Martin bests stacked slopestyle final to claim first World Cup, Fukada tops women’s field
Feb 23, 2025·Snowboard Park & Pipe)
Sixteen-year-old U.S. snowboarder Oliver Martin outperformed a stacked men’s slopestyle field to claim his first World Cup victory in Calgary, while Japan’s Mari Fukada dominated the women’s final
Martin claimed victory over the 18-man final on Saturday with a first run score of 80.60 on the final day of the Snow Rodeo FIS Slopestyle World Cup at Winsport Calgary Olympic Park.
The U.S. rider’s winning run began with a back 450 boardslide to fakie, then a half cab and back boardslide 270 on the second rail, a back boardslide cork 630 Weddle, followed by a switch back double cork 1260 melon, a back double cork 1440 gorilla, and finally a front double cork 1440 Indy.
Fellow U.S. rider Red Gerard was runner-up with a score of 78.63, while Norway’s Marcus Kleveland was third on 75.65.
“I’m so unbelievably happy. I just decided to play this one safe and it just worked out so well,” said Martin.
The teenager admitted it had been difficult getting ready to return to competition after suffering a concussion in January.
“The hardest challenge was just watching everyone do so well,” he said.
Before Saturday, Martin’s best result thus far in his debut World Cup season was fourth in big air in Aspen on 6 February. At the most recent slopestyle World Cup in Aspen on 2 February, Martin tied for 53rd place out of 56 competitors.
Meanwhile, Gerard’s second place on Saturday is his second podium of the season after he was also runner-up at the Laax Open (SUI) in January. Calgary marks the 24-year-old’s ninth World Cup podium in slopestyle, and his 13th overall podium finish across slopestyle and big air.
Kleveland’s third place is his first top-three World Cup result since he claimed victory at the 2023 Laax Open.
Reigning big air World Champion Taiga Hasegawa (JPN) finished fourth behind Kleveland on Saturday, while many other experienced riders finished in the bottom half of the 18-man final, including last season’s Crystal Globe winner Liam Brearley (CAN) and current slopestyle World Cup standings leader Cameron Spalding (CAN). Brearley and Spalding finished 14th and 16th respectively.
Despite his 16th place finish on Saturday, Spalding continues to lead the men’s slopestyle World Cup standings on 230 points, compared to second-place Gerard’s 192 points.
Meanwhile, Hasegawa’s fourth place finish on Saturday helped extend his lead in the overall men’s Park & Pipe standings to 439 points. His closest rival, compatriot Ruka Hirano, sits on 385 points after Hirano ended his halfpipe season a day earlier by winning the final halfpipe World Cup contest in Calgary to take the Crystal Globe.
In the women’s final, 18-year-old Fukada claimed victory with a second run score of 77.58.
Fukada’s winning run began with a switch front blunt 270, then a half cab and back boardslide pretzel 270 on the second rail, followed by a switchback boardslide 270 on the first kicker, a switch back 900 Weddle on the second kicker, and finally a front 540 stalefish.
German Annika Morgan was runner-up with a first run score of 76.30. Twenty-three-year-old Morgan narrowly missed out on a podium finish in Aspen with fourth place.
Great Britain’s Mia Brookes rounded out the podium with 74.08 to claim her second consecutive third place finish after also finishing third in Aspen.
Australian Tess Coady finished in fourth place with a score of 68.80 in what was her first World Cup competition since suffering an injury during the 2023/24 season.
Saturday’s third place is Brookes’ fourth slopestyle top-three finish of the season, and her seventh overall podium of the 2024/25 FIS Snowboard World Cup tour across slopestyle and big air.
Of her four slopestyle podiums, Brookes has one outright victory from Laax and a second place finish from the slopestyle season-opener in Cardrona (NZL) in September. With four out of five slopestyle World Cup events now completed, the 18-year-old leads the standings on 300 points.
Brookes also sits atop the overall women’s Park & Pipe standings on 500 points with 14 out of 15 events completed. Trailing Brookes in second place is Fukada on 450 points.
The fifth and final slopestyle competition of the 2024/25 FIS Snowboard World Cup season will take place at Absolut Park Flachauwinkl (AUT) between 13 and 14 March.
QUICK LINKS
Slopestyle Calgary World Cup data page (start lists, live scoring, results)
)
)
)
