This season’s slopestyle contests have proven to show huge progression in the sport at each event, and this past weekend was no exception. Throwing down a switch up on the DFD, rodeo 7, a 900, and ending on a switch 7 to score an 85.00, eighteen-year-old Boudreau won at Mt. Bachelor. Second place went to Connor Bennet with an 84.00, and in third place with a 68.00 was Robby Franco. 

“Oh man, I can’t believe I won,” said Boudreau. “Getting to ride the Winter Dew Tour course is going to be awesome!”

The Gatorade Free Flow Tour’s first event at Jackson Hole produced 49 of contenders, where 17-year-old Gorham earned the victory and a trip to the Finals in the men’s slope division with his second run and a score of 80.33. His run, which consisted of a right seven tail, left seven mute, followed by a 360 gap over the trapezoid box landing switch into a switch on 270 out on the flat down rail, topped runner-up Ian Hamilton, who earned a 76.00, and third place finisher Leo Zoberski, who came away with a 74.00.

Using a disaster 450 on the flat down rail, 270 out of the legacy feature, a cork 9 sausage tail, switch 9 mute, and a rodeo 540 mute, Hibbs earned the win this week in Killington with a 92.00. Alex Beaulieu-Marchand took the second spot with an 89.00, and Benoit Gendron rounded out the podium in third place with an 87.00.

This marks Hibbs’ second year as a Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finalist, competing in 2010 after his win at Loon Mountain.

Sunday hosted the weekend’s superpipe contests. Mammoth Lake’s 18-year-old Kasten took the pipe win at Mount Bachelor, earning an 85.00 with a boosty run that included three 540’s, two 9’s, and an alley oop 5. Carson Lettouilie and Hunter Visser took the second and third place spots, with finals scores of 78.50 and 64.75 respectively.

“Utah is going to be sick!” said Kasten. “I can’t wait for the Finals.”

Ferreira, a 16-year-old from Aspen, produced a top score of 85.00 with his run. Charging the Jackson Hole pipe, his run put him ahead of Corey Jackson, who came in second place with an 84.00, and Broby Leeds, who finished in third place with a 79.67.

In a highly competitive field of freeskiers, Daniel Rosenblum took home his second win of the season in the Killington pipe, freshly used by the pros at last week’s Winter Dew Tour. The 20-year-old’s run played out with a big right 900, left 540, and an alley oop flat 540, earning the most points with an 88.75. Coming in second place and taking the trip to the Finals due to Rosenblum’s repeat win, was Cody Vavolotis’ 86.25, and in third was the 81.75 earned by Beaulieu-Marchand.

“Another week, another win,” said Rosenblum. “Now I’d love to earn a spot in slopestyle!”
With their wins, the six freeskiers earn an automatic bid into the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals that will take place at the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, February 10-13, 2011 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah.

Saturday and Sunday, January 29-30, 2011
Mount Bachelor, Ore.

Freeski Slopestyle
1. Tanner Boudreau, Hood River, Ore. 2. Connor Bennett, Bend, Ore. 3. Robby Franco, Placerville, Calif. 4. Lucas Wachs, Bend, Ore. 5. Hudson Knoll, Hood River, Ore.

Freeski Superpipe
1. Clint Kasten, Mammoth Lakes, Calif. 2. Carson Lettouilie, Reno, Nev. 3. Hunter Visser, Canada. 4. Hudson Knoll, Hood River, Ore. 5. Luchas Wachs, Bend, Ore.

Saturday and Sunday, January 29-30, 2011
Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Freeski Slopestyle
1. Alex Gorham, Stowe, Vt. 2. Ian Hamilton, Mizzoula, Mont. 3. Leo Zoberski, Ogden, Utah. 4. John Leonard, Dallas, Tx. 5. Boby Leeds, Vail, Colo.

Freeski Superpipe
1. Alex Ferreira, Aspen, Colo. 2. Corey Jackson, Jackson, Wyo. 3. Broby Leeds, Vail, Colo. 4. John Leonard, Dallas, Tx. 5. Tucker Mead, Jackson, Wyo.

Saturday and Sunday, January 29-30, 2011
Killington, Vt.

Freeski Slopestyle
1. Will Hibbs, Jericho, Vt. 2. Alex Beaulieu-Marchand, Canada. 3. Benoit Gendron, Canada. 4. Kristaps Thompson, Canada. 5. Sam Parker, Marblehead, Mass.

Freeski Superpipe
1. Daniel Rosenblum, Stamford, Conn. 2. Colby Vavolotis, Rehoboth, Mass. 3. Alex Beaulieu-Marchand, Canada. 4. Gideon Les Gros, Jackson Hole, Wyo. 5. Cooper Babbitt, Rutland, Vt.

The winners in each of the 54 contests (30 slopestyle and 24 superpipe) will be flown to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place in conjunction with the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, February 12-13 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah. Encompassing the “Flow to Pro” theme that is the cornerstone of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, the two overall snowboard superpipe and slopestyle champions and the overall freeski superpipe and slopestyle champions will earn a spot to compete against the pros at the first stop of the 2011-12 Winter Dew Tour the following season.

2011 REGISTRATION

All competitions are open to both male and female amateur competitors 21 and younger for all freeski and snowboard disciplines. There is a $20 entry fee, and all participants under the age of 18 must bring a parent or guardian to the event to sign a liability waiver. Contest registration forms, waivers and detailed information are available ahead of time at www.gatoradefreeflowtour.com.

Gatorade Free Flow Tour

The Gatorade Free Flow Tour, the official amateur series of the Winter Dew Tour, holds competitions at resorts across the country throughout the month of January and February, providing a platform for amateur freeskiers and snowboarders to showcase their skills. The winter leg of the Tour consists of 10 regional events across the U.S., featuring freeskiing (superpipe and slopestyle) and snowboarding (superpipe and slopestyle). The winners of each regional event earn a trip to compete in the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals held in conjunction with the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, Feb. 10-13, 2011 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah, and the overall champions in the four disciplines automatically earn a spot to compete against the pros in the first stop of the 2011-12 Winter Dew Tour. Gatorade’s partnership with the Free Flow Tour began in 2009, and its presence and commitment to uplift amateur freeskiers and snowboarders and provide an extended platform to grow action sports enabled the creation of the winter season of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour. Fuel TV broadcasts select coverage of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, and Allisports.com will be the home of all digital content and Tour information. More information can be found at www.gatoradefreeflowtour.com.

Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports

Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, is a global business that encompasses national and international action sports tours and events, multimedia production, and a consumer-facing lifestyle brand. The Alliance includes: the Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, King of Wake series, and the Gatorade Free Flow Tour; Alli Productions, which creates original content, produces and presents content with partners, and distributes Alli content through a variety of channels. Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks. More information can be found at www.allisports.com.

Gatorade

The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), provides sports performance innovations designed to meet the needs of athletes at all competitive levels and across a broad range of sports. Gatorade Thirst Quencher® is backed by more than 40 years of research and is scientifically formulated and athletically proven to quench thirst, replace fluids and electrolytes, and provide carbohydrate energy to enhance athletic performance. The company’s product portfolio is built around the G Series™, a 1-2-3 approach to athlete nutrition and hydration before (Gatorade Prime 01™), during (Gatorade® Perform 02 and G2® Perform 02), and after (Gatorade Recover 03™) training or competition. For more information, please visit www.gatorade.com. PepsiCo offers the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries. With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.