[This article was written live and may still be being edited]
Mammoth always struggles with the weather for it's annual World Cup, this year was no different with another finals being cancelled, yesterday's halfpipe. Slopestyle got lucky, with men's qualifications being pushed to this morning - an hour so before finals - and the women skipping qualies altogether. A small weather window opened up to squeeze finals in today before Mammoth gets hit with another snowstorm tonight. For the ladies, speed was the issue from start to finish, which meant we didn't get as good a display as we would have hoped. The men struggled less with speed and threw some bangers down in this 2-run final. Here's what happened.
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Women's
Run 1
The ladies struggled for speed in run one, things seemed to be a bit slow and variable so we didn't see many big spins on the jumps. Sarah's run had some signature rail tech, back-to-back switch 2s - left to switch and right to regs. Her jumps were mellow, 5, switch 5 and cork 3. Mellow by her standards but she said the course was running slow - conditions changing quickly. It would be interesting to see how this affects the full comp. Jay Riccomini also struggled for speed on the jumps, their switch 2 on the flat down and misty 4 off the canon rail was super nice. Jay closed out their run with a nice cork 7 blunt. Rell Harwood - baggiest pants award - had some nice rails, switch 2 pretz and a switch lip FS to regs - she was undone on the jumps, also appearing to struggle. Bailed on her left 9 blunt on the 'money booter.' Gullia laced a front swap front 2 on the top tube but would scratch her run due to jump speed... I think I know where this is going. Gotta love a live stream of a ski event when they choose to put ads through a run... Olivia Asselin kicked things off with a butter super fed, her other rails were clean but less tech, she put down a bolts rodeo 5 high safety... lost the speed for jump 2 then overcooked jump 3, going down hard but getting up quickly. Anni Kavara skied the rails with the most steeze. Mathilde didn't have the issues anyone else seemed to have, putting down a fast and clean run: front swap front 2, switch 2 to regs front 4 on the rail section. Her jumps were left 5 lead blunt, switch left 5 no grab - speed issues - and then her signature rodeo 9 safety. Worthy of a preliminary first place. Amelie Cancel lost a pole mid-run posing a new question to FIS, if you lose a pole halfway down and still finish without it do you get docked points?
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Run 2:
A tailwind was now present for the ladies having struggled with speed in run 1. Unfortunately for Sarah Hoeffiln her rails didn't watch up to her first run efforts but her jumps were bigger and better, she would likely keep her run 1 score. Shoutout to Sarah for giving us conditions updates from the bottom of the run. It's tough to see out there apparently. Jay wouldn't beat their first run score, falling on the final jump. Rell would lose a shoe on rail one as well. Guillia Tanno cased the final jump really hard and looked to come off worse for wear here. Olivia's run lacked the cleanliness we expect from here, but she managed to put down all her jumps this time - a strong effort in these conditions. Anni Karava also struggled to put down a clean run in run 2, Mathilde opted to pull out of the jumps, probably a wise move with the conditions as they were and the bails we'd seen so far. Eleanor Andrews, on WC debut, laced FS front to to switch left to regs, followed by a blind 4 out of the cannon, right 5 to left cork 7 to left cork 7 mute for her final run, she scored a 61.20 and put herself in second above Jay and behind Mathilde. Not bad for a first World Cup appearance. Amelie Cancel was another victim of the conditions, going down on the last jump.
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GOLD: MAthilde Gremaud
Silver: Eleanor Andrews
Bronze: Jay Riccomini
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Full Results
Men's
Run 1
The men struggled less with the speed. Oliwer Magnusson opening things up put down a full run with nice rails, switch 2p2 switch left 450 off and a 270 continuing 4, his jumps comprised a right dub 12 safety, switch left dub 14 and a left dub bio 14 with an iffy landing that docked some points. Fabian Boesch got caught up on the rails and would scratch this run. Ulrik Samnoy put down a super clean run, capped off with a dub 16 capped blunt on the final jump, his switch left 2 pretz 4 on the flat down was steezed out with a look back. He scored less than Oliwer somehow but there it is. My stream did stream things right before A Hall dropped so I had to go off intermitted commentary to figure his run out, opening things up with a switch Tokyo drift to k-fed with and back swap p2 in there. He fell on his cork 10->9 things. It continued to fuck around but I found out this was also direct on YT and things cleared up.
Ben Barclay went into the lead, lacing an 810 out of the cannon and a dub misty 1440 off the money booter to take first place from Seb Schervje. Tormrod Frostad had one of the most stylish runs going, including a switch tail 2 pretz 4 and a cork 630 off the canon but fell on the second jump. Andri Ragettli came up short trying a left 4 continuing 4, his kit was much less outrageous than the X Games. Jeremy Gagne skied loose but had some insane rails, 630 on continuing to on the DFD and a cork 630 off the canon that was loose but had the potential to be some of the best rails of the day. The Colby stepped up, super Ray Fed to 450 to regs, brutally clean. Getting sent by the tailwind and going deep on his jumps, left NB dub 12 lead Japan to both ways switch dub 14s, left with a dub Japan and right with a mute, this earned him a top spot with 82.40. Matej's run lacked the cleanliness to contend but he continues to do mad shit we're calling that butter thing a Baron Flip now apparently, with a Japan. Birk Ruud had an incredible run on the go, left 2 continuing k-fed on the flat tube and a cork 630 blunt out of the canon rail, he just went too big on his switch 14, that he could have gone to 16 on - his planned trick - andlew up on the landing but this run would be a serious contender for the W. Mac's rails had BS continuing 450, switch 2p2 and a 270 continuing 630, switch right dub 10, switch left dub 12 closing things out with his dub 10 variation that is brought back to 900. This earned him second after 1, with Ben behind him and Colby in the driver's seat.
Run 2:
Oliwer Magnusson looked to clean things up, but some iffy landings and a missed grab would mean his first run score would hold. Fabian Boesch would come up short on his second jump after a strong rail section. Speed was now clearly affecting everyone. A Hall put it down when it matterd, Tokyo drift 2 on, one of the best Ray feds I've ever seen in competition on the DFD, a tapped out 2 on continuing 2 - best rail section of the day in terms of creativity and style. His jumps went, left dub 12 lead Japan, switch left dub 12 Japan, and his signature right dub 10 bring back to 900 - 86.66 and first. He seemed relieved not to have to ski the course again, a testament to the difficult conditions. Troy Podmilsak squiffed some rails so mellowed out his jumps to save the body and soul. Ben Barclay would not move out of 4th. Konnor Ralph had both way 4s in his rail section, left continuing 4 and right 4 pretz K-Fed, right at the end of the rail, his jumps had both left 14s and a right dub 16 but he wouldn't trouble the podium. Seb Schervje had a beautiful cork 810 lead Japan out of the canon rail but a lack of technicality on the jumps kept him off the podium. Tormrod Frostad suffered a similar fate, a beautiful switch 2 pretz 4 on the DFD but not enough technicality or cleanliness to challenge the top spots.
Andri 'mellowed' out his rails from run 1 to make sure he could make it to the jumps, still had both way 4s. He closed his jumps out with a left dub12 lead tail and a switch right dub misty 1660 double mute - has anyone noticed that he has the smallest poles of anyone in the field? This was enough for 83.75 and second place behind A Hall. Colby Stevenson stepped up his jumped, lacing a left dub 16 lead Japan followed with back-to-back switch 14s, left then right, his super Ray fed and 4 onto the DFD were money, this earned 84.88 and bumped him up into 2nd. Birk's rails weren't quite as clean as his first run, but he completed the jumps this time around. Mac Forehand somehow managed to hold onto his switch left 2 P4, rivalling A Halls pedal, he just about held onto his dub 10 to 9 variation. Everyone seemed to be saying "Thank God that's over" at the end of every run it was not quite enough to enter the podium and he'd end up in 4th. Luca dropped last, his switch lip continuing blind 2 screamin' semen was lovely, a right triple 1620 and both-way 14s wasn't quite enough to break into the top spot. Claiming 4th.
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GOLD: Alex Hall
Silver: Colby Steveson
Bronze: Andri Ragettli
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Full Results
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Full Replay
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