points on the season and with her closest competitor Baird having only 274, Murase is now assured of winning the women’s Park & Pipe overall crystal globe for 2021/22. Meanwhile, on the slopestyle side of things, the Japanese rider all but has things wrapped up with her 260 points, though Baird with 174 and Melissa Pepperkamp (NED) with 171 points could, theoretically, catch her.
COLLINS CLEANS UP FOR SECOND CAREER WORLD CUP WIN
Over on the men’s side of things the Audi SnowJam final was one of the most hotly-contested of the season, with multiple lead changes and a whole lotta drama right down to the final rider.
Collins’ 90.25-scoring winning run stood out for his pure precision from top to bottom, leading off with a cab 270 on to 450 out, into a switch backside 1260 weddle on the first jump, then a frontside 720 nosegrab over the hip jump, to a frontside 270 to 450 out on the second rail section, and finally a backside 1620 melon that was as clean as you’ll ever see it done.
“I’m so stoked,” Collins said from the finish area, “I really wasn’t expecting that or anything. I just put down a good run. I wasn’t coming out here for the win straight away, I just wanted to put something down, and I had a go at that 16 at the end and it worked out, so I’m hyped.”
With the win, Collins now has 200 slopestyle points to overtake Leon Vockensperger (GER) for the slopestyle World Cup lead, while also moving into third place on the men’s Park & Pipe overall rankings with 215 points behind Vockensperger’s 224 and halfpipe rider Ayumu Hirano, who has 250 points.
Second place on the day went to up-and-coming Swedish rider William Mathisen, who earned his first career World Cup podium in just his ninth World Cup start with a score of 86.75.
Mathesin started things off with a backside 450 on to fakie, into switch double cork 1260 nosegrab, then a frontside 1080 tailgrab, then a frontside 270 on to 450 off, and finally finished things off with a backside triple cork 1620 weddle. Were it not for a couple bobbles on landings, Mathesin very well could have had his first win on Saturday.
Finally, third place for the men went to top qualifier Luke Winklemann, who dropped in last and stepped his run up in a big way.
Beginning with a switch noseslide pretzel 270 out on the kinked rail, Winkelmann then stomped a front cab 720 rocket air, switch board sameway to switch backside 360 melon, then switch backside triple cork 1440 weddle to finish the competition off with a bang and a score 85.50.
With the Audi SnowJam in Spindleruv Mlyn now in the bag, we’re on to the final stop of the season next week in Silvaplana (SUI), where qualifications will be going down on March 25th and finals will be shutting down the 2021/22 FIS Snowboard World Cup on March 27th.
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