SNOWBOARDERS DANNY DAVIS AND QUERALT CASTELLET AND FREESKIER MIKE RIDDLE WIN SUPERPIPE FINALS AT THE TOTINO’S OPEN AT BRECKENRIDGE
December 19, 2009 – Danny Davis of Highland, Mich. won the men’s snowboard superpipe final for the second consecutive year at the Breckenridge stop of the Winter Dew Tour. Spain’s Queralt Castellet and Canadian Mike Riddle took home their first Winter Dew Tour wins in women’s snowboard superpipe and freeski superpipe, respectively.
It was obvious that landing a double cork was key during the men’s snowboard superpipe final. Ilkka-Emeli Laari of Finland, Iouri Podlachikov of Switzerland and Roger Kleivdal of Norway were among the athletes that landed successful variations, however it was Davis that came out ahead. Davis, 21, landed a cab 10 double cork and a frontside 10 double cork during his first run, to earn him a score of 96.50, the highest score in the history of the Winter Dew Tour.
“I feel good especially after not landing any runs in the contest I had last weekend at Copper,” said Davis. “I just put something together, and it feels doubly nice to win.”
Podlachikov came in second with a score of 91.25 and 2002 Olympic bronze medalist and Breckenridge-native JJ Thomas came in third with a score of 84.75, landing a giant frontside 1080 and a backside nine 12 feet out of the pipe.
In the women’s snowboard superpipe final, Castellet, 20, came out on the top of the podium for the first time at the Winter Dew Tour, landing tricks like a frontside 540, backside 5 and a frontside 900. Castellet showed consistency in both runs by earning scores in the 90s, with a final winning score of 92.50.
“I’m so excited because I’ve never won before,” said Castellet. “It feels very, very good, and I can’t believe it.”
Canadian Sarah Conrad came in second by landing a backside 540 into a frontside 5, earning her a score of 89.00 in her second run, jumping her from sixth place to the number two spot on the podium. Kjersti Ostgaard Buaas of Norway combined big air with stylish spins to earn her a third-place score of 87.00.
It was all about the second runs in the freeski superpipe final, as the majority of the athletes fell attempting technical tricks during their first runs. Riddle, 23, came out on top, landing a huge double flip and his signature alley-oop bow and arrow to give him his winning score of 93.00.
“It feels amazing to win. I couldn’t be happier,” said Riddle. “I put down the run I wanted to, and I’m just happy I came out on top.”
Josiah Wells of New Zealand had a second-place finish with a score of 91.50, with a run that included a 720 tail grab. Frenchman Xavier Bertoni rounded out the podium in third with a 90.75. The Totino’s Open marks the first time Riddle, Wells or Bertoni have finished on the podium in a freeski superpipe competition.
The four-day competition is the first of three stops of the Winter Dew Tour, which features men’s and women’s snowboarding and freeskiing disciplines. Sunday’s action features the freeski slopestyle final and men’s and women’s snowboard slopestyle finals.
The complete 2009-10 Winter Dew Tour schedule is as follows:
Event Date Location
Totino’s Open Dec. 17-20 Breckenridge Ski Resort – Breckenridge, Colo.
Wendy’s Invitational Jan. 14-17 Snowbasin – Ogden, Utah
Toyota Championship Feb. 4-7 Mount Snow Resort – West Dover, Vt.
Winter Dew Tour’s Totino’s Open at Breckenridge Ski Resort
Saturday, December 19, 2009 - Breckenridge, Colo.
Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Final
1. Danny Davis, Highland, Mich., 96.50. 2. Iouri Podlachikov, Switzerland, 91.25. 3. JJ Thomas, Breckenridge, Colo., 84.75. 4. Mason Aguirre, Duluth, Minn., 80.00. 5. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, Colo., 78.50. 6. Zachary Black, Breckenridge, Colo., 75.00. 7. Ilkka-Eemeli Laari, Finland, 71.00. 8. Fredrik Austbo, Norway, 68.50. 9. Roger Kleivdal, Norway, 64.50. 10. Janne Korpi, Finland, 62.00. 11. Matt Ladley, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 56.50. 12. Scotty Lago, Seabrook, N.H., 49.00.
Women’s Snowboard Superpipe Final
1. Queralt Castellet, Spain, 92.50. 2. Sarah Conrad, Canada, 89.00. 3. Kjersti Ostgaard Buaas, Norway, 87.00. 4. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, Calif., 84.00. 5. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., 83.75. 6. Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, Idaho, 80.25.
Freeski Superpipe Final
1. Mike Riddle, Canada, 93.00. 2. Josiah Wells, New Zealand, 91.50. 3. Xavier Bertoni, France, 90.75. 4. Kevin Rolland, France, 87.75. 5. Justin Dorey, Canada, 82.50. 6. Simon Dumont, Bethel, Maine, 81.00. 7. Matt Duhamel, San Francisco, Calif., 76.25. 8. Banks Gilberti, Sun Valley, Idaho, 67.75. 9. Dan Marion, Windham, Maine, 60.25. 10. Matt Margetts, Canada, 50.25. 11. Thomas Krief, France, 46.00. 12. David Wise, Reno, Nev., 14.25.
