Sebastien Toutant claims top honours in men’s Slopestyle Final at 2012 Burton US Open
Canada’s Sebastien Toutant claimed the men’s Slopestyle title at 2012 Burton US Open that continued at the Stratton Mountain in Vermont on Friday, March 9.
The phenomenal performance during Friday’s slopestyle final also served to earn him the highest spot on the overall Burton Global Series podium while also bringing him the first Ticket to Ride (TTR) World Snowboard Tour slopestyle title of his career, one
of the most prestigious honours in snowboarding.
The 6Star Burton US Open, final event of the 2011/12 TTR season, had attracted talented riders from all around the globe to compete for the coveted prize on offer and to prove their mettle against the best on one of the biggest stage of snowboarding.
The 19-year-old Toutant had exhibited a superb form throughout the course of the TTR season, taking the podium on a number of occasions.
Making his way to Stratton Mountain to continue his campaign for the TTR Slopestyle title, the Quebec-based rider found himself pitted against an intimidating competition field that included Belgium’s Seppe Smits and Norway’s Ulrik Badertscher.
Successfully passing through the qualifying round and the Semi-final, Toutant made his way into the sixteen-man final to take on Badertscher, Smits, Eric Willet, Hans Mindnich and Emil Ulsletten in a battle for the coveted event title.
The Canadian rider failed to make much of an impact in his first two runs, but managed to put it together in Run 3. His winning run comprised of a hard-way 270 backside lip-slide to fake in the top rail section, a Cab 1260 melon grab and front-side double
cork 1080 mute in the jumps, a front-side wall-ride to 270 out and a 50-50 to backside rodeo melon grab nose-bone off the cannon in the jib section at the bottom of the course.
The spectacular run scored a decisive 92.00 to put him from 16th place to the top of the podium.
Talking to a reporter after the Final, Toutant said, “It was definitely tough: In my first two runs I couldn't put down the Cab 12. But I stomped my last run and finished first in the end, so it's actually a good day.”
The 23-year-old Badertscher secured runner-up place after scoring an 81.90 off his best run.
Smits rounded out the podium after scoring a 79.05 off his third run that comprised of a half Cab on to backside 360 out on the top rail, a backside 900 and Cab 1260 on the jump sections and a 180 to wall-ride to 180 out before capping off the run with a
front-side board-slide 450 out.
“It was pretty harsh today and conditions weren't really easy,” Smits said, glad to be on the podium in second place despite several falls of his own. “I was having trouble landing my first couple of runs and I was having trouble in training as well, so
in run three I just wanted to lay one down and have fun with it.”
Mindnich and Emil Ulsletten rounded out the top-five after scoring a 78.70 and 78.45 off their best runs.
The final slopestyle event of the 2011/12 season lived up to the hype that surrounded it and delivered a satisfying dose of thrilling action.
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