Frenchman Loic Collomb-Patton today won the NZ Free Ski Open’s K2

Superpipe event for the second consecutive year, while New Zealand halfpipe champion Pip

Simmonds took the title for the women.

 

The southern hemisphere’s largest event of its kind kicked off

today at Snow Park NZ with 45 men and women pushing their limits on the massive

150m long halfpipe, impressing judges and wowing audiences throughout the day.

Collomb-Patton (19), who placed second at the 2005 FIS Halfpipe World

Championships, stomped a clean switch 1080, while rising Kiwi star Jossi Wells (16), of Wanaka, proved once again how

good he is by taking second place against a world-class field including

X-Games gold medalist Simon Dumont (USA), and a host of other international

riders.<!--

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<p><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">Simmonds (29), who placed 10<sup>th</sup> at the prestigious US Open

this year, spends her time divided in Mammoth, California, as well New Zealand.

She dominated the women’s field with performing a clean switch 540

(coming in backwards, rotating one-and-a-half times, and landing backwards).

“I didn’t think I was going to win, so I’m stoked,” she

said.</span></font></p>

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<p><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">NZ Free Ski Open head judge Jake McCleary said the standard of

competition was extremely high: “There were so many free skiers that were

so good, it made it really hard to judge. If the standard of the competition

stays this high, then we have got one of the best competitions in the

world.”</span></font></p>

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<p><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">NZ Free Ski Open event director Gerald Davies said the first day of the

competition had gone extremely well, with competitors happy. “The

conditions were perfect, the halfpipe was in great shape and the riders were

performing some great tricks. The facilities at Snow Park NZ are world-class.

It certainly kicked off what will be an exciting competition over the next few

days.”</span></font></p>

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<p><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">Tomorrow’s event is the Slopestyle, also at Snow Park NZ. The Volkl

Big Mountain prelims take place at Treble Cone on Friday August 18 with the

finals on the first following fine weather day.</span>",1]

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Simmonds (29), who placed 10th at the prestigious US Open

this year, spends her time divided in Mammoth, California, as well New Zealand.

She dominated the women’s field with performing a clean switch 540. “I didn’t think I was going to win, so I’m stoked,” she

said.

 

NZ Free Ski Open head judge Jake McCleary said the standard of

competition was extremely high: “There were so many free skiers that were

so good, it made it really hard to judge. If the standard of the competition

stays this high, then we have got one of the best competitions in the

world.”

 

NZ Free Ski Open event director Gerald Davies said the first day of the

competition had gone extremely well, with competitors happy. “The

conditions were perfect, the halfpipe was in great shape and the riders were

performing some great tricks. The facilities at Snow Park NZ are world-class.

It certainly kicked off what will be an exciting competition over the next few

days.”

 

 

Tomorrow’s event is the Slopestyle, also at Snow Park NZ. The Volkl

Big Mountain prelims take place at Treble Cone on Friday August 18 with the

finals on the first following fine weather day.<!--

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<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><b><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold">Results:</span></font></b></p>

<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><b><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold"> </span></font></b></p>

<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><b><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold">Womens:</span></font></b></p>

<ol styleu003d"margin-top:0cm" startu003d"1" typeu003d"1">

<li styleu003d"text-align:justify"><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">Pip Simmonds

(NZ)</span></font></li>

<li styleu003d"text-align:justify"><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">Janina Kuzma

(AUST)</span></font></li>

<li styleu003d"text-align:justify"><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">Manami

Mitsuboshi</span></font></li>

</ol>

<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt"> </span></font></p>

<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt"> </span></font></p>

<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><b><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold">Mens:</span></font></b></p>

<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">1. Loic Collomb-Patton

(FR)</span></font></p>

<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">2. Jossi Wells (NZ)</span></font></p>

<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman"><span styleu003d"font-size:12.0pt">3. Simon Dumont (USA)</span></font></p>

<p styleu003d"text-align:justify"><font sizeu003d"3" faceu003d"Times New Roman">",1]

);

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Results:

 

Womens:

Pip Simmonds

(NZ)Janina Kuzma

(AUST)Manami

Mitsuboshi

 

 

Mens:

1. Loic Collomb-Patton

(FR)

2. Jossi Wells (NZ)

3. Simon Dumont (USA)

Jossi bones out a cork 5 mute on his way to second place. (p: Camilla Stoddart/NZ Freeski Open)
Loic Collomb-Patton performs a breathtaking feat of athletic ability! (p: Camilla Stoddart/NZ Freeski Open)
Is this tail grab really worth inclusion in the official press release? Wait, it's Paddy Graham - of course it is! (p: Camilla Stoddart/NZ Freeski Open)