Kevin Rolland continues to dominate pipe at Nike Open
The French free-skiing phenom Kevin Rolland continued to assert his dominance in the pipe discipline by clinching a comprehensive win in men’s SuperPipe finals at the Nike Open, first of three stops on the 2011-2012 Winter Dew Tour, which took place at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado, America, on Saturday, December 17.
The Canadian talent Justin Dorey put on a striking performance to secure runner-up place, whereas America’s Duncan Adams gave his local supporters plenty of excuse to cheer their lungs out as took the last remaining spot on the podium through an admirable effort.
The defending Dew Cup champion, the 22-year-old Rolland, made his intentions evident during his very first run of the finals. He had come to the event to win and had no plans of settling for anything less than that.
As the 12-man final got underway, a number of solid runs were landed, with America’s Gus Kenworthy leading the pack with an 87.50-point run. However, the spotlight shifted from Kenworthy to Rolland as he dropped in the pipe for his first run.
Opening with a switch 900 to a switch right-side 720, the Frenchman stunned the crowd with back-to-back double McTwists before pulling off a massive doubly cork 1260. The run carried him into the lead with 94.50 points.
As none of the 11 riders managed to beat Rolland’s score during their second run, the fate of the final got decided in the latter’s favour, giving him the perfect start in the latest Winter Dew Tour.
During his post-final interview, an ecstatic Rolland said, “I'm so happy to win this. I didn't compete [last weekend] at the Grand Prix because I was a bit hurt, my neck was hurt, and now I feel really great. That's why I was preserved for this comp.”
Things had not gone too well for Dorey during his first run in the finals, but the Canadian made a superb comeback during his second run to grab runner-up spot on the podium. His best run featured a smooth double cork 1280, right 900, alley oop 540, alley oop flat 360 and a switch double.
“It feels amazing to put down a run in my first contest of the year, regardless of what it is,” said a beaming Dorey. “I’m happy with my switch dub. I finally grabbed it and landed it on top of my feet, and wasn’t backseat. That’s a first for me.”
The Breckenridge local, Adams, pushed Kenworthy off the podium with a really impressive second run, which earned him 88.00 points. It turned out to be the second podium finish for the young free-skier in two weeks.
America’s Simon Dumont competed in the final despite an injured hand, which caused him to land his runs without the use of poles. The handicap kept him from making a solid impact and forced him to settle for 10th place.
Rolland had once again proved to be a formidable force to be reckoned with in the pipe, forcing his competitors to realise that they needed to do come up with something special to offer a challenge to the Frenchman for top spot on the podium.
The next stop of Winter Dew Tour, Pantech Invitational, is scheduled to take place in Killington, Vermont, in January next year.
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