Snowboard big air champions reunite in Beijing for FIS World Cup

Nov 29, 2024·Snowboard Park & Pipe

Anna Gasser (AUT) training at Shougang Park before the FIS Snowboard Beijing Big Air World Cup. Photo @fisparkandpipe

The second leg of the 2024/25 FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup season will be a reunion of Olympic and world champions at the iconic Shougang Park in Beijing this weekend.

A field of 81 riders will take to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games big air jump on Saturday with the women’s qualifications beginning at 10:20 China Standard Time (CST), followed by men’s heat one at 13:25, and heat two at 17:50.

The top eight women and top five men from each heat of the qualification round will progress to Sunday’s finals.

Among the stand-out names in the women’s competition are two-time Olympic Winter Games big air gold medallist Anna Gasser (AUT) and Beijing 2022 bronze medallist Kokomo Murase (JPN).

Thirty-three-year-old Gasser, who won gold at Beijing 2022 and PyeongChang 2018, will be looking to make up for a disappointing start to the season after she did not advance past the qualification round at Big Air Chur in October.

Gasser’s Chur performance was the first time the Austrian missed the podium in her World Cup big air career. However, with a possible return to the top of the podium this week, Gasser could claim sole possession of the all-time FIS Snowboard big air wins record. She currently has nine big air victories to her credit.

Murase finished just outside the podium in fourth place in Chur while compatriots Mari Fukada and Reira Iwabuchi took first and second place respectively.

At just 22, Iwabuchi has already amassed 10 World Cup podium finishes in big air, including seven wins, to trail all-time leader Gasser’s nine victories out of 18 podium finishes.

Seventeen-year-old Fukada has also gone from strength to strength since winning her big air World Cup debut in 2022 at Copper Mountain, followed by second place at the 2023 edition. Fukada’s well of tricks is as deep as anyone’s in the field, and with names such as Fukada, Murase, Iwabuchi and Miyabi Onitsuka on the start list the possibility of a Japanese sweep is always a real one.

The women’s field of 25 also includes last season’s big air crystal globe winner Mia Brookes of Great Britain. Brookes finished third behind Iwabuchi at Big Air Chur 2024.

On the men’s side, Japanese riders are in prime position to dominate this weekend’s runs with reigning World Champion Taiga Hasegawa also taking the first win of the season at Big Air Chur 2024.

The 19-year-old is joined by countrymen Ryoma Kimata, Yuto Miyamura, Hiroto Ogiwara, Hanato Minamiya and Ruki Tobita.

Local talent and Beijing 2022 big air gold medallist Su Yiming did not compete in Chur this year but will be looking to open his big air World Cup season on Saturday with a strong statement. The now 20-year-old also took silver in slopestyle at Beijing 2022.

Other strong contenders among the field of 56 men include three-time X Games big air gold medallist Marcus Kleveland (NOR) and New Zealand’s Rocco Jamieson, who kicked off the 2024/25 season with third place at the Cardrona slopestyle World Cup followed by second place at Big Air Chur.

Another to keep an eye on is Canada’s Liam Brearely as the 21-year-old drops into competition for the 2024/25 season after suffering an injury in pre-season training. After nabbing last season’s slopestyle crystal globe, Brearely will be hunting for his first career big air World Cup podium this weekend in Beijing.

The finals at the FIS Snowboard Beijing Big Air World Cup will begin at 18:00 CST on Sunday.

BIG AIR FACTS & FIGURES

Anna Gasser (AUT) has amassed 18 big air World Cup podium finishes and is the all-time leader across women and men’s competition.
Her closest rival, Stefan Gimpl (AUT), retired from the World Cup circuit in 2010 with 17 top-three finishes.
Reira Iwabuchi (JPN) trails Gasser’s nine-win record with seven victories.
Chris Corning (USA) has the most big air World Cup podium finishes among active men’s riders with 10.