fbpx

Tanner Hall qualifies first for X Games Superpipe finals

Tanner Hall qualifies first for X Games Superpipe finals

Under the (newer and brighter than ever) lights at Buttermilk, CO, 15 men descended upon the superpipe, to battle it out for the coveted eight spots for Thursday night’s finals. The pipe was hard and fast and big, and there was an air of nervousness and uncertainty in the air throughout the elimination round. Some heavy hitters like Mike Riddle and Peter Olenick took some spills, unable to move on the finals.

Tanner Hall’s double flip, accompanied by his signature smooth style and technical bag of tricks landed him in the top spot. Xavier Bertoni of France managed to spin both ways in 900s and switch 720s in his first run to secure a 2nd place finish. Justin Dorey decided to push the limits with a nearly symmetrical run of alley oop flatspin 360s, 900s and switch 720s… both ways.

Newcomers Duncan Adams and AJ Kemppainen took their creative and original runs to the bank, both qualifying. Frenchy Kevin Rolland went huge, but not as huge as Simon Dumont, as both riders advanced.

This pipe seemed to intimidate some of the competitors, due to it’s sheer size and no margin for error. And this year, the X Games only advances eight skiers, adding more pressure onto the riders. But tomorrow night will be a different story, as Tanner, Simon and co. will put on a show in skiing’s biggest night.

Men’s Top 8 Advancing Skiers:
1) Tanner Hall
2) Xavier Bertoni
3) Justin Dorey
4) Kevin Rolland
5) Duncan Adams
6) Simon Dumont
7) Colby West
8) AJ Kemppainen

*PS – Hopefully the riders like this 22-ft pipe because the X Games announced it’s home will be in Aspen until at least 2012, today.

Upgrade Your Inbox

Don't waste time seeking out the best skiing content; we'll send it all right to you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *