NZSkier.com - Magazine, Video, Web

6th August 2010

Once again this year, the Volkl NZ Freeski Open earned its reputation as one of freeskiings most progressive events as both the men and the women unveiled new tricks and combinations never before seen in competition.

 
Russ Dub Corking his way to Gold

Australias Russ Henshaw captured the mens slopestyle title with clean, back-to-back double corks, the first a left-side double cork 1080 followed by a right-side double cork 12 in a dramatic final at Cardrona Alpine Resort Friday.

 
Bobby Brown coming in a close 2nd

This is the first time in a slopestyle competition that weve seen back-to-back double corks, said Kiwi judge Dion Newport. The level of riding was higher than at the X Games and just keeps progressing.

Henshaw narrowly defeated runner-up Bobby Brown of the US, the defending Volkl Freeski Open slopestyle champion and X Games Gold medallist, even though Brown was the only rider in the competition to throw a switch double misty 1260.

Third place went to Gus Kenworthy of Telluride in the US. Kenworthy combined a double cork 1260 and a switch double cork 1080.

 
Kim Lammare zero spinning to Gold

On the womens side, the judges were wowed by the performance of Canadas Kim Lamarre, who despite earlier crashes nailed her final run, executing a difficult switch zero spin off the big 75-foot kicker.

We knew Kim was a great skier, but she pulled out an incredibly difficult trick by going off the main kicker switch with no spin and landing it perfectly, said Newport. She separated herself from the rest of the field today.

Lamarre was followed by Australias Anna Segal in second. Segals run featured a switch 540, a flare and 720. One of the youngest of the top women riders, Canadas Megan Gunning, placed third.

The top Kiwi on the mens side was Taylor King, who finished 14^th. Byron Wells did not progress past the semis but is more focused on his specialty event, the halfpipe, scheduled for Saturday (tomorrow).

The top Kiwi women were Mikey Austin, who finished fifth and Kate Hartley, who was sixth.

Men's Podium - Bobby Brown 2nd, Russ Henshaw 1st, Gus Kenworthy 3rd

Women's Podium - Anna Seagal 2nd, Kim Lamarre 1st, Meg Gunning 3rd