Sunny, but not necessarily warm weather oversaw the slopestyle qualification day, here at the Orage Euopean Freeski Open by Swatch. While the wind picked up steadily throughout the day, so did the level of riding. However, the event was running slowly due to unforeseen circumstances, and heat four will take place tomorrow morning. But there were still three men’s heats and one women’s heat of slopestyle mayhem to be had today at Laax.

Freeskier got its first look at the course today, and things started off with a doozy. The super steep drop in of yesteryear was just as steep, but bumpy now. That drop in goes right into a guitar-box feature. You’ll see, just check the pictures, it’s hard to explain, but it’s a guitar-box-sliding-feature. Then, looking as out of place as a camel in Colorado, there were two halfpipe hits, which had a lot of slopestyle competitors scratching their heads on what to do with it. Followed by three traditional tabletop jumps, the course then finished with a C-box sponsored by Giro goggles.

Roughly 100 men and 20 women were throwing down throughout the day,.. some doubles, lots of cork 900s and switch 1080s. But music was blaring and the emcee was chatting all day, informing competitor and viewer alike on what the happenings were. The familiar voice of Luke Van Valin, however, is absent and leaving a void that cannot be filled. But Euros and North Americans alike, with a few from the South Pacific, threw down their best for the judges in hopes of meeting the pre-qualified pros in the semi-finals on Friday.

Stay tuned for more detailed and in-depth slopestyle action on Friday. But tomorrow, halfpipe qualifiers action is on the docket, so stay tuned for that tomorrow.

Men’s Heat 1 Results

1) John Strenio
2) Laurent Demartin
3) Mike Riddle
4) Matt Soundy
5) Thomas Krief
6) Thomas Bamier

Men’s Heat 2 Results

1) Fridtjof Fredricsson
2) Joss Christensen
3) Elias Ambuhl
4) Bobby Brown
5) Vegard Øye
6) Yvan Metrailler

Men’s Heat 3 Results

1)Matt Margetts
2) Elvis Harsheim
3) Erik Hughes
4) Thon Halvard
5) Markus Eder
6) Matt Philippi

Women’s Results

1) Eva-Maria Patscheider
2) Whitney Wickes
3) Lena Stoffel
4) Roz Groenewoud
5) Keri Herman
6) Katrien Aerts