Gatorade Free Flow Tour Mt High/Jackson Hole

Words & photos by Alli Sports

Despite weather threatening slopestyle events at both Jackson Hole and Mt. High last weekend, freeski contestants at the Gatorade Free Flow Tour proved nothing could stand in their way of giving their top performance in their quest to flow to pro. Out west, it was Noah Wallace who earned the freeski win while in the snowy Tetons, Ian Hamilton held the freeski high score.

 
After pushing the contest back a day due to rain and high winds, the Mt. High slopestyle contest went off with blue skies and sunshine Sunday morning. The skiers took to the well-tended park, where Wallace stomped a run with a right nine, switch left seven and switch right nine, following stylish domination of the rails. A repeat contestant in the Tour, Wallace will make his first trip from Spokane, Wash. to the Finals in Snowbasin, Utah. Coming in second was Chris Verrue, while Alek Hackel snuck into the third place spot.


“I’ve entered a bunch of Gatorade Free Flow comps in the past and always got second or third,” an excited Wallace said after his victory run. “I’m so psyched to win today and get the trip to Utah for the Finals!”
 
Hamilton earned his second trip to the Finals Sunday, with Hamilton advancing from Jackson Hole. Versatility and constant unseating of the leading amateur made decisions hard for the judges, but in the end he earned the trip out to Utah over Noah Morrison and Max Heard, who placed second and third respectively.

 
With their wins, the two earn automatic bids into the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals that will take place at the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, February 9-12, 2012 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah.
 
 
The winners in each of the 14 contests (8 slopestyle and 6 superpipe) will be flown to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place in conjunction with the Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championship, February 12-13 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah. Encompassing the “Flow to Pro” theme that is the cornerstone of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, the overall freeski superpipe and slopestyle Champions will earn a spot to compete against the pros at the first stop of the 2012-13 Winter Dew Tour the following season.