English - Freeride World Tour

 Press Release
EVA WALKNER (AUT) CROWNED WORLD CHAMPION 2015 AT
HISTORIC EVENT IN ALASKA
Silvia Moser (ITA) and George Rodney (USA) win in skiing – Shannan Yates (USA) and Sammy
Luebke (USA) win snowboard
Final results: Women’s Snowboard: 1. Shannan Yates (USA) 79.50
2. Estelle Balet (SUI) 75.00 3. Elodie Mouthon (FRA) 69.00
Women’s Ski: 1. Silvia Moser (ITA) 84.00
2. Eva Walkner (AUT) 76.75
3. Francesca Ace Pavillard­Cain (USA) 65.00
Men’s Snowboard: 1. Sammy Luebke (USA) 90.00
2. Flo Orley (AUT) 87.00
3. Colin Boyd (USA) 82.00
Men’s Ski: 1. George Rodney (USA) 87.75
2. Jérémie Heitz (SUI) 81.00
3. Kevin Guri (FRA) 80.00
FULL RESULTS CLICK HERE
Haines, Alaska ­ March 24, 2015 – The event in Haines, Alaska was a true show of freeride at its best.
It was a nine day wait for the weather to play along but everyone seemed to know that it would be all
worth it. The setting was like an Alaskan postcard with fresh powder under a clear blue sky and with
a big glacier as a backdrop. Having shown great form all season, Eva Walkner (AUT) had a solid lead
in women's skiing coming into the event. With four out of five results counting for the final ranking,
and Eva counting one win and 2nd places in all the other events, she can now call herself World
Champion no matter how she performs in Verbier. The suspense for the titles in the other categories
is still intact as the Freeride World Tour moves into the final event.
The athletes delivered mind­blowing performances, whether fighting to grab the title or simply attempting
to qualify for the last stage of the season in Verbier (SUI) on March 28. The conditions on the 740 vertical
meters (2300 ft) competition face, The Venue, were close to perfect with knee deep, blower powder
covering the characteristic long and impressive spines. Men's Snowboard The men's snowboard category started the contest shortly after 9.15am (AKDT) (6.15pm CET).
First out of the Swatch gate was Sammy Luebke (USA) and he certainly didn't throw away this incredible
opportunity to open the new FWT Alaskan venue in style. With his usual smooth riding, he started out with
a lot of speed pulling a double in the steepest part of the face. He managed to keep that level of action all
the way down the face including a well executed 360 and another big feature. He put his competitors
under pressure right away with a whopping score of 90.00, giving him the win in the end. "Everything
lined up the way I thought. I'm excited to go to Verbier!" Sammy summed up his day at work.
Flo Orley (AUT) was last to go in the men's snowboard category and he confirmed that he is on fire this
season with an all­out, perfectly ridden line including the biggest fly of the day in his category charging
out over the rollover leading into the steep bottom section. He took 2nd place scoring 87.00, thus
removing the chances of Jonathan Charlet (FRA) to make an early claim at the FWT title at this event.
The 3rd podium place went to Colin Boyd (USA) who was also on track to challenge Sammy until a small
loss of control after a 360 took his score one notch down to 82.00
Men’s Ski
The skier in the golden bib, George Rodney (USA) was charging this face like there was no tomorrow,
using his floating features to reposition himself so as to keep the control without ever having to turn his
skis more than 45 degrees to the fall line despite the sustained extreme pitch of this face. His gutsy run
earned him a score of 87.75 and his second win of the season though this was a completely different
animal than the more closed face in Andorra. One of the highlights of his run was his fast reaction of
pointing everything in the fall line in the steepest part of the face to save an imbalance – a very counter­
intuitive move in such terrain that shows the level of mastery of this young rider. "I can't believe it ­ that
was the coolest run I've ever done in my life,” he said at the bottom. “It's the best face I've been on. It is like
two venues.”
Jérémie Heitz (SUI) put anyone believing that he would actually slow down his usual Mach 3 skiing style
here on The Venue in Haines to shame. Despite the many blind parts on this double roll­over face he sent
it directly, aggressively and with perfect fluidity, putting his more difficult airs in at the top and then
focusing on speed like no other rider. This tactic put him in 2nd place with score of 81.00. Close behind and in 3rd place was Kevin Guri (FRA) who scored 80.00 with a high paced run including
an impressive cliff band.
Women’s Ski
The women skiers really put everything out there to qualify for Verbier resulting in three DNFs. Silvia
Moser (ITA) made the run of her season and took her first FWT victory with a score 84.00. She chose a
very technical top section with a steep double and then opted for shoot with no tracks at the bottom.
"I had a very cool run, I had fun and did everything I wanted to do,” the successful Tour rookie
commented. “I am very happy. It is the best run of the winter so far."
The woman of the day was Eva Walkner (AUT) who took her third 2nd place of the season with a very
intelligent approach that demonstarted her knowledge of Alaskan conditions. She went for a technical line
without gambling with speed yet got her features in as planned knowing exactly what was needed to
secure her title before enjoying the powder on the more mellow part in the fresh snow to skiers right.
“I went for all the things that I had planned and did some of the best powder turns of my life. It was
fun! She says about her run. Still needing to fully realize that she is actually the World Champion, she is
just relieved that her struggles with injuries are behind her and that the hard work has paid off:
“It was two years of hard work and coming back from injury and winning the title I have no words for it!”
The 3rd place went to Francesca Ace Pavillard­Cain (USA) with a score 65.00. She put in some very
nice features with good speed but some balance struggles in the landings cost her a few points.
Women’s Snowboard
Shannan Yates (USA) was in charge of keeping the battle for the title in this category open still. By
winning here she closed in on Estelle Balet (SUI) who placed second. Both showed fast and fluid riding,
but where Estelle took higher risks especially on speed, she paid by a bit of loss of control in the steepest
section leaving her behind Shannan's 79.50 with a score of 75.00. Shannan was very happy with her run,
having managed to pull out of some slough without breaking her flow too much.
“It feels amazing! I got to ride fantastic Alaskan powder. I had a small section of snow break on me but I
was able to ride it out and it didn't phase me,” said the happy winner. “I am so excited to be here in Alaska
it is just a great, great event.”
Elodie Mouthon (FRA) opened up the central shoot and put in a strong finish, earning her the 3rd place
with a score of 69.00.
Qualified for Xtreme Verbier
The top 12 ski men, 6 snowboard men, 6 ski women and 4 snowboard woman of the current ranking are
qualified for Verbier, counting the best three results out of the four events so far. The FWT riders who
made the cut and will be going to the 20th edition of the Xtreme Verbier are:
Men’s Ski: 1. George Rodney (USA) 6800
2. Jérémie Heitz (SUI) 5900
3. Reine Barkered (SWE) 5370
4. Drew Tabke (USA) 5120
5. Sam Smoothy (NZL) 5000
6. Samuel Anthamatten (SUI) 4720
7. Conor Pelton (USA) 4460
8. Juan Bergada (ARG) 4420
9. Loïc Collomb­Patton (FRA) 4340
10. Felix Wiemers (GER) 4010
11. Kevin Guri (FRA) 3775
12. Wille Lindberg (SWE) 3770
Men’s Snowboard: 1.Sammy Luebke (USA) 6625
2. Flo Orley (AUT) 6380
3. Jonathan Charlet (FRA) 6130
4. Colin Boyd (USA) 5980
5. Ralph Backstrom (USA) 5415 6. Sascha Hamm (GBR) 4800
Women’s Ski: 1. Eva Walkner (AUT) 6900
2. Silvia Moser (ITA) 6105
3. Hazel Josie Birnbaum (USA) 5800
4. Francesca Ace Pavillard­Cain (USA) 5760
5. Lotten Rapp (SWE) 5335
6. Christine Hargin (SWE) 4975
Women’s Snowboard: 1. Estelle Ballet (SUI) 7200
2. Shannan Yates (USA) 6980
3. Elodie Mouthon (FRA) 6160
4. Anne­Flore Marxer (FRA/SUI) 5500
20 Years of Xtreme
At this special 20th anniversary edition, the qualified 2015 FWT riders will be joined at the start by certain
prestigious wild card riders such as the triple Xtreme Verbier winner, Aurelien Ducroz (FRA). Two other
ski stars, best known from the world of alpine racing, will also be taking the start: Former Super G FIS
World Champion and runner­up Downhill FIS World Champion – now turned freeskier ­ Daron Rahlves
(USA), and the winner of the FIS Slalom World Cup in Kitzbuhel earlier this year, Mattias Hargin (SWE).
Snowboard wildcards include five­time Xtreme Verbier snowboard winner, Steve Klassen (USA) and the
evergreen, Xavier de le Rue (FRA) who has won the Xtreme four times. In the women's snowboard
category, former Olympic Champion in halfpipe snowboard, Nicola Thost (GER) has also been awarded
a wild card. The first possible competition day in Verbier is this coming Saturday the 28th of March,
depending on the conditions. Watch the Xtreme Verbier teaser here
This year will also see a different approach to the Bec des Rosses as another triple Xtreme Verbier
winner,Geraldine Fasnacht (SUI) will be joining the celebrations from the air. She will be flying above the
face, dropped from a helicopter in her wing suit.
Finally, just as in the past couple of years, Verbier will be hosting the Freeride Junior Tour region 1 finals
as part of the same event. The 20th anniversary will thus be celebrating both the past, present and future
of freeride.
For more quotes CLICK here
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