Junior World Championships, NZ18-year-old Walter Wood won the silver medal in halfpipe at the FIS Freestyle Junior World Championships last sunday.
The event was a highly anticipated world premier, and the ski halfpipe competition – a future Olympic discipline – was the final highlight. Fabian Meyer,Walter Woods' teammate in the Marker Völkl Freeski Team and only 16, finished fourth.
The FIS Freestyle Junior World Championships were a world premier, and a highly anticipated one in the freestyle world. For the first time the International Ski Federation organised a combined high level tournament for both freeskiers and snowboarders that focused entirely on the new-school disciplines: halfpipe, slopestyle and -cross competitions.
The event took place in New Zealand, a place with a tradition in new school evolution, and may well be a preview of the future Olympic Winter Games. Both ski halfpipe and snowboard slopestyle are on the verge of becoming official disciplines for 2014 this autumn with ski slopestyle probably following suit in 2018.
Of course, the competitions were closely tracked by the freeski community as the winners of this year’s Junior World Champs are without a doubt potential Olympic Champions in Sochi 2014.
The tension was high on Sunday’s skiing halfpipe contest, and the weather didn’t make things easier for the young competitors. Wind, snow and fog induced many delays. In the end, there was only one run that counted. The riding level was still amazing and the podium finishers clearly separated themselves from the rest.
Consistently high airs, good style and a great variation of tricks made the decision on the gold medal a tough one for the judges. When all scores were finally added, it was
The biggest surprise of the day, however, was a young Swiss, Fabian Meyer, who was waving the European freestyle flag. The 16-year-old Völkl rider had been giving a taste of his great talent two years ago, when he was crowned best rookie at the European Freeski Open in Laax, but missed large parts of the following season due to injury. Now he is back and once again proved his potential with a surprising fourth place finish at the FIS Junior World Championships – an event that quickly established itself as a visionary format and a promise for the future of freestyle.
Posted by Online Editor - Fri, 03/09/2010 - 9:59am
18-year-old Walter Wood won the silver medal in halfpipe at the FIS Freestyle Junior World Championships last sunday.
The event was a highly anticipated world premier, and the ski halfpipe competition – a future Olympic discipline – was the final highlight. Fabian Meyer,Walter Woods' teammate in the Marker Völkl Freeski Team and only 16, finished fourth.
The FIS Freestyle Junior World Championships were a world premier, and a highly anticipated one in the freestyle world. For the first time the International Ski Federation organised a combined high level tournament for both freeskiers and snowboarders that focused entirely on the new-school disciplines: halfpipe, slopestyle and -cross competitions.
The event took place in New Zealand, a place with a tradition in new school evolution, and may well be a preview of the future Olympic Winter Games. Both ski halfpipe and snowboard slopestyle are on the verge of becoming official disciplines for 2014 this autumn with ski slopestyle probably following suit in 2018.
Of course, the competitions were closely tracked by the freeski community as the winners of this year’s Junior World Champs are without a doubt potential Olympic Champions in Sochi 2014.
The tension was high on Sunday’s skiing halfpipe contest, and the weather didn’t make things easier for the young competitors. Wind, snow and fog induced many delays. In the end, there was only one run that counted. The riding level was still amazing and the podium finishers clearly separated themselves from the rest.
Consistently high airs, good style and a great variation of tricks made the decision on the gold medal a tough one for the judges. When all scores were finally added, it was
The biggest surprise of the day, however, was a young Swiss, Fabian Meyer, who was waving the European freestyle flag. The 16-year-old Völkl rider had been giving a taste of his great talent two years ago, when he was crowned best rookie at the European Freeski Open in Laax, but missed large parts of the following season due to injury. Now he is back and once again proved his potential with a surprising fourth place finish at the FIS Junior World Championships – an event that quickly established itself as a visionary format and a promise for the future of freestyle.