The podium: Justin Dorey, Kevin Rolland, Torin Yater-Wallace
Kevin Rolland has done it again. He's won his fourth X Games gold medal in a row. He's won his fourth event in a row this year. And he's done it in front of a hometown crowd here in France. Super Kevin dismantled the pipe with the same precision he's been using all year, taking gold with his first run of the night. Justin Dorey, last year's bronze medalist, upped his medal count by one tonight by landing the first switch double flip 1080 in halfpipe competition, as well as boosting the rest of his run. And young Torin Yater-Wallace grabbed his second consecutive X medal with a technical run of his own. The top three runs:
Byron Wells comments on the night.
Kevin Rolland – Kevin kicks things off with a pipe double 900 mute, as we've come to know. Shifting technical gears he throws an alley-oop flatpsin 360 to set up his switch 900 to switch rightside 720 combo. Finally, he ends it with a double cork 1260. Cue the adoring French fans. Watch Kevin's run here.
Justin Dorey – Justin drops a very large double cork 1260 to get the blood flowing. He follows that up with a rightside 900 into a rightside alley-oop flatspin 540. After that, Bonesaw uses another alley-oop flatpsin, this time the 360 variation, to set up the now historical switch double flip 1080. The first to be landed in pipe comps. Watch Justin's run here.
Torin Yater-Wallace – Torin starts off with a pipe double 900, then he immediately goes into back-to-back 900s. Then out comes the alley-oop double flatspin 900. Then the 1080. Then the switch alley-oop 720. Give the 15-year-old another medal. Watch Torin's run here.
Simon Dumont clearly holding back on this double cork 1260's amplitude.
Just off the podium was Simon Dumont, who was holding nothing back tonight. It didn't look like Simon would be content with 2nd or 3rd, he was gunning for top spot. His double cork 1260, right 900, pipe double 900, and alley-oop 720 are well-known and very large. But tonight, he took out the switch 720 and put in a switch double flip 1080. Unfortunately for Dumont, all three of his switch double attempts were just a little south of perfect, docking him just enough to stay off the podium. The Dumont has a taste of the switch double, which means perfection will not be far off.
Sarah Burke comments on Superipipe finals.
Thomas Krief, who was a late replacement for Mike Riddle (who was hurt in practice, but has injured nothing serious), took the fifth spot, with his pipe double and double cork 1260 helping in no small part. Duncan Adams and his unorthodox yet stylish and quite eye pleasing run was good enough for sixth. In a world full of double flips and big spins, Duncan's right 720s, switch straight airs and switch alley-oop spins are a nice refresher.
Justin Dorey floating his way to silver.
After not landing the first two of his runs, Jossi Wells decided to join the switch double flip club (in competition. Jossi is credited with the first switch double flip executed in the pipe). Coming up a tad short on the switch double knocked Jossi down to seventh place. And rounding out the finals was David Wise, who couldn't keep his feet under him tonight. His big amplitude and even bigger tricks just got the best of him tonight, as they do to all competitors from time-to-time.
With the men's Superpipe finals in the books, Euro X is officially half over for the skiers. The pipe jocks can look forward to cheering on the slopestyle men tomorrow and the superpipe women on Friday afternoon.
There were a few people there. (~22,000)
And with the ending of another major competition, how will the AFP be shaken up? We're nearing the end of the season and every point counts. For full rankings, check out the AFP World Rankings page.
2 Justin Dorey — 90.00
3 Torin Yater-Wallace — 88.00
4 Simon Dumont — 87.00
5 Thomas Krief — 85.00
6 Duncan Adams — 78.66
7 Jossi Wells — 71.66
8 David Wise — 68.00