LG Snowboard FIS World Cup Olympic Park Calgary Canada Feb 24-26th
Next Saturday it's finally time for the slopestyle riders to compete in their season's first event of the 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup tour. In addition, the season's fourth halfpipe is also scheduled for Saturday.
Freestyle snowboard Saturday in Calgary / Slopestyle and halfpipe double event at Canada Olympic Park
Upcoming Saturday brings the sole double World Cup event of the 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup. At Canada Olympic Park, just a view minutes out of downtown Calgary, Alberta, the season's first slopestyle and fourth halfpipe contests are on the program being scheduled for February 26th.
After last year's first ever snowboard Saturday it's the second time that the main venue of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games is going to host such a double World Cup in Canada's fourth biggest city.
About 80 riders of 13 countries are on the entry list of the sixth ever World Cup stop held in Calgary. The focus will mainly be on the close battle between Ryo Aono (JPN) and Nathan Johnstone (AUS) for the Halfpipe World Cup title. Currently, the 2009 World Champion from Japan is in the lead having earned 1,800 points so far while the reigning title holder from Australia breathes down his neck (1,250) as runner-up.
Johnstone, however, had missed to put in the mandatory straight air before crossing the red line in his last week's final runs at Stoneham, Quebec, thus losing some precious points in the race for the coveted Crystal Globe. According to this, the rider from down under was pretty disappointed: "I have to work on this and I hope I do better in Calgary." But if the 21-years-old will be able to reduce the deficit remains to be seen as Aono is currently in an outstanding shape.
So is Xuetong Cai, who sets the tone on the women's side at the moment. After having won two halfpipe competitions and placing second once the 17-years-old from China sits on top of the halfpipe standings with 2,800 points. Holly Crawford follows as runner-up. But the reigning World Champion (1,300) is already 1,500 points behind. And with this in mind it will be a tough task for her to catch up over the course of the last three halfpipe contests of the running World Cup season. To keep a slight chance, the 27-years-old should definitely rank way better than Cai on Saturday.
Team Canada again top in the Slopestyle?
In the first slopestyle of the season, the hosting nation is having a good chance of repeating last year's good result by sending the biggest numbers of riders. In 2010, three podium spots went to Canadians. While Brooke Voigt and Alexandra Duckworth placed second and third on the women's side, Mark McMorris won the men's competition.
Although this year's slopestyle silver medalist at the X-Games won't be there to defend his title, the maple leaves still have top boarders to enter the show as Julien Beaulieu and Robby Balharry finished sixth and seventh in the first ever World Championships slopestyle competition in La Molina end of January. Austria's Clemens Schattschneider and Michael Macho, who were also doing well in Spain by finally placing fifth and ninth at the last Worlds, will be among their rivals for the podium.
Time schedule Calgary, Canada:
Thursday, Feb 24th: Halfpipe Qualifiers W 10:30 AM local time Qualifiers M 1 PM local time
Friday, Feb 25th: Slopestyle Qualifiers M 10:55 AM local time Qualifiers W 1 PM local time
Saturday, Feb 26th: Slopestyle Finals 10:30 AM local time
Halfpipe Finals 2 PM local time
LG Snowboard FIS World Cup Calgary Pre Event Photos
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