Dew Tour Ski Slopestyle Finals

Words by Rocky Maloney
Photos by Rocky Maloney, Trevor Woods & Ben Kuhns

The final day of the Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championships and the entire 2010/2011 Winter Dew Tour went down today in Snowbasin, Utah, and it couldn't have been better, with more beautiful blue skies and sunshine. Kicking off the proceedings was women's ski slopestyle finals, where after an hour of training the top six ladies from Friday's prelims were set to drop in.

Photo: Rocky Maloney

After winning the first stop of the Winter Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado, Ashley Battersby was anxious to take to the course for her chance at another win. She unfortunately took a tumble on her first run while going for a switch 720 on the last jump after being pushed a bit too far down the landing by the wind, causing her to over rotate. She then came back on her second though, with a 270 out of the a-frame rail and a 270 out of the flat bar, followed by a nice 540 over the first jump and checked enough speed to land the switch 720, allowing her to take sixth place.

Ashley Battersby. Photo: Rocky Maloney

Photo: Trevor Woods

In fifth place was Keri Herman, who didn't get quite as technical on the upper rail section as some of the other ladies, but unleashed a simply beautiful cork 540 on the first jump into a switch 540 over the last.

Keri Herman. Photo: Trevor Woods

Photo: Rocky Maloney

Kim Lamarre took fourth by starting her run off with a disaster 270 on the down box followed by a 270 out of the flat bar into a 540 on the first jump and a gigantic and motionless zero spin over the second. Unfortunately she took a bad fall on her second run and slide into one of the TV monitors, but is reportedly okay. She's one tough cookie.

Kim Lamarre. Photo: Rocky Maloney

Fresh off her win at FIS World Championships in Park City Utah, Anna Segal was hungry for another first place finish. She began with a switch-up over the box gap into a 270 out of the a-frame rail, followed by a switch 540 into a flat 360 on her first run. On her second, the talented Aussie stepped it up by changing her flat 3 to a flat 5, allowing her to score another podium by taking third place.

Anna Segal. Photo: Rocky Maloney

From slopestyle to pipe and back to slopestyle again Devin Logan scored back-to-back second place finishes here at the Winter Dew Tour. With a 270 out of the flat bar into a beautiful cork 720 followed by a big rodeo 540, Devin continued her amazing year with a score of 85.00.

Devin Logan. Photo: Rocky Maloney

Photo: Ben Kuhns

And the winner of the 2011 Dew Tour Toyota Championships in women's ski slopestyle is Kaya Turski. After taking gold at X Games and second at FIS World Championships, Kaya was on the hunt for for the top spot once again and succeeded in her quest today. After linking together a couple of switch-ups on the top rail features into a 270 out, she then capped off her run with a switch 540 into a big 540 over the final table. Staying solid on all of her landings gave Turski the edge, and put her back on her familiar stomping grounds...the top of the podium.

Kaya Turski. Photo: Rocky Maloney

After the ladies it was time for the top 12 men to take center stage for the final ski competition of the 2010/2011 Winter Dew Tour. As the event began the wind managed to calm down just a bit, but the guys were still going massive over the tables. However Elias Ambuhl just couldn't seem to get enough speed to clear the first one, and took a nasty crash on both of his runs.

Elias Ambuhl. Photo: Trevor Woods

Dane Tudor put together a nice run with a 450 out of the flat rail into a left 900 and followed it up with a right dub cork 1080, but was a bit sketchy on his landings, causing him to finish in 11th with a 55.50.

Dane Tudor. Photo: Trevor Woods

Sequence: Ben Kuhns

McRae Williams also put together a very solid run with a misty 450 off of the a-frame, and followed it up with two technical double corks, a right dub cork 900 into a switch left double 1080, but struggled in the same fashion as Tudor and finished with a 65.00 in 10th place.

McRae Williams. Photo: Rocky Maloney

Following a month off due to a shoulder blade injury, Tom Wallisch was once again back in action today. T-Wall always likes to keep it technical on the rails, and did so today with a switch-up to pretzel 450 out of the up-flat box into a misty 450 out of the launch rail. Continuing into the jumps Wallisch put down a switch right 1080 into a switch left dub cork 1080, but couldn't step things up on his second run, and finished off the day in ninth place with a 69.50.

Tom Wallisch. Photo: Trevor Woods

The only competitor of the day without a double cork in his run but who more than made up for it with his stylish rails and jumps was none other than Phil Casabon. B-Dog launched a 450 out of the launch rail into a right 900, and finished off with a switch left 1080, allowing his unparalleled style to help score him a 79.00 and the eighth place position.

Phil Casabon. Photo: Trevor Woods

Photo: Rocky Maloney

For the first time in three weeks, Sammy Carlson couldn't find his way to the podium today. After taking an uncharacteristic fall on the first rail feature during his first run, Carlson then cleaned things up on his second go around with a 630 off the launch rail into a dub cork 900 and finished off with a switch dub 1080, which saw him finish the day in seventh.

Sammy Carlson. Photo: Rocky Maloney

The always aggressive JF Houle started off his run with a big disaster 450 to the first rail feature, and shined brightly on the jumps by linking together a left dub cork 1260 into a switch right dub cork 1080, allowing to finish in sixth just behind Jossi Wells.

JF Houle. Photo: Rocky Maloney

During the eldest Wells' run the multi-talented Kiwi put down a creative and make or break trick on the second feature by taking off the right lip and throwing a disaster 270 over the to the a-frame rail. He ended up struggling a bit on his first run though but put it together on his second to climb up the leader board, eventually finishing in fifth place.

Jossi Wells. Photo: Ben Kuhns

Your 2011 Dew Cup Ski Slopestyle Champion is Bobby Brown. Unfortunately B-Brown just missed the podium today (which doesn't tend to happen too often) by finishing in fourth after connected a left dub 1080 into a right dub 1080, but his overall accumulation of points on this season's Winter Dew Tour was more than enough for him to add the Dew Cup to his ever-growing trophy case.

Bobby Brown. Photo: Trevor Woods

Photo: Rocky Maloney

Congrats Bobby! Photo: Rocky Maloney

Russ Henshaw found himself on another podium today with switch on to 360 switch-up over the gap feature into a 450 out of the up-flat box, and then showed off some of the biggest dubs in today's competition with a left dub cork 1080 into a right dub cork 1260, helping him snag the third place spot.

Russ Henshaw. Photo: Rocky Maloney

After McRae Williams took 10th, his fellow Park City locals Joss Christensen and Alex Schlopy took the top two spots today. After taking top honors in both the Last Chance Qualifier and prelims, Joss had all the momentum in the world going into finals. Putting together an amazing run that began with a switch-up over the gap to pretzel 270 out, into a switch on pretzel 270 out of the a-frame, Joss then roared in switch to the flat bar and did a switch lip to 450 out, followed by a switch right 1080 on the first jump and a switch left dub 1080 on the second. His first run was awarded with a high score of 92.00, which launched him into first place until Schlopy took his last crack at the course.

Joss Christensen. Photo: Rocky Maloney

Joss is once again a Boss. Photo: Rocky Maloney

After winning X Games big air gold and FIS World Championships, Schlopy is getting use to being on top and continued his winning streak today with an amazing showcase of technical slopestyle shenanigans. After killing the upper rail section with a 360 switch-up over the gap feature, Schlopy took it to the jumps with a left 900 double grab into a switch dub 1080 on his first run, and stepped things up with a switch 1440 on his second. The judges approved, and gave him the highest score of the day with a 94.50 and the top of the podium at the final stop of the 2010-2011 Winter Dew Tour.

Alex Schlopy. Photo: Rocky Maloney

Schlopy with his winning smile. Photo: Rocky Maloney

This concludes our coverage of the Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championships and the entire 2010-2011 Winter Dew Tour. Congratulations to all of the winners, and be sure to check out the event later tonight on the USA Network. Until then, we'll see you at next year's Winter Dew Tour, and a big thanks goes out to Alli Sports for once again putting together such an awesome series of events.

Joss Christensen (2nd), Alex Schlopy (1st), Russ Henshaw (3rd). Photo: Trevor Woods

Results

Men

1) Alex Schlopy - 94.50
2) Joss Christensen - 92.00
3) Russ Henshaw - 87.50
4) Bobby Brown - 85.00
5) Jossi Wells - 84.00
6) JF Houle - 82.00
7) Sammy Carlson - 80.75
8) Phil Casabon - 79.00
9) Tom Wallisch - 69.50
10) McRae Williams - 65.00
11) Dane Tudor - 55.50
12) Elias Ambuhl - 16.00

Devin Logan (2nd), Kaya Turski (1st), Anna Segal (3rd). Photo: Trevor Woods

Women

1) Kaya Turski - 89.50
2) Devin Logan - 85.00
3) Anna Segal - 79.25
4) Kim Lamarre - 68.25
5) Keri Herman - 65.50
6) Ashley Battersby - 61.75