Day 4 - Orage European Freeski Open by Swatch
Posted Mar 21st 2009 12:28PM by Mike Nick - 6 comments
- Average rating 10.00 of 2 ratings
L to R: Tom Wallisch, Henrik Harlaut, Thomas Dolplads
It's funny how life repeats itself. What's even funnier is how I find myself saying the same things about the weather in Laax year after year. But what makes it all worth it is that it always improves, and true to history the sun gods blessed us again today for the finals of men's and women's slopestyle at the Orage European Freeski Open by Swatch. Semi Finals went off without a hitch, all 12 women were given a pass to the finals and on the men's side 48 athletes battled their way through two heats of cut throat action.
With no room for error some of the heaviest names in the field had their hopes of a run in the finals cut short. With guys like Anders Backe, Bobby Brown, Matt Philippi, Tanner Rainville, Mike Riddle, Andreas Hatveit, PK Hunder, Oscar Harlaut, Colby West and AJ Kemppainen not making the cut, the finals were sure to be a show down between the who's who of you know who's... the dopest, most bad ass park slayers in the game.
For the ladies 12 femme fatales dropped in for two runs each with three making their way to the top of the pack.
2/3 womens slope podium
Flying the Quebec flag singing Je Me Souvien was Kaya Turski from Montreal, Canada.
Kaya on the Volkl guita
With a huge lead over the rest of the competition Kaya spread the gap between first and second with a solid 9.4 point lead. Slaying every feature in her path Kaya boosted 3's in the two hitter pipe combo'd up with a switch 7, switch five, and right side 5 on the last kicker.
Eva-Maria Patscheider
Holding down the second spot was Breckenridge's own, Keri Herman and rounding out top three was Austrias Eva-Maria Patscheider.
Simon Dumont
Thomas Dolplads in the middle of a double cork 1080
Second place went to steeze master Tom Wallisch who threw 5's and 3's in the pipe into a switch right 9, rodeo 9, and followed by a switch 10.
Tom Wallisch rides pipe.
But when it came down to it, Henrik Harlaut was not to be outdone. Already Sitting in first place at the end of the first run and with only Tom Wallisch left to drop in after him, Henrik had only one thing left to do... one up his own score to guarantee himself victory.
Henrick Harlaut
In his second attempt Henrik stomped the dong out of his run laying down a five to a lofty straight air in the pipe, a right side 7 to a double cork 12 followed by a switch 10... followed by a short walk to the top of the podium.
Harlaut again, starting the winning run
So in the end, a two part qualifier split by bad weather allowed over 100 riders to throw down and show the world what most of them cannot do... the Orage European Freeski Open brought to Laax Resort the best riders in the world, some who rode the way we've come accustomed to seeing them ride, others who encountered uncharacteristic challenges once the final bell rang. And now we have one day left, one final event... Super pipe.
Don't miss it.
This guy will definitly be there
Photos: Cody Lynge
;)
It's funny how life repeats itself. What's even funnier is how I find myself saying the same things about the weather in Laax year after year. But what makes it all worth it is that it always improves, and true to history the sun gods blessed us again today for the finals of men's and women's slopestyle at the Orage European Freeski Open by Swatch. Semi Finals went off without a hitch, all 12 women were given a pass to the finals and on the men's side 48 athletes battled their way through two heats of cut throat action.
;)
Thon Halvard throwing down in semi-finals
;)
Matt Philippi
With no room for error some of the heaviest names in the field had their hopes of a run in the finals cut short. With guys like Anders Backe, Bobby Brown, Matt Philippi, Tanner Rainville, Mike Riddle, Andreas Hatveit, PK Hunder, Oscar Harlaut, Colby West and AJ Kemppainen not making the cut, the finals were sure to be a show down between the who's who of you know who's... the dopest, most bad ass park slayers in the game.
;)
Jossi Wells
For the ladies 12 femme fatales dropped in for two runs each with three making their way to the top of the pack.
2/3 womens slope podium
;)
Flying the Quebec flag singing Je Me Souvien was Kaya Turski from Montreal, Canada.
Kaya on the Volkl guita
;)
With a huge lead over the rest of the competition Kaya spread the gap between first and second with a solid 9.4 point lead. Slaying every feature in her path Kaya boosted 3's in the two hitter pipe combo'd up with a switch 7, switch five, and right side 5 on the last kicker.
Eva-Maria Patscheider
;)
Holding down the second spot was Breckenridge's own, Keri Herman and rounding out top three was Austrias Eva-Maria Patscheider.
Simon Dumont
;)
For the dude's side we saw some very interesting results. Simon Dumont went bigger than everyone else in the pipe, but three left side spins from top to bottom may have played a factor in his 9th place finish.
;)
Phil Casabon
PK Hunder who won the overall dew tour was not able to make finals and got rocked when he sketched a switch take off and took it straight to the dome on the deck of the jump. Joe Schuster suffered a case of boot to ski interface malfunctions and lost a shoe on both of his final runs. Phil Casabon, who wasn't scheduled to compete due to broken ribs, seemed to have no problem getting in the top ten.
B-dog at the "prize giving"
Bubble Boy, Matt Margetts, has permanently put an end to his nick name taking 1st place in qualifiers and walking away with a 5th place finish overall.
PK Hunder who won the overall dew tour was not able to make finals and got rocked when he sketched a switch take off and took it straight to the dome on the deck of the jump. Joe Schuster suffered a case of boot to ski interface malfunctions and lost a shoe on both of his final runs. Phil Casabon, who wasn't scheduled to compete due to broken ribs, seemed to have no problem getting in the top ten.
B-dog at the "prize giving"
;)
Bubble Boy, Matt Margetts, has permanently put an end to his nick name taking 1st place in qualifiers and walking away with a 5th place finish overall.
;)
Matt Margetts
Taking home the number three spot was Thomas Dolplads from Norway who laid down a solid run stomping a flare into an air to fakie in the pipe and a switch right 9, double cork left ten into a left side 9 on the jump line.
Thomas Dolplads in the middle of a double cork 1080
;)
Second place went to steeze master Tom Wallisch who threw 5's and 3's in the pipe into a switch right 9, rodeo 9, and followed by a switch 10.
Tom Wallisch rides pipe.
;)
But when it came down to it, Henrik Harlaut was not to be outdone. Already Sitting in first place at the end of the first run and with only Tom Wallisch left to drop in after him, Henrik had only one thing left to do... one up his own score to guarantee himself victory.
Henrick Harlaut
;)
In his second attempt Henrik stomped the dong out of his run laying down a five to a lofty straight air in the pipe, a right side 7 to a double cork 12 followed by a switch 10... followed by a short walk to the top of the podium.
Harlaut again, starting the winning run
;)
So in the end, a two part qualifier split by bad weather allowed over 100 riders to throw down and show the world what most of them cannot do... the Orage European Freeski Open brought to Laax Resort the best riders in the world, some who rode the way we've come accustomed to seeing them ride, others who encountered uncharacteristic challenges once the final bell rang. And now we have one day left, one final event... Super pipe.
Don't miss it.
This guy will definitly be there
;)
Photos: Cody Lynge
Average Rating:
10.00 of 2 ratings
My rating:
N/A
Comments
Posted By
lift op productions!
kibs.
Mar 21st 2009 at 12:40:22pm
yea e dollo!
attorv
Mar 21st 2009 at 1:18:55pm
where's d video???
Davidk
Mar 21st 2009 at 3:01:44pm
sick update, stoked on twalls and henrik killin it, but we need some footy!
ccmountain
Mar 21st 2009 at 6:03:36pm
Sounds sick. Nice pics and write up too.
Kevski$
Mar 22nd 2009 at 12:30:32am
dank
fujitive_13
Mar 23rd 2009 at 4:21:58pm
