Spencer O’Brien emerges triumphant in women’s snowboard slopestyle Final at Breckenridge
The first stop of the 2011-2012 Winter Dew Tour, Nike Open, saw Canada’s Spencer O’Brien walk away with top honours from women’s snowboard slopestyle Finals that went down at the Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado, America, on Sunday, December 18.
Finishing in second place was Finland’s Enni Rukajarvi, whereas the young gun from Czech Republic Sarka Pancochova secured third position to round out the podium.
The 23-year-old O’Brien had put on an impressive show during the Semi-final to make the Finals’ cut, where six of the most in-form riders were to battle it out for the highest spot on the podium.
The former Winter Dew Cup women champion left the crowd stunned with her performance during the Final. While the rest of the riders struggled to even reach the 80.00-point mark, O’Brien went over it in two of her runs. Her winning run, in fact, earned her
a decisive 90.75 to seal the fate of the Final in her favour.
O’Brien’s winning run comprised of a front board on the down rail, followed by a front lip on the next rail, back 540 melon, switch back 540 mute, 50-50 back-side 180, switch back-side 180 mute, front-side 720 indy.
The Canadian rider had made her return to the Winter Dew Tour after missing the event last year due to injury. Delighted with the way things had turned out for her this year in Breckenridge, O’Brien said, “I battled back from a separated shoulder so I actually
missed this event last year. It feels so good to come back here and win because this was my first professional win, so it’s kind of like home a little bit.”
The 21-year-old Rukajarvi remained quite impressive during the Final as well to secure runner-up place after earning 79.50 points off her best run, which featured a board-slide 270, tail press, back 540, cab 540, 50-50, front-side 720 and a back-side 360.
Finishing in third place was the 21-year-old Pancochova, despite a shoulder injury sustained during practice. The Czech Republic-based rider landed a run that comprised of a front 360 stale-fish, back 720, switch-back 180 and a front-side rodeo 540 to post
a 72.00 on the score-board.
During her post-Final interview, an ecstatic Pancochova said, “I was really happy just to do my run because I got a little bit hurt in practice. I fell on my shoulder that I had surgery on, and it’s not feeling really great right now. I was like, ‘Should
I do it or should I not,’ and I decided to do it. I’m really stoked I did it.”
America’s Jamie Anderson failed to make an impact during the Final after looking quite shaky during both her runs. Scoring a 59.25 off her best run, she finished in fifth place.
With two more stops to go in the 2011-2012 Winter Dew Tour, one can safely assume that the action will only increase in intensity as the top riders from across the globe pursue glory. The Tour is scheduled to make its next stop in Killington, Vermont, in
January next year.
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