SNOWBOARDING:

Toutant goes big to win Beijing showcase

Dec. 6, 2010 

BEIJING, China — Canadian rider Sebastien Toutant won the Oakley Shaun White Air & Style Beijing snowboard competition Saturday night in China, a 6Star Swatch TTR event. He walked away with a large share of the $100,000US purse, the coveted Air & Style Ring of Glory and 1,000 world ranking points.

With his win, Toutant advanced in the TTR rankings to the world No. 3 position. Another young gun, Seppe Smits of Belgium, took second place and Germany's Elias Elhardt took third.

Snowboarders from around the world made the trip to Beijing for the first major event of the Swatch TTR season, putting on a spectacular display of top-level riding for a crowd of excited Chinese fans. The riders were pleased with the massive gap jump setup built out of scaffolding, which had riders dropping in from 130 feet above the ground in the Olympic Sports Center Stadium. The Air & Style events feature a unique head-to-head format, and Toutant, who won the event with a Cab 1260 double cork, overtook Smits in the final round, beating his respectable backside 1260 for second place. Toutant was ecstatic, saying, "It's awesome, I think it's by far the best moment of my life, for sure. My first 6Star win. I’m stoked to be in China for the first time. Couldn't have been better than to win the event today!"

Elhardt was awarded third place for his backside 1080 double cork.

With 6Star world ranking points available, there was some major movement in the top 20. Because of his healthy lead coming into this event with seven results already posted, Norwegian rider Gjermund Braaten maintains his world No. 1 position, but he has some competition hot on his heels. Not only does Braaten have a major threat, Toutant, not far behind him, but Smits was able to maintain his spot with his second-place finish at the Air & Style Beijing. Other notable changes in the ranking are Norwegian up and comer Stale Sandbech, moving into world No. 4, Mikkel Bang of Norway No. 5 and Marko Grilc of Slovenia now No. 6.

American riders Eric Willet and Scotty Lago gained some momentum in the world rankings with Willet 12th and Lago 15th.

Athletes will gear up for the 6Star O’Neill Evolution Jan. 2-8 in Davos, Switzerland, which will be followed by the 6Star Burton European Open scheduled for Jan. 8-15.  S-Magazine