Bobby Brown on his performance today.
Bobby Brown, Teen Heartthrob, has done it again. After upping the ante on a first run crash, Bobby, the final competitor to drop today, took the lead from fellow Red bull teammate Elias Ambühl. By winning the slopestyle here in Killington, Brown has now won a Winter Dew stop in each of its three years, and takes his second consecutive Winter Dew podium this season. Elias Ambühl, who has never stood on a Winter Dew Tour podium, held the lead after his first run for the entire competition until Brown's final run. The youngest competitor in the field, Nick Goepper, rounded out the podium in third place. This was his first Winter Dew podium as well. The top three runs are as follows:
Bobby Brown – 270 on the down rail, back swap 270 off the gap box, switch on, 630 off the cannon box, switch double rodeo 900 japan on the first jump, double cork 1260 on the second and a switch righside double rodeo 900 on the final jump.
Elias Ambühl – 270 on the down rail, 360 switch up to 270 out on the gap box, cork 630 off the cannon, double cork 1260, switch rightside double cork 1080 on the second jump to switch double cork 1080 on the final jump.
Nick Goepper – lipslide 270 on the down rail, backside 540 switch up on the gap box, cork 630 off the cannon box, leftside 900, switch double cork 900 on the second jump to double cork 1260 on the final hit.
Elias Ambühl, switch double cork 1080.
Fourth place Alex Schlopy had an interesting day. Being yesterday's bubble boy, he was the first athlete to drop in today. Unfortunately, the camera men weren't ready, missing half of his run, thus disallowing the judges to see his run, rending it void. A cleanly landed run that didn't count, Schlopy was hurried back to the top to take a re-run, which he crashed on. Completely unfair, the camera man should give money out of his or her own wallet to give to Schlopy in some sort of reparations. Fortunately, Schlopy's 2nd run, which included a left 900, switch double wobble 1260 to double cork 1260, landed him in fourth, just off the podium.
Elias Ambühl
JF Houle, who had a near fall his first run, put his double cork 1260 tail to use to snag fifth place. Henrik Harlaut and his massive rodeo 1080 and switch double cork 900 (and stylish tail press) was good enough for sixth. Yesterday's top qualifier, Russ Henshaw, who put down a switch 900 to left double cork 1080 to rightside double cork 1260, couldn't pique the judges curiosity enough to move him out of seventh place. Henshaw, once again, misses the podium with a podium-worthy run.
L-R: Elias Ambühl, Bobby Brown, Nick Goepper
McRae Williams, who electrified the crowd with a switch 900 to rightside double flatspin 900 to switch double cork 1080. Unfortunately, he was cleaning it up on his second run, but went down on that double flatspin move. Aleksander Aurdal's switch misty 900 to double cork 1080 will surely get his name more known in this country. Alek's countryman Andreas Håtveit went down hard his first run, but cleaned things up the second go 'round to put himself in the top 10.
Sammy Carlson, the lone competitor hitting the gap to down-flat rail (he was 450ing on) couldn't land a clean run, thus ending his bid for a second consecutive podium. And the Breckenridge winner, Alexis Godbout, sustained an undisclosed knee injury during practice after over-shooting the second jump. Hopefully it isn't anything too serious and the Quebecois is back in action soon.
Nick Goepper, Switch rodeo 540
With Alexis not competing and Sammy falling back in the pack, Brown emerges on top of the budding Dew Cup ranking, with Elias trailing in second and Alexis sitting in third. Will Brown grab a third straight podium in Snowbasin to take the Cup? Or will Elias come from behind and shock the field? Stay tuned for Snowbasin.
Brown, who was already sitting in 1st place on the AFP Slopestyle rankings, will cement his lead, but will he overtake Simon Dumont for the overall World Title ranking? Russ Henshaw will likely stay in 2nd on the sloepstyle list, but will Elias bump up to 3rd? Check out the AFP Current Rankings page to find out.
Sammy Carlson
This concludes the incredibly chilly Winter Dew Tour stop in Killington, VT. All the competitors are off to Aspen, CO tonight or tomorrow to get things started at Winter X Games 15. We'll see everyone there! Thanks to Killington, Alli Sports, all the sponsors and most importantly, all the athletes for their hard work this week.
Slopestyle Final Results:
1. Bobby Brown — 93.75
2. Elias Ambühl — 91.75
3. Nick Goepper — 88 .25
4. Alex Schlopy — 87.50
5. JF Houle — 84.75
6. Henrik Harlaut — 80.50
7. Russ Henshaw — 80.00
8. McRae Williams — 76.50
9. Aleksander Aurdal — 70.25
10. Andreas Håtveit — 70.25
11. Sammy Carlson — 55.25
12. Alexis Godbout — DNS
Thumbs up, Bobby Brown
Video Recap
