FIS World Cup Halfpipe Qualification in NZ
Sat 06 September 08
The 2008/2009 season of the LG FIS Snowboard World Cup kicked off in style today with a full field of the world's top snowboarders at Cardrona in New Zealand in the halfpipe Qualification
The 2008/2009 season of the LG FIS Snowboard World Cup kicked off in style today with a full field of the world’s top snowboarders taking on the Southern Hemisphere’s largest halfpipe at Cardrona Alpine Resort in New Zealand.
Clear blue skies, no wind and crisp cold temperatures provided perfect conditions for the men’s and women’s qualifiers. There were no surprises in the first men’s heat with current top ranked FIS rider, Ryoh Aono, taking out the top spot and a secured place in the finals with the highest scoring run of the day. After a disappointing first run, he pulled out all the stops in run two, impressing judges with his trademark massive amplitude and consistently landed tricks which included frontside 7s and 9s, a back 5 and a cab 7. He is joined in the finals by Broc Waring (USA) and Kohhei Kudoh (JPN).
Heat two of the men’s put a smile on the faces of the home crowd with Kiwis Ben Stewart and James Hamilton both qualifying for tomorrow’s semi final. Top finals qualifying spot went to Kohdai Watanabe (JPN) whose second run featured a backside stale, frontside 7, cab 7, frontside 9, finishing with a backside 5. German Olympian, Christophe Schmidt, who was competing for the first time since taking a year off due to injury, qualified second with two very consistent runs while Daisuke Murakami (JPN) took the third spot for instant finals qualification in heat two.
With the six top riders going straight through to the finals, the remaining 12 male qualifiers will have to battle it out in the semi finals for a coveted spot in the finals. New Zealanders Stewart and Hamilton lead the way followed by Ben Kilner (GBR). The 2008 World Cup Halfpipe Champion, Iouri Podladtichikov (SUI), just snuck in as the last qualifier in heat two, perhaps saving his best for the semi finals and finals tomorrow.
In the women’s competition Jiayu Liu (CHN) continued her domination of the women’s competition with a convincing top qualifying score of 41.6 ahead of Japan’s Shiho Nakashima. Liu’s run was both big and technical with a good combination of spins that featured a frontside 5, backside 5, frontside 7 and a cab 3. The third women’s final qualifier was Sina Candrian of Switzerland.
The six women’s semi-finals qualifiers include Juliane Bray, who will be New Zealand’s sole female representative in tomorrow’s semi finals.
The LG FIS Snowboard World Cup concludes tomorrow (Sunday September 7) at Cardrona Alpine Resort with the semi finals starting at 10.00am and finals scheduled for 12.00pm
LG FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP HALFPIPE QUALIFYING RESULTS
MEN
Qualified for Final
Ryoh Aono (H1) JPN 44.2
Broc Waring (H1) USA 43.5
Kohdai Watanabe (H2) JPN 42.2
Christophe Schmidt (H2) GER 41.6
Daisuki Murakami (H2) JPN 41.4
Kohhei Kudoh (H1) JPN 40.9
Qualified for Semi-Final
Ben Stewart (H2) NZE 40.9
James Hamilton (H2) NZE 39.3
Ben Kilner (H1) GBR 38.9
Crispin Lipscomb (H2) CAN 38.5
Xiaoye Zeng (H2) CHN 38.4
Aluan Ricciardi (H1) FRA 37.5
Wancheng Shi (H2) CHN 36.6
Iouri Podladtchikov (H2) SUI 36.3
Ryan Rausch (H1) CAN 35.8
Roger-S Kleivdal (H1) NOR 35.0
Kazuumi Fujita (H1) JPN 34.9
Nathan Johnstone (H1) AUS 34.1
WOMEN
Qualified for Final
Jiayu Lui CHN 41.6
Shiho Nakashima JPN 38.5
Sina Candrian SUI 37.7
Qualified for Semi-Final
Soko Yamaoko JPN 36.5
Kaitlyn Farrington USA 33.5
Linn Haug NOR 33.1
Anne Sophie Pellisser FRA 33.0
Juliane Bray NZE 32.9
Lizzy Beerman USA 31.7
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