SNOWBOARDING:

Stone goes big for silver in Mile High City

Jan. 27, 2011 — Canada Snowboard

DENVER, Colo. ― Canadian snowboarder Zach Stone of Collingwood, Ont., has been stellar since his return to competitive snowboarding, stepping on the podium for the second time in as many big-air contests Wednesday night.

Stone took second place at the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup in Denver, Colorado, just 12 days after taking the silver medal at the 2011 FIS Snowboard World Championships.'

“I’m super-stoked and don’t really know what to say. I’m happy that I stayed on my feet,” said Stone, 19, who landed a backside 1260 and a backside 1080 double cork. “It’s nothing scheduled yet but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to compete at the season’s last big air in Quebec.”

In his first World Cup big-air contest, Stone scored 50.8 points in the finals to claim second place.

Stone came back this season after taking a two-year pause from competitive snowboarding, and has posted excellent results since his return.

Robby Balharry of Canmore, Alberta, finished fifth, a good result in first big-air contest on the World Cup tour. Balharry, the bronze medallist at the 2010 Canada Snowboard nationals in slopestyle and winner of the first FIS Nor-Am Cup in slopestyle in 2010, finished seventh at the 2011 snowboard worlds last Saturday.

Matts Kulisek, who has been a regular rider in big-air contests on the World Cup 7our this season, finished in 17th position.

The next and last big-air contest on the 2011 tour will be held in Québec City, as the feature attraction of the 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup featuring the Snowboard Jamboree.

Canada now has nine podium performances on the 2011 World Cup tour, which includes three victories by snowboardcross rider Dominique Maltais and one victory by freestyle rider Sebastien Toutant in big air.  S-Magazine