Gu Takes Another Halfpipe Win In Calgary

Eileen Gu, 18-year-old ski superstar secured her third halfpipe win at Snow Rodeo, adding to her hot streak of four straight World Cup wins this season. Here's what you need to know:

Despite a host of complications getting to the FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup competition in Calgary, including losing her passport and forgetting her phone charger, Gu picked up her second halfpipe win on December 30, by stomping an impressive score of 96.80, the site of her very first halfpipe World Cup win two years ago.

As competition heated up, the temperatures plummeted throughout the week as Western Canada's lingering weather pattern dished up bitterly cold temperatures. On Saturday, the weather pattern shifted, the temperatures rose, and the persistent chinook winds that Calgary is known for rolled in.

For Saturday's competition, after a disappointing first run, Gu levelled up her second run, despite the powerful winds. She kicked off with her signature right 540 Buick to left 540 double Japan combo, Gu then put down a right 720 tail, a switch left 360 Japan, a left alley-oop flat 540 Japan, and then a right alley-oop flat 540 safety.

The Chinese-American scored 92.80 and secured her third win in three World Cup halfpipe competitions so far this season, edging out Candian Rachael Karker with 89.40 and 17-year-old Hanna Faulhaber in third place with 88.60 points.

Eileen Gu revealed: “I’m super, super happy, I’ve been saying that the biggest thing for me is getting competition experience, especially with people like Rachael (Karker) or Cassie (Sharpe) in this field, who I look up to so much. So to just be in this field and do my best is what I always strive for.”

With the final halfpipe competition on the 2021/22 World Cup season coming up next week in Mammoth, Gu has now all but locked up what should be the first crystal globe of her young career, as her 300 points put her 80 ahead of Karker’s 220 and almost entirely out of reach.

Elsewhere in the Men's halfpipe, Canadian Brendan Mackay secured the top spot ahead of, USA’s Alex Ferreira, with Canadian Noah Bowman, third.

Alex Ferreira once again earned second place with Hanna Faulhaber taking third in the second nighttime final at the Snow Rodeo FIS Freeski halfpipe World Cup at the Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. The U.S. Freeski Team athletes, both hailing from Aspen, Colorado, are on a streak, with Ferreira four-for-four on the podium and Faulhaber making it three in a row.

Hanna Faulhaber kept her podium streak going to earn third place Saturday night. This podium finish follows on her second-place World Cup finish on Thursday night and her third-place finish at the Dew Tour.

Faulhaber earned her top score of 88.60 on her final run after the wind let up. Her run included a lofty straight air tail grab, into left and right side flair safety grabs, a left side 720 safety, into switch right 360 Japan, finishing with a left 900 tindy.

Faulhaber along with the rest of the field struggled against the wind, “It was definitely a little terrifying—definitely felt it on a few hits, but you realize on one wall you have to pop more and the other you have to pop a little less and hope for the best. But yeah, all the ladies threw down.”

As for her current podium streak, Faulhaber said, “It’s unreal to be honest, I still can’t believe it’s happening. It’s always been a dream of mine and I’ve looked up to these ladies forever and to be competing and to be on the podium it’s just unreal.”

While sub-zero temps were a factor in Thursday’s night-time pipe finals, Saturday’s night finals were affected by 40-mph gusting winds blowing across the pipe bringing warming temps, but chaotic conditions. The wind settled down in time for the third run, which is when we saw the highest scores of the night.

Then ten man final included six Americans, which speaks to the depth of talent on the U.S. Team. It was a battle of young versus established skiers, and notably, Canada versus America. Alex Ferreira took full advantage of the calming conditions on his final run, to throw down two different double corks—a left dub 1260 tindy, into a right dub 1260, then going left cork 720 tail into a switch right 720 Japan, and finishing with a left 1080 tail at the bottom. And let’s not forget the signature ski pole twirl to earn second-place and a score of 90.4.

“I’m just absolutely excited to be on the podium sharing it with some great guys—Brendan MacKay and Noah Bowman are skiing out of their mind and I’m just super grateful and thankful to be up there with them,” said Ferreira. “The pipe was a bit of tough conditions especially with the wind tonight, but we all hung in there and we got it done and we’re all healthy and that’s all you really can ask for.”

As for his four-in-a-row podium streak, Ferreira said, “It’s kind of unbelievable to carry this momentum, I’m just super grateful and, going into the next month, I feel confident and excited and just having fun, so that's the best time to be skiing.”

The U.S. Team results rounded out with Dylan Ladd earning a fourth-place finish, followed by Birk Irving in fifth, Sammy Schuiling in sixth, David Wise in eighth, and Cassidy Jarrell in ninth.

Once again, Canada’s Brendan MacKay earned the top spot on the podium with a score of 93.40, and teammate Noah Bowman landed in third with an 88.