Tom Wallisch Wins Freeski And Spencer Obrien And Chas Guldemond Win Snowboard Slopestyle Finals At The Winter Dew Tours Wendys Invitational At Snowbasin
Ogden, Utah – January 17, 2010 – Salt Lake City-resident Tom Wallisch, 22, won the freeski slopestyle finals on Sunday at the Winter Dew Tour’s Wendy’s Invitational. Defending 2008-09 Winter Dew Cup champion, Spencer O’Brien of Canada, placed first in the women’s snowboard slopestyle finals, and Chas Guldemond of Reno-Tahoe, Nev. took his first ever Winter Dew Tour win in the men’s snowboard slopestyle finals.
Tyler Flanagan (2nd), Chas Guldemond (1st), Sage Kotsenburg (3rd) receive awards from Jeff Robinson of the Utah Sports Commision, Kent Lyons, Jodi Holmgren and Steve Andrus of Snowbasin
Wallisch’s second run during the freeski slopestyle finals included a blind switch up to front switch up on the first half rail, a cork 900 blunt and a switch left double 10 Japan air to earn him a first-place score of 94.75. Norwegian Andreas Hatveit, 23, came in second with a 93.63, putting him in a tie with Wallisch for first overall in the Dew Cup standings heading into the final event of the Winter Dew Tour season. Eighteen-year-old Bobby Brown of Breckenridge, Colo. came in a close third with a final score of 93.25.
“It’s great to compete in Utah at a local mountain and to ski well in front of all of my friends,” said Wallisch. “To be in the running for the Dew Cup is just insane. There’s so much money and notoriety on the line, and everybody’s just gunning for it. To be anywhere near those rankings is just awesome.”
After just missing a spot on the podium at the Totino’s Open, O’Brien, 21, came out in the top spot in today’s snowboard slopestyle finals. Her winning run included a frontside boardslide, a flawless 5-0 and a backside 540, earning her a score of 91.00. Great Britain-born Jenny Jones, 29, came in second with an 86.75 and 23-year-old Megan Ginter of Stevens Pass, Wash. followed in third with an 80.00. Heading into the Toyota Championship, O’Brien and Jamie Anderson – today’s fourth-place finisher from South Lake Tahoe, Calif. – are tied for first in overall the Dew Cup standings.
“I’m super stoked, and it’s really nice to be back on top at the Dew Tour,” said O’Brien. “It was a big crowd and they were really supportive, so that makes it more fun.”
Guldemond, 22, snagged his first Winter Dew Tour win by throwing out a backside 1260 and a 50/50 salute to the crowd, earning a score of 95.25 in the men’s snowboard slopestyle finals. Tyler Flanagan of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. came in second with a 93.75, while local favorite, Sage Kotsenburg of Park City, Utah came in third with a 92.50. Flanagan and Kotsenburg, both ages 16, are two of the youngest competitors in the snowboard slopestyle discipline and hold the first and second place spots, respectively, in the overall Dew Cup standings heading into the final event at Mount Snow Resort.
“I had a great time today, and it’s been really fun at Snowbasin. This mountain is sick,” said Guldemond. “I’m praying for Kevin Pearce to be okay since he’s a good buddy of mine. I want to tell all of the kids out there to be safe, have fun and know your limits out there.”
The four-day competition was the second of three stops on the Winter Dew Tour, featuring men’s and women’s snowboarding and freeskiing disciplines. Approximately 30,000 people experienced the Winter Dew Tour event at Snowbasin, with Saturday’s events breaking a single-day attendance record with approximately 14,000 spectators. The Tour will continue on to Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vermont for the Toyota Championship, where athletes in each of the six disciplines will be crowned year-end Dew Cup champions.
Tags: Awards, Dew Tour, Slope Style