FREESTYLE:

Groenewoud rules Copper pipe, Dorey and Riddle rip to men's podium

Dec. 11, 2010 — Canadian Freestyle Ski Association

♦ Photo: The women’s podium, from left, Jen Hudak, Rosalind Groenewoud and Jess Cumming, after the ski halfpipe at Copper (Tom Kelly, USSA)

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colorado — Rosalind Groenewoud of Squamish, B.C., gave herself a very happy 21st birthday at the the Visa U.S. Halfpipe Grand Prix Nor-Am event at Copper Mountain in Colorado on Friday. She was the queen of the pipe, beating out the USA’s five-time X-Games champion Jen Hudak for the top spot.

Canadian teammates Justin Dorey and Mike Riddle also made the podium at the season’s first ski halfpipe FIS event, placing first and second in the men’s division.

Under challenging weather conditions, including heavy snowfall that affected all the athletes’ speed, Groenewoud managed to put together an amazing first run in a field that included the world’s best female halfpipe skiers. Groenewoud finished her run with her signature switch 540, a trick that very few women have mastered.

Groenewoud said, “It feels amazing to win today. It’s great to start season off with a bang and get my tricks under me.”

Sherwood Park, Alta.’s Riddle started the day in top spot from the qualification round on Wednesday and managed to hold on to that lead until his second run, when teammate Dorey from Vernon, B.C., came back from sixth spot to win gold. Simon Dumont from the USA was third.

“Today was as good as it could get,” said Dorey. “Riddle and I were one-two in qualies and we told each other we had to be in one-two in finals. I had a good feeling up at the top of the pipe, landed my first trick well and then really got into my groove.”

Their first trick is a huge double-cork 1260, a trick both he and Riddle perfected this past summer in New Zealand.

Coach Trennon Paynter was thrilled with his team’s performance and said, “The day couldn’t have gone any better. Roz killed it and won hands down with her first run, and the guys were clearly the top of this elite field today.”

Paynter added that the best-of-two format is pushing the boundaries of ski halfpipe and allowing the athletes to go bigger and better every year.

Canadian ski halfpipe athletes next compete at the Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colo., Dec. 16-19.

Ski halfpipe and ski slopestyle are both hoping to receive IOC acceptance to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games at Sochi, Russia.

S-Magazine

2011 Visa U.S. Halfpipe Grand Prix, Copper Mountain, Colo., ski halfpipe results

Men
1. Justin Dorey, Canada, 48.00
2. Mike Riddle, Canada, 47.30
3. Simon Dumont, Bethel, ME, 45.30
4. Tucker Perkins, North Hampton, NH, 44.50
5. AJ Kemppainen, Finland, 44.30
6. David Wise, Reno, NV, 42.00
7. Byron Wells, New Zealand, 41.20
8. Thomas Krief, France, 40.80
9. Torin Yater-Wallace, Basalt, CO, 37.60
10. Benoit Valentin, France, 36.90
11. Patrick Baskins, Vail, CO, 33.80
12. Dan Marion, Portland, ME, 31.50

Women
1. Rosalind Groenwoud, Canada, 45.20
2. Jen Hudak, Salt Lake City, 44.60
3. Jess Cumming, Wilton, CT, 41.30
4. Brita Sigourney, Carmel, CA, 39.50
5. Dania Assaly, Canada, 38.90
6. Jamie Crane-Mauzy, Westport, CT, 38.30
7. Anais Caradeux, France, 36.00
8. Maddie Bowman, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 34.10
9. Kimmy Sharp, Park City, UT, 32.50
10. Angel VanLaanen, Bellingham, MA, 26.20
11. Keltie Hansen, Canada, 16.20
12. Devin Logan, West Dover, VT, 15.20