Fri, Dec 13 2013 7:00 pm | Comments
Jaime Anderson wins first Olympic qualifier: Dew Tour Women’s Slopestyle
Part Of The Five Stops To Sochi Series Presented by MammothBreckenridge, Colorado was ground zero today as the battle to make the US Olympic Snowboard Team kicked off with the USSA-sanctioned 2013 Dew Tour womens slopestyle finals. Among the international field were US riders Jordie Karlinksi, Jessica Jenson, and Jamie Anderson who dropped in hoping to get one step closer to a qualifying for spot at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
There was a lot on the line for the US women, but the event was also a glimpse at the other riders from around the globe looking land on the podium in Sochi. Gathered at the start tent were heavy hitters Enni Rukajarvi (Finland), Silje Norendal (Norway), Isabel Derungs (Switzterland), Aimee Fuller (England), and Sarka Pancochova (Czech Republic).
With the exception of the rainbow rail and battleship rail that looked like throwbacks to the early 2000s, the course build was solid. Women’s slopestyle has been steadily progressing over the past few years and gone are the smaller women’s takeoffs that used to cling to sides of the men’s jumps. Now, as the level of women’ riding has risen, the playing field has been leveled.
The weather always adds another element to the mix however, so with uphill winds gusting at the bottom of the course and deep shadows creeping over many of the features, the ladies strapped in for their two runs—with the highest counting—and made the most of it.
After a round of falls for most of the pack on the first run, by the second the ladies had pulled it together and scores leapfrogged as riders one-upped each other.
Jamie’s winning runIn a do-or-die moment after falling on her first run Jamie Anderson put down a solid line including a back lip, Cab 720, frontside 360 shifty, and backside deep into the landing of the last jump. Enni’s second runSilje’s second run
Jamie Anderson now leads in the US women’s slopestyle snowboard team rankings, followed by Jessika Jenson, and Jordie Karlinski
Results1. Jamie Anderson (USA)
2. Enni Rukajarvi (Finland)
3. Silje Norendal (Norway)
4. Isabel Derungs (Switzerland)
5. Jessika Jenson (USA)
6. Jordie Karlinski (USA)
7. Amiee Fuller (England)
8. Sarka Pancochova (Czech Republic)
TAGS: aimee fuller, breckenridge, Dew Tour, Enni Rukajärvi, Five Stops To Sochi, Isabel Derungs, jamie anderson, Jessica Jenson, Jordie Karlinksi, Mammoth, Photos, Sarka Pancochova, Silje Norendal, Slopestyle
