EXPN Article on Slopestyle

full article here: http://expn.go.com/expn/story?pageName=050129_mski_slope_final

the notes and quotes at the end had some interesting stuff



Notes and Quotes:



The almost universal competence by skiers in spinning tricks both ways has brought a few changes to Slopestyle. First, spins that were previously labeled natural and unnatural are now difficult to distinguish in today's younger riders. Second, innovation in rail maneuvers—how skiers get on and off with spins, gaps, touches, etc.—is increasingly what Slopestyle edge is all about.

The switch, slightly corked 1080 with a mute held almost all the way through was unheard of two years ago. Today it is one of the standard marquee tricks in ski.

A few notable players were absent from the finals: Aspen local Steele Spence failed to advance; French phenom Candide Thovex had his rumored plans for retirement foiled by a fall during prelims; and Canada's Mark Abma, fresh from winning 'Male Performer of the Year' at the POWDER reader Poll and Video Awards gala Saturday evening, couldn't find his groove—or much else underfoot.

Reaction to the Slopestyle course from photographers, athletes and commentators was mixed. In training, skiers used to massive park features were struggling with—of all things—the small size of the jumps. Jon Olsson's attempt to be diplomatic failed when a reporter asked how he liked the course. 'It was OK,' he said. 'Except for the 20-foot kickers and icy flat landings.'

C.R. Johnson was day-to-day after he was injured in a rail crash at the U.S. Open in Vail a week ago, but he looked strong in training, throwing a huge cab 900 followed by a bio 900 on his final two jumps. He was obviously OK as he boosted that pairing to back-to-back 1080s in the finals.

Jon Olsson's switch 1080 tail-grab in the first round of the finals was so smooth that spectators barely noticed its difficulty. Or perhaps it was his new clothing from Swedish sponsor, J. Lindeberg. Somewhere between puffy and soft-shell, his baby-blue jacket seemed a cross between cotton candy and sponge toffee. One rider in the finish area pinched it and asked Olsson, 'Can you eat this stuff?'

As usual, skiers spent as much time having fun as being serious in practice, throwing comical but not always aesthetic moves. Henrik Windstedt kept up his habit (usually teaming with Jon Olsson) of bringing old school steez with a double daffy off the final booter; Mark Abma got playful with a switch 180 mule kick; and Simon Dumont worked hard on his double grab 'Flying squirrel' on the last booter. There seemed some method to the madness—several skiers who'd blown routines in the prelims finished their runs with the 'fun' tricks they'd thrown in practice.

The young Frenchman Laurent Favre, who looked strong in training, injured an ankle in the prelims, but still made the finals and skied his first run in that round before pulling out due to pain.

Given his solid performance in the prelims and finals, you'd never know that Tanner Hall had been nursing a very sore thumb suffered in a fall in practice earlier on Sunday.

No one actually calculated it, but many commented that this Slopestyle finals may have boasted the youngest average age ever.

'I think that's what keeps the sport alive—different judges, different criteria, different days of competition.'—Jon Olsson on whether he ever gets frustrated by the changing demands of judges in Slopestyle.

'It's pretty intense when we're all so close, but we're all friends out there having fun.'—Jon Olsson on the zeitgeist of a tight finals.
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'this one goes out to the kids in the trees'-braddigan

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