Both the Ski and Snowboard Big Air competitions at X Games Aspen have always been fan favorites -- with one massive hit, the world’s best jumpers and a loose, jam-session format, some of the biggest tricks on snow get done, often for the first time ever.
The snowboarders were featured Friday night, with defending gold medalist Mark McMorris expected to do big things along with close friend and 2012 silver medalist Torstein Horgmo. After their first runs were in the bag it looked like they’d own the night, but it was Ståle Sandbech who stole the spotlight with smooth, stomped backside triple cork 1440s, leading through most of the jam.
In fact, he waved off his final run, feeling confident his gold-medal position would hold. In his final run however, Horgmo nailed the insane switch backside triple cork 1440 he had been attempting most of the night and rocketed into first place.
McMorris followed immediately with a cab triple cork 1440, pushing Sandbech further down into the bronze position. Horgmo and McMorris traded their 2012 X Games Aspen medal positions, with both obviously stoked on how the night had gone. Seppe Smits landed just off the podium in fourth, while Sebastien Toutant made the Final but took a few hard hits and finished in sixth.
Ski SuperPipe Final
The big story of the Ski SuperPipe Final was gold medalist David Wise’s first-in-competition back-to-back double cork 1260s, but the feel-good moment happened when 12-time X Games Aspen veteran Simon Dumont moved on to the podium with his final run.
Dumont, who blew out his knee at X Games Tignes back in March 2012, had a long road back to the snow and was even skiing with a broken wrist -- and therefore no poles -- in Aspen. He blasted over 19 feet out of the pipe on a leftside double cork 1260 mute to start his third run.
Aspen local Torin Yater-Wallace earned silver with an exciting run that included a rightside double cork 1260 mute, an alley-oop double flatspin 900 Japan, a double flatspin 900 Japan, a leftside 1080 true tail, and a switch rightside 900 mute.
Ski Slopestyle Elimination
Unfortunately, Russ Henshaw was forced to pull out of Elimination on Friday morning after injuring his knee, but Bobby Brown and Nick Goepper stepped up to make the cut in fourth and seventh, respectively. They’ll pull out their best moves for the Final on Sunday; check the broadcast schedule to see how the remaining two days of X Games Aspen stack up.
Follow Red Bull and #RedBullWXG on Twitter for the latest from X Games Aspen.
EDITORS' CHOICE:
- Levi LaVallee earns Snowmobile Freestyle gold to open X Games Aspen
- Check out photos of Red Bull athletes from day one of competition
- Watch the live web cast of Red Bull Crashed Ice Saint Paul on Saturday, January 26
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