The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series kicked off today at Northstar Resort in Lake Tahoe with men’s slopestyle qualifiers. This is stop one of the two part series, the next being held in Waterville Valley in February. Athletes are vying for their last opportunity for an X games spot, AFP points and a cut of the 40k prize purse split between both events. The open entry format makes this competition great for both amateur and professional athletes alike. 

Chris Logan came out on top today with a score of 93.40 with a blind-side switch up, pretzel 270 out of the down flat down rail, 450 on, 450 off the flat bar, switch right 1080 to switch left 1260. McRae Williams came in second throwing down a huge switch double 1080. Tying for the third highest score of the day was Joe Schuster and Paul Bergeron with 91.80. 

Classic Tahoe blue bird skies were out today for qualifiers, giving the riders the best conditions to throw down. There were over 70 skiers competing for a spot into semifinals. Out of three heats, and top eight skiers of each heat (plus the two highest scores not in top eight) join the prequalified athletes for semifinals and possibly finals, which are both held tomorrow. The judges were professional skiers: Steele Spence (Head judge), Evan Raps, Mike Laroche, Omar Otte, Skogen Sprang.

Course from the top   photo: Brian Walker

The general consensus of the athletes was that the course was really well set up, and they were stoked to see a big competition in Tahoe again. The course was held on Pinball and consisted of a down-flat-down or flat down box option, Gap to flat bar or an up box option, a jump to another jump into a quarter pipe. Local rider, Matt Nelson, said that, "he’s happy to see this big of a competition held on the west coast for a change."

Skier:Joss Christensen    Photo: Brian Walker

Qualifier Results for Slopestyle

Heat 1:

1. Paul Bergeron – 91.80
2. Ben Moxham – 89.80
3. Josh Christensen – 88.40
4. Aldan Sheahan – 88.00
5. Kyle Smaine – 82.80
6. John Leonard – 79.80
7. Lyman Currier – 73.20
8. Charlie Ingalls – 73.20

Heat 2:

1. Chris Logan – 93.40
2. Nick Martini – 86.40
3. Charlie Lasser – 82.80
4. Cody Ling – 81.20
5. John Strenio – 80.20
6. Mike Mertion – 79.20
7. Maks Gorham – 78.80
8. Tim Mcchensney – 78.00
9. Kolby Ward – 75.80

Heat 3

1. McRae Williams – 92.20
2. Joe Shuster – 91.80
3. Matt Nelson – 87.00
4. Clayton Vila – 83.40
5. Karl Fostvedt – 83.00
6. David Wise – 82.00
7. Robert Walter – 76.20
8. Max Peters – 73.40
9. Jason Arens

    
Skier: Kyle Smaine   Photo: Brian Walker    

Prequalified 

1. Nick Goepper
2. Chris Laker
3. Nicholas Keefer
4. Gus Kenworthy
5. David Wise
6. Kyle Smaine
7. Patrick Baskins

Stay tuned here tomorrow evening for men's and women's slopestyle final results and Sunday for the pipe qualifier and final results.