Schiller, Deschenaux Rule US Open Slopestyle and Big Air

Newcomers and established pros alike threw down in an unprecedented field of competition at the 2004 Nature Valley U.S. Freeskiing Open, held last weekend in Vail, CO.

In the slopestyle competition, Tanner Rainville of Vermont edged out Tanner Hall for third place with a run that included spins on and off rails, a cork 5 mute, fakie cork 7, and a fakie cork 9. Henrik Windstedt, meanwhile, captured his first major podium in North America with smooth fakie 7s and a fakie 10 on the bottom booter. But the real winner of the day was Armada am TJ Schiller, who snagged the gold with two huge 270 disasters, a cork 5 mute, fakie 900, and a 1080. In the women's field, Norwegian Grete Eliassen dominated with huge 540s and 720s, while other female competitors demonstrated the progression of women's freeskiing with spins onto rails and technical and stylish airs. Virginie Favre snagged second and Ali Van Dorn rounded out the top three. NS Clothing rider Denise Jaworsky took seventh.

Schiller took his game to the subsequent Big Air competition and duked it out with Mickael Deschenaux in the final head-to-head, best of three format, throwing two fakie 1260s and a fakie 1080. But Mickael's signature style prevailed in his enormous switch 9 and 10 true tails. Meanwhile, Jon Olsson and Peter Olenick duked it out in the consolation round. Mike Wilson's huge "Wilson flip," something like an underflip to misty, seemed to be unbeatable, but he failed to stick it twice facing Pete Olenick's fakie 1080 in the round of eight.

Final results
Men's slopestyle
1. TJ Schiller
2. Henrik Windstedt
3. Tanner Rainville
4. Tanner Hall
5. Stefan Thomas
6. Rory Bushfield
7. Austin Remaley
8. Josh Bibby
9. Rex Thomas
10. Laurent Favre
11. Tyler Forman
12. Jon Olsson

Women's slopestyle
1. Grete Eliassen
2. Virginie Favre
3. Ali Van Dorn
4. Marie Martinod
5. Beth Fletcher
6. Kristi Leskinen
7. Denise Jaworksy
8. Lisa Solberg
9. Nadia Kaliscewski
10. Jess Cumming

Men's Big Air
1. Mickael Deschenaux
2. TJ Schiller
3. Jon Olsson
4. Pete Olenick

More coverage to come!