SAAS-FEE, Switzerland (Oct. 21) – After handily winning the halfpipe qualifier Thursday, Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mtn., VT) finished second for her career-ninth World Cup podium Friday, her third in halfpipe. Melo Imai (JPN) won the women’s contest while Kazuhiro Kokubo (JPN) won the men’s event under sunny skies in Saas-Fee.

Perhaps best known for her success in snowboardcross (she has seven SBX World Cup wins plus a 2005 World Championships gold), Jacobellis continues to make headway in the pipe. Tricks included a frontside 5 at the top followed by several big, straight airs before finishing with a frontside 9.

“For awhile it looked like she was going to win, but then Melo had a great run finishing with a crippler 7, which pretty much pushed her past Lindsey,” said U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe Head Coach Bud Keene. “Still, this reinforces the unbelievable versatility Lindsey has as a rider. She has her SBX race tomorrow and we expect her to enjoy more success then.”

Clair Bidez (Minturn, CO) placed sixth, making her first World Cup final with an Olympic format (where only six women make finals). Said Keene, “We are unbelievably psyched Clair made the final – it is a huge accomplishment. Technically she is riding well, but mentally she’s really got her head on straight. She’s young – 18 – and a relative unknown, but I think her performance is a great sign for U.S. Snowboarding and our prospects for the future.”

Another case in point: 14-year-old Ellery Hollingsworth (Darien, CT), the youngest competitor in the field, who just missed securing her top-25 result Thursday (she finished 29th).

Although they did not make finals, Americans Molly Aguirre (Mammoth Lakes, CA; 15th), Wyatt Caldwell (Sun Valley, ID; 24th) and Luke Mitrani (Mammoth Lakes, CA; 25th) achieved their Olympic requirement of a top-25 result in a World Cup. This brings the total number of U.S. halfpipe riders eligible for making the U.S. Olympic Team to 21 men and 11 women.

On the men’s side, Friday’s comp was the first contest for Luke Wynen (Mammoth Lakes, CA) since ACL surgery this summer. Keene said they kept to a strict plan of “medium intensity” for Wynen, who qualified 38th. “He’s definitely on the road to recovery,” Keene said.

Competition continues Saturday in Saas-Fee with men’s and women’s snowboardcross. World Championships gold medalists Jacobellis, Seth Wescott (Carrabassett Valley, ME) and bronze medalist Jayson Hale (Sierraville, CA) are scheduled to compete.

SNOWBOARD FIS WORLD CUP
SAAS-FEE, SUI – Oct. 21, 2005
HALFPIPE

MEN (12 make finals)
1. Kazuhiro Kokubo, Japan, 45.9
2. Antti Autti, Finland, 43.3
3. Vinzenz Lueps, Germany, 41.7
4. Giacomo Kratter, Italy, 40.4
5. Domu Narita, Japan, 37.7
6. Jan Michaelis, Germany, 36.0
7. Daisuke Murakami, Japan, 33.8
8. Toni-Markus Turunen, Finland, 32.5
9. Mathieu Crepel, France, 32.1
10. Mikael Sandy, Sweden, 29.5
11. Miika Hast, Finland, 28.8
12. Markus Keller, Switzerland, 28.6

WOMEN (6 make finals)
1. Melo Imai, Japan, 44.3
2. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mtn., Vt., 43.6
3. Doriane Vidal, France, 39.6
4. Chikako Fushimi, Japan, 34.9
5. Andrea Schuler, Switzerland, 30.1
6. Clair Bidez, Minturn, Colo., 29.6