Words by Victoria Murray-Orr

Photos by Hannah Johnston/Getty Images

After several days of unprecedented snowfall across New Zealand, the first ski freestyle event of the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games was able to go ahead today at Cardrona Alpine Resort where USA's Gus Kenworthy and Devin Logan took out the top spots in ski halfpipe.

(left to right) Gus Kenworthy, David Wise, Jossi Wells, Devin Logan, Jen Hudak, Maddie Bowman

Kenworthy's run which included a left cork nine with a tail grab to right side cork seven with a tail grab, two switch left seven mutes, alley oop flat spin 540 Japan finishing with a left cork ten eight tail grab earned him 85 points. Just behind Kenworthy was New Zealand's Jossi Wells who scored 78.25 points on his run with a left side cork nine tail to right side cork nine safety to a left flair tail grab to a right side seven tail grab finishing with a switch seven mute shifty. Rounding out the top three was, USA's David Wise whose run which included a left flair safety, to a right side cork nine tail grab, to a left cork nine nose to a an alley oop flat three sixty mute to a switch left seven dub Japan grab and then an alley oop flat 540 mute scored 75.25 points.

Jossi Wells

All of the athletes struggled with the weather today. "The pipe was in great condition it was the visibility that was an issue," said head judge Rafael Regazzoni.

"The biggest competition today was the weather," said Kenworthy. "I saw that the competition was big with Jossi Wells and David Wise pulling some big amplitude and tricks during practice so knew I had to give it my all and I did."

Gus Kenworthy

Taylor Seaton who was first through the qualifiers didn't manage to stick his best run in finals and ended in fourth place.

In the end it was a clean sweep for the women from the USA with Devin Logan clinching first place, with a straight air to left five forty tail grab to right side flair to straight air to straight air to left side seven tail grab. Jen Hudak placed second with a run that included a left side 540 mute to alley oop mute to straight air to another straight air to a left side seven finishing with a switch alley oop 360. Maddie Bowman, a relative new comer to the sport rounding out the podium in third with a left side 540 safety grab to a right side 540 to another left side 540 to a straight air to a left side 720 at bottom.

Jen Hudak

Logan was pleased with the outcome, "This was my first competition in a while and it was nice to get a good one under the belt. The weather was a bit rough so rather than putting it all out there I stuck to a safe run. It's great to have the opportunity to come down to New Zealand to get some extra training in and I'm stoked with today's result."

Devin Logan

All of the top finishers, both men and women, have shared the podium at the X Games in recent years.

Jossi Wells (2nd), Gus Kenworthy (1st), David Wise (3rd)

Results

Men

1) Gus Kenworthy

2) Jossi Wells

3) David Wise

4) Taylor Seaton

5) Yannic Lerjen

6) Nils Lauper

7) Patrick Baskins

8) Lyman Currier

9) Nick Goepper

10) Kentaro Tsuda

11) Sean Collin

12) Boen Ferguson

13) Beau-James Wells

14) Kwang Jin Kim

15) Kiyoshi Terada

16) Lauri Kivari

17) Cyrill Hunziker

18) Matt Johnson

19) Thomas Waddell

20) Ryan Read

21) Frederick Iliano

22) Peter Crook

23) Raphael Beazley

24)

Gracin Meyer-Budge

25) Markus Fohr

Jen Hudak (2nd), Devin Logan (1st), Maddie Bowman (3rd)

Women

1) Devin Logan

2) Jen Hudak

3) Maddie Bowman

4) Dara Howell

5) Anais Caradeux

6) Amy Sheehan

7) Rose Battersby

8) Daniela Bauer

9) Jule Seifert

10) Brittany Hawes

11) Nanaho Kiriyama

12) Shuri Terada

13) Janina Kuzma

The New Zealand Winter Games is the first event of the year on the AFP calendar, so to see how it will affect the 2011-2012 AFP World Tour Rankings, go to afpworldtour.com.