Monster Energy's Jamie Anderson Takes Top Spot In Snowboard Slopestyle At Mammoth Grand Prix, Podladtchikov Wins Halfpipe At Laax
Monster Energy congratulates Jamie Anderson on her win at the US Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain on Saturday. Adding another victory to her trophy chest as women’s slopestyle all-time winningest snowboarder, Anderson cruised to victory as Olympic hopefuls gunned it out under stormy skies and snowy slopes.
Though some may have seen today’s victory as just another Grand Prix win for Anderson, whose hall of fame resume reads far beyond her youthful 27 years, it was in fact as significant as any win in her career, providing the all important momentum needed to sustain her dominance in this critical Olympic season.
While many of the women were having trouble keeping speed through the course due to heavy snowfall that accumulated in past days, Anderson who has been competing at this level for over a decade used her experience as much as anything to take the win. Early on it was apparent that any washed landing or slip-up would make clearing the jumps at the bottom of the course difficult, if not impossible. With that, Anderson understood it would not be her most progressive run that proved effective, but her cleanest.
Going easy up top with a stylish backside lip-slide followed by a clean front board down the kinked rail, she then pumped for speed as she cleaned up the upper rail section with an awesome frontside boardslide-to-270-off as she floated 20-plus feet down the transition.
Contrary to most other riders, at this point Anderson had only gained more speed for the impending final jumps and in turn popped a backside 180 of a unique side-hit feature setting her up switch for a flawless cab 540 underflip. With such a clean landing she again pumped for speed, flattened her base and sent a huge frontside 360 deep into the landing of the final hit.
Holding her heart and hardly containing her elation one could sense that this run would not be topped as Anderson unstrapped in the corral at the bottom of the course.
Normally this is not a run that would win a major contest like the Gand Prix, but snowboarding is all about adaptation and it’s the opinion of many that the mark of truly great rider is one who excels in all conditions — not just perfect ones.
Awarded a score of 84.10, Anderson took the win with ease as most riders failed to land a solid run at all.
Though Anderson had enough tour points to unofficially make the team weeks ago, today the announcement was made official by the US Olympic Committee: Jamie Anderson will represent the United States at the XXIII Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea February 9th - 25th, 2018. With the world watching, will Anderson defend her gold medal win in 2014 in Sochi, Russia in the inaugural women’s snowboarding slopestyle event?
Monster Energy also congratulates Iouri Podladtchikov on his victorious run today at the Laax Open in snowy Switzerland. The last qualifying contest before the Winter Olympics, the win proved pivotal for Podladtchikov, who, if you remember, won the gold medal in the halfpipe four yeas ago at the Sochi Games in Russia. Today’s win not only landed him a spot on the Swiss team, but also added a measure of confidence to the rider internationally known as “IPod.”
With wild weather descending on the Swiss Alps in recent weeks, the charming mountain town of Laax was transformed into a snow globe as powder accumulated not in inches, but in feet in recent days. So much snow fell in fact that the slopestyle portion of the contest was cancelled altogether after three days of unsuccessful attempts to hold the event. Luckily, Saturday the snowfall eased enough to allow the halfpipe competition to commence.
Though flurries still lingered and with compromised visibility, riders adjusted their style to accommodate the challenging conditions. That said the pipe was still pristine as crews worked tirelessly to provide the best course possible. For Podladtchikov however, who lives just a couple hours away in Zurich and considers Laax his home mountain, adaptation came easily and the atmosphere was electric as the rowdy Swiss crowd cheered their countryman on.
Wasting no time, it was Podladtchikov’s first run that proved victorious as the goofy-footed rider came at the pipe with a ferocity we have not seen from the 29-year-old in some time.
Firing down the lookers left side of the pipe, Podladtchikov dropped in eyeing the frontside wall of the 22-foot pipe before unloading a massive frontside 900 tailgrab. His next hit he opted for the backside version of the 900, which in essence was a set up for back-to-back 1080 double corks — the first a frontside, the second a cab with a mute grab. Impressive as it was, the most spectacular trick in his run he saved for last. Still carrying a ridiculous amount of speed, he tucked low approaching his frontside wall and unleashed an alley-oop double backside rodeo 900 — the only one seen in the competition.
All smiles, a visibly overjoyed Podladtchikov unstrapped at the bottom of the pipe and waited for his score. After a moment of deliberation the judges awarded his run an astonishingly high 90.50.
“You know I spend so much time here it’s very close to my heart to finish on top,” said Podladtchikov following the victory, adding, “It’s a very emotional event for me.”
With less than three weeks to go until opening ceremonies in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the win puts Podladtchikov on top of his game both physically and mentally — a gift of untold value as the world will no doubt be watching as he looks to defend his title in snowboard halfpipe at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
