Snowboarders close in on Crystal Globe at Big Air Kreischberg
Jan 08, 2025·Snowboard Park & Pipe)
Competition among the world’s best snowboarders is expected to be fierce at the second-last big air event of the 2024/25 FIS Snowboard World Cup season in Kreischberg this week.
Beginning on Thursday, a total of 88 riders will compete at Big Air Kreischberg, the fourth of five big air events on the World Cup calendar.
Japanese riders lead the men’s and women’s fields, with Mari Fukada one of 29 women vying for a spot in the finals when qualifications begin at 13:35 Central European Time (CET) on Thursday.
Fukada was runner-up at Big Air Klagenfurt last week behind 17-year-old winner Mia Brookes (GBR), but Fukada leads the Big Air World Cup standings as a result of finishing on the podium at every event since the season began in October.
Fukada opened her season by winning Big Air Chur, followed by second place at Beijing and Klagenfurt respectively.
Brookes, however, leads the overall women’s FIS Park & Pipe World Cup standings with two big air victories from Beijing and Klagenfurt and runner-up honours in slopestyle in Cardrona in September. The teenager was also last season’s big air Crystal Globe winner.
Also among the field of 29 women is two-time Olympic Winter Games big air gold medallist and home-resort favourite Anna Gasser (AUT), who finished fifth in Klagenfurt last week after previously taking third place in Beijing in December.
Reira Iwabuchi (JPN) finished just outside of the podium in front of Gasser in Klagenfurt, which marked the third time she finished within the top five this season, including fifth place in slopestyle in Cardrona. Iwabuchi started the season strong as runner-up to Fukada in Chur in October and will be hoping to climb up the rankings in Kreischberg.
Compatriot Momo Suzuki will be buoyed by her third place from Klagenfurt, which was the 17-year-old’s first career World Cup podium in just three World Cup starts.
Meanwhile, last season’s overall Crystal Globe winner Kokomo Murase (JPN) comes to Kreischberg with only one podium thus far this season, from slopestyle in Cardrona. In contrast to the 2023/24 season, in which she won two out of two big air World Cup starts, Murase has so far finished eighth at Beijing and Klagenfurt, and fourth in Chur.
Men’s reigning World Champion Taiga Hasegawa currently leads the FIS big air and overall Park & Pipe standings following his second victory of the season at Klagenfurt.
The 19-year-old’s win last week more than made up for his ninth place finish in Beijing in December, which came after his big air season-opening victory in Chur.
Trailing Hasegawa in the Park & Pipe and big air standings is Italian teenager Ian Matteoli, who was runner-up behind Hasegawa in Klagenfurt, as well as runner-up in Beijing along with fourth in Chur.
Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara returns to competition in Kreischberg after the 19-year-old missed competition in Klagenfurt due to a minor injury. Ogiwara took the win in Beijing in December.
Compatriot Kira Kimura, last season’s big air Crystal Globe winner, will be hoping to make up for his less-than-ideal performance in Klagenfurt after he did not qualify for the men’s final, and the same goes for Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games big air champion Su Yiming (CHN), who also did not progress to last week’s final as he continues to battle nagging injuries.
Su is joined by Chinese compatriot Yang Wenlong, who claimed third place in front of a home crowd in Beijing in December.
The men’s field of 51 also includes 18-year-old Rocco Jamieson (NZL), who kicked off his World Cup season with third place in slopestyle at Cardrona in September, followed by second place at Big Air Chur in October. The USA’s Chris Corning, who holds the record for most big air World Cup honours among active men’s riders with 10 podiums, will also be in Kreischberg.
The men’s qualifications will begin at 10:30 CET on Saturday, followed by the men’s and women's finals on Saturday evening from 17:55 CET.
SNOWBOARD BIG AIR FACTS & FIGURES
Reira Iwabuchi (JPN) has amassed 10 World Cup podium finishes in snowboard big air, including seven wins.
Anna Gasser (AUT) remains the most successful World Cup big air snowboarder with 19 podium finishes, including nine wins.
Chris Corning (USA) has the most big air World Cup podium finishes among active men’s riders with 10.
QUICK LINKS
Big Air Kreischberg World Cup data page (start list, live scoring, results)
Photos (coming soon)
)
)
