Wanaka teenager and
rising ski star Jossi Wells proved he is up there with the world’s best
after taking first place in the slopestyle event at the NZ Free Ski
Open today at Snow Park NZ.
Canadian Kaya Turski, who is also a pro rollerblader, picked up the winning title for the women’s slopestyle event. Wells
(16), who is now New Zealand’s top freestyle skier, displayed an
outstanding performance at today’s event, including a switch 720 double
nose grab (rotating twice and holding onto the front tips of his skis
before landing), a switch 630 (rotating one-and-three-quarter times)
before landing successfully on the rail, as well as a switch 1080
(three rotations). “Everything
he did was so smooth and so easy. Jossi’s improved so much this year.
Last year, he was good, but he didn’t quite have the tricks to take out
the big guns. But now, he’s proved he’s one of the world’s best,” Open
head judge Jake McCleary said. Wells
said his winning run was one of the best he’d ever had. “I’m aiming for
the world scene, and this definitely a great competition with lots of
international riders. Every little step counts.” Turski
(18), has been freestyle skiing for a year-and-a-half. Her winning run
included a cork 540 mute grab (spinning one-and-a-half times off axis,
grabbing the front of one ski with the opposite hand). She also
successfully pulled off a switch 900 (rotating two-and-a-half times)
and attempted a switch 1080 - a world-first in women’s free skiing, but
unfortunately her ski came off on landing. “The
standard of competition was unbelievable – we were blown away with
today’s event. Competitors were all throwing down as hard as they
could,” McCleary said. The
slopestyle course, designed by Snow Park NZ slopes manager Frank Wells,
began with a quarterpipe-style drop-in, down to a custom Snow Park NZ
stair feature. Skiers then approached a gap-to-snow box, before moving
to a 14m jump, followed by an 18m jump. They completed the course by
hitting a flat-down rail and a jump-to-down box, which is the latest
craze in free skiing slopestyle and makes for spectacular tricks, such
as 900 and 1080 rotations. The
NZ Free Ski Open is the southern hemisphere’s largest event of its
kind. With park and pipe events now completed, the next stage of the
competition the
Volkl Big Mountain prelims, which take place at Treble Cone on Friday
August 18. The finals will be held at Treble Cone on the first
following fine weather day.
Results:
Womens 1. Kaya Turski (CAN) 2. Tori Beattie (AUST) 3. Anna Segal (AUST)
Mens 1. Jossi Wells (NZ) 2. Russ Henshaw (AUST) 3. Alexis Godbout (CAN)
Images: Photo credits: Camilla Stoddart/NZ Free Ski Open
The slopestyle course at Snow Park NZ, which the riders were calling one of the best competition courses they had been on.
Kaya Turski (Canada) coming off the jump-to-down box with a switch 360.
Jossi Wells completes a switch 900 tail grab with perfection.
Jossi Wells mid-way through a switch 630 onto the down rail.
-ends- August 16 2006
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Published by
ski.colonies.com: 7:26 PM
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