Andreas Haatveit wins the Jon Olsson Invitational Big AirOn Thursday last week, Atomic team shredder Andreas Haatveit won freeskiing's most coveted Big Air title: The Jon Olsson Invitational, or JOI, in Sweden.
When the skiing season enters its final stages, the world’s best freeskiers gather in Are for the Jon
Olsson Super Sessions every year. This two-week-long event is the highlight in every pro’s schedule
and therefore the list of superstars that meet in Sweden is more than impressive. Part of this unique
freestyle happening is also the JOI Big Air, and with the best riders around, the JOI contest usually
shows a ground-breaking level of performance. 2010 was no exception.
IDEAL CONDITIONS IN THE GRAND FINAL
24 competitors from all over the world stood on top of a massive step-down jump right above the
town centre of Are in the late afternoon to withstand the two-run qualification. Only the Top eight made it
into the head-to-head finals that were about to start at sundown. Despite some rainy days during the
week and cloudy skies at the event day competitors found perfect conditions under the floodlights.
Qualification was another feast of double flips as it has been so often this season. However, the two
riders of the ATOMIC Freeski Team, Andreas Haatveit and Elias Ambuehl, made it safely into the finals
and also won their first head-to-head duels. Then, in the first semi-final it was Australian Russ
Henshaw who ended the young Swiss’ winning streak with a Dub 10 Mute to Japan against Elias’
Dub 12 Tail.
The second semi-final was a clash of superstars: Jon Olsson against Andreas Ha?tveit. Of
course, the big Swede had the crowd in his favour on his home ground, but Andreas Haatveit still
prevailed with a Dub 10 Dub Mute to Dub Japan over a Switch Dub 12. Elias Ambuehl beat Jon Olsson
in the consolation round just as the setting sun broke through the clouds for the first time this day,
before Andreas Ha?tveit matched Russ Henshaw in the grand final. The Norwegian stuck yet another
perfect Dub 10 with his new trademark grab of Dub Mute to Dub Japan to excel the Australian’s
Switch Dub 12 Safety to Japan. Another great victory for Andreas!
HAATVEIT AND AMBUEHL ON AFP BIG AIR PODIUM
After the prize giving, an enthusiastic Andreas Ha?tveit was signing Caps and T-Shirts for Kids and
couldn’t stop smiling. “I am just stoked! It is my first victory at JOI and it is such an important event. In
the previous years I have been unlucky sometimes, but this time everything worked out”, he
explained. The party has to wait for another day, though. The Jon Olsson Super Sessions video
contest, the biggest movie contest of the year, is about to end on Saturday and until then Andreas
and his Norwegian team will be busy editing. “I had a great time here in Are. I am not tired, despite
we skied almost everyday”, said Andreas. “The same today at JOI, I just had so much fun. Now it is two more days and then we will party!” The Jon Olsson Invitational was the last big air event of the
AFP season. The official ranking of the Association of Freeski Professionals includes all major
contests like X Games, Dew Tour and the big in-city events in Europe. Before the last competition,
Russ Henshaw was in the lead with both Elias Ambuehl and Andreas Haatveit closely behind. With two
ATOMIC athletes on the podium of the AFP Big Air Ranking it was another great season for the
ATOMIC Freeski Team.
Related stories:
Jossi Wells is AFP Men's Overall World Champion
Posted by Online Editor - Mon, 19/04/2010 - 11:15am
On Thursday last week, Atomic team shredder Andreas Haatveit won freeskiing's most coveted Big Air title: The Jon Olsson Invitational, or JOI, in Sweden.
When the skiing season enters its final stages, the world’s best freeskiers gather in Are for the Jon
Olsson Super Sessions every year. This two-week-long event is the highlight in every pro’s schedule
and therefore the list of superstars that meet in Sweden is more than impressive. Part of this unique
freestyle happening is also the JOI Big Air, and with the best riders around, the JOI contest usually
shows a ground-breaking level of performance. 2010 was no exception.
IDEAL CONDITIONS IN THE GRAND FINAL
24 competitors from all over the world stood on top of a massive step-down jump right above the
town centre of Are in the late afternoon to withstand the two-run qualification. Only the Top eight made it
into the head-to-head finals that were about to start at sundown. Despite some rainy days during the
week and cloudy skies at the event day competitors found perfect conditions under the floodlights.
Qualification was another feast of double flips as it has been so often this season. However, the two
riders of the ATOMIC Freeski Team, Andreas Haatveit and Elias Ambuehl, made it safely into the finals
and also won their first head-to-head duels. Then, in the first semi-final it was Australian Russ
Henshaw who ended the young Swiss’ winning streak with a Dub 10 Mute to Japan against Elias’
Dub 12 Tail.
The second semi-final was a clash of superstars: Jon Olsson against Andreas Ha?tveit. Of
course, the big Swede had the crowd in his favour on his home ground, but Andreas Haatveit still
prevailed with a Dub 10 Dub Mute to Dub Japan over a Switch Dub 12. Elias Ambuehl beat Jon Olsson
in the consolation round just as the setting sun broke through the clouds for the first time this day,
before Andreas Ha?tveit matched Russ Henshaw in the grand final. The Norwegian stuck yet another
perfect Dub 10 with his new trademark grab of Dub Mute to Dub Japan to excel the Australian’s
Switch Dub 12 Safety to Japan. Another great victory for Andreas!
HAATVEIT AND AMBUEHL ON AFP BIG AIR PODIUM
After the prize giving, an enthusiastic Andreas Ha?tveit was signing Caps and T-Shirts for Kids and
couldn’t stop smiling. “I am just stoked! It is my first victory at JOI and it is such an important event. In
the previous years I have been unlucky sometimes, but this time everything worked out”, he
explained. The party has to wait for another day, though. The Jon Olsson Super Sessions video
contest, the biggest movie contest of the year, is about to end on Saturday and until then Andreas
and his Norwegian team will be busy editing. “I had a great time here in Are. I am not tired, despite
we skied almost everyday”, said Andreas. “The same today at JOI, I just had so much fun. Now it is two more days and then we will party!” The Jon Olsson Invitational was the last big air event of the
AFP season. The official ranking of the Association of Freeski Professionals includes all major
contests like X Games, Dew Tour and the big in-city events in Europe. Before the last competition,
Russ Henshaw was in the lead with both Elias Ambuehl and Andreas Haatveit closely behind. With two
ATOMIC athletes on the podium of the AFP Big Air Ranking it was another great season for the
ATOMIC Freeski Team.
Related stories:
Jossi Wells is AFP Men's Overall World Champion