Last night, Simon Dumont beat out three of the world’s best — Jon Olsson, Jacob Wester and PK Hunder — to take home the gold in the winner-take-all big air. Pitting two riders head-to-head, each with two jumps, the crowd would then vote on who would move on to the finals, where the same head-to-head, two jump, text-message format would determine the winner.

In the first round Jon Olsson beat out fellow Swede Jacob Wester. Jon threw down a switch double cork 900 and 1080 to Jacob’s two Kangaroo flips, and in the end, it was Olsson who prevailed. Simon Dumont dropped a double front flip and a misty 1080 to PK Hunder’s double cork 1260 and switch double cork 1260, and in the end it was Dumont who moved on by a large margin.

In the finals, Jon Olsson stuck with his switch double cork 1080s and Simon stuck with his double front flip and misty 1080 combo. And the gigantic crowd (and tv audience) texted their votes to ESPN, their collective voices (or cellular communications) willing Simon Dumont to win. And by a margin of 76% to 24%, Dumont was clearly the crowd favorite, besting last year’s big air winner, Olsson.

All in all, the riders went big, hucked top tricks and put on a show for the crowd. Almost every competitor threw out goggles or similar swag and the crowd surged with a energetic frenzy. Jacob Wester wrote, “Obama: Yes We Can,” on his chest, to get the crowd engaged in another way. Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian fame, performed for the packed crowd, while Luke Van Valin’s familiar voice wafted and soothed through the airwaves.
Stay tuned today for Men’s slopestyle elimination and finals.