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Red Gerard executes a trick during qualifiers for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix slopestyle competition at Mammoth Mountain Resort in California earlier this week. On Saturday, Gerard won the contest, his second consecutive victory in as many weeks after winning the Burton U.S. Open in Vail last weekend.
Courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard -
Chris Corning of Silverthorne executes a trick off of a slopestyle jump during qualifiers earlier this week at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Resort in California. Corning finished in fifth place at Saturday’s finals.
Courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard -
Chris Corning of Silverthorne executes a trick on a slopestyle rail during qualifiers earlier this week at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Resort in California. Corning finished in fifth place at Saturday’s finals.
Courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard -
Chase Blackwell of Dillon executes a trick in mid-air during qualifiers earlier this week at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Resort in California. Blackwell made it through qualifiers before finishing in 16th place at Saturday’s finals.
Courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard -
Chase Blackwell of Dillon executes a trick in mid-air during qualifiers earlier this week at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Resort in California. Blackwell made it through qualifiers before finishing in 16th place at Saturday’s finals.
Courtesy U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Just a week after he won the Burton U.S. Open slopestyle competition, Summit County snowboarder Red Gerard won the same event at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Resort in California on Saturday.
The 18-year-old began his winning run with a huge backside 360, gapping up and over the first rail feature before hitting the bottom of the up-down rail. On the second rail feature, Gerard executed a boardslide on to a 270 with a nose grab off, which led to the first jump.
On that first jump, a side-hit, Gerard hucked a frontside double-cork 900 (rotating to his board’s front side, two inversions on his vertical axis, two-and a half full horizontal rotations). Landing the 900 without a hiccup, Gerard had plenty of speed heading into the next feature, which was a barrel-type rail. Gerard flew into the up-rail riding switch, landing a cab 180 boardslide onto the rail and a backside 360 off. The course then featured a quick and sudden jump after that barrel rail, on which Gerard landed a frontside 540 with a tail grab.
Gerard’s success on the top portion of the course, successfully navigating the atypical setup, set him up perfectly for the final two jumps. On the penultimate jump, Gerard rode switch into a backside 1260 before he pumped to pick up his speed. He then easily got around a backside triple-cork 1440 on the final money-booter jump for the winning score of 85.10.
At the bottom of the course, Gerard slid into a hug with third-place finisher Ruki Tobita of Japan (80.50), who joined Gerard on the podium along with second-place finisher Judd Henkes of southern California (83.95). Silverthorne’s 19-year-old Chris Corning finished in fifth place out of the 16 finals riders, with a score of 78.60.
Saturday’s slopestyle final was originally scheduled for Friday, but high winds and poor conditions at Mammoth Mountain Resort forced a postponement to Saturday.
In the Grand Prix’s men’s halfpipe competition, Dillon snowboarder Chase Blackwell qualified for Satuday’s final, before finishing in 16th place.
Aspen’s Jarrell 12th in halfpipe
Aspen halfpipe skier Cassidy Jarrell took 12th in Saturday’s finals of the men’s contest at the Mammoth Grand Prix. His top run of 58.60 was far off the pace set by contest winner Birk Irving of Winter Park, who led the way with his run of 95.20.
Canada’s Simom D’Artois was second, France’s Thomas Krief was third and Nevada’s David Wise was fourth. Canada’s Cassie Sharpe won for the women.
aolivero@summitdaily.com