Gatorade Free Flow Tour Bachelor/Okemo/Killington

Words & photos by Alli Sports

The third weekend of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour hit mountain resorts across the country with slopestyle events at Mount Bachelor and Okemo and a superpipe event at Killington Resort. From Oregon to Vermont, the competitors came out gunning for a win and hoping to secure their spot in the Finals, taking place in conjunction with the Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championships this February in Utah. Victories went to Max Heard at Bachelor, while out East Logan Dobson and Tyler Duncan took the top spots.

Following a recent record-setting snowfall, the park at Mt. Bachelor was primed for a heavy contest. After 48 competitors were whittled down to the top ten, the freeskiers gave the judges a show as they rode the course for their trip to the Finals. Claiming the win, British Columbia’s Heard scored big with a slide to 270 out up top, a right 720 and left 900 tail on the jumps, and a killer slide to 450 out on the cannon. Throwing it down for second place was Carson Lehouillier, while Chris Verrue took third for the day.


“This made my trip from BC well worth it!” said an excited Heard. “I’m so psyched for Snowbasin.”

 
Over 2,000 miles away on the East Coast, competitors vying for their shot into the pro circuits took to the slope course at Okemo and the superpipe at Killington, freshly used by the pros at the Winter Dew Tour. With nearly fifty competitors in freeski alone, it was up to Duncan, who used consistency and smooth style to land his spot atop the podium at Okemo. Runner-up Freddie Brideweser, a former Finalist, couldn’t top Duncan’s 450 onto the stairs with a 270 out, blind 450 out of the a-frame, switch on switch off the kink rail, a switch cork 720 japan to switch bio 900 safety grab. Rounding out the podium in third was Erik Lukkari.

 
“The contest was really fun, and I’m glad the weather was nice,” said Duncan Saturday afternoon. “I’m psyched to go to Utah!”

 
Killington held a strong pipe contest Sunday, with contenders coming from all over the northeast and beyond for the contest. Freeskiers flocked to the Killington pipe, where Canadian competitor Dobson cleaned up with a first place run. Earning a close second place was Nick Rosenburger, while Ari Schneider secured a third place finish.

 
With their wins, all three contestants earn an automatic bid into the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place in conjunction with 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 two overall snowboard superpipe and slopestyle Champions and 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.


And don't forget that today is the last day to enter the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Virtual Stop Video Contest right here on Newschoolers for your chance to win yourself an all expense paid trip to Utah for the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals! Click here for your chance to win!