Bobby Brown walks away with Men’s Ski Slopestyle gold at Winter X Games Tignes 2012
America’s Bobby Brown clinched Men’s Ski Slopestyle gold at Winter X Games Tignes 2012 after putting on a spectacular performance in the Final that went down in France on Thursday, March 15.
His fellow countryman Tom Wallisch took first runner-up place to take home the silver medal while Norway’s Andreas Håtveit rounded out the podium to secure bronze.
The third edition of the European version of Winter X Games played host to the best freeskiers from around the world, offering them a stage to showcase their best tricks on a course that featured three rails and three jumps.
The 20-year-old Brown had not been in the best of forms over the last few months, but chose the right moment to step up. Pitted against a line-up of freeskiers who were nothing short of formidable, the Breckenridge-based freeskier clearly had his work cut
out for him. He had last ascended the throne at Winter X Games at Aspen in 2010 and was determined to get back on it again at France.
As the eight-man final got underway on Thursday afternoon, Brown landed a superb first run for a score of 94.00 to take an early lead. He went on to improve it even further in Run 2, which featured a switch 270 disaster onto the first rail and a pretzel
270 off, a right-side double cork 1080 mute, a switch double 1260 and a misty 450 Japan gap over the transfer rail. The phenomenal run left the crowd and judges in awe, with the latter compelled to give him a 95.00 for his remarkable effort.
With his Run 2 score holding up until the end, Brown successfully reserved the highest place on the podium for himself.
“This whole year has been kinda crazy,” said Brown after during the podium presentation. “I haven't been skiing the way I wanted. I just wanted to have a good time and ski with my friends, and that showed today. It's an awesome end to the contest year. I'm
on top with Tom and Andreas, and I couldn't ask for two better people.”
The 24-year-old Wallisch, defending Winter X Games Ski Slopestyle champion, was forced to settle for runner-up place after scoring a 93.33 off his third run that featured a switch onto the rail with a switch up 630 out, a left-side double cork 1260 mute
grab, a switch right-side double flat-spin Japan 1080 and a switch left-side double flat-spin 1080 Japan.
The Pittsburg-based freeskier was the favourite to win at Winter X Games Tignes 2012 considering his excellent run of form during the season. However, Brown did exceptionally well to break Wallisch’s winning streak this season, which included a gold medal
at Winter X Games Aspen, overall Dew Cup and the top honours at the recently concluded Mammoth US Grand Prix.
Norway’s Håtveit took home the bronze medal after landing a 92.00-poing Run 2. This was his second podium finish at Winter X Games this year, with the first one coming at Winter X Games Aspen in January.
“Those were some of the best contest runs of my life. And two X Games podiums in one year -- I can't believe it,” he said.
Men’s Ski Slopestyle at Winter X Games Tignes definitely lived up to the hype that surrounded it as the freeskiers treated the fans to a heavy dose of spectacular action.
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