After 4 weeks of competitions from coast-to-coast, a select group of amateur skiers have earned their spots in the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place this weekend at Snowbasin Resort in Utah. In both slopestyle and superpipe, talented riders will be vying for that top position with a spot in next year's Winter Dew Tour on the line. Past winners have included Torin Yater-Wallace, and you know these kids will be looking to follow in his footsteps.
Freeski Slopestyle
The slopestyle field this year will feature a few tour veterans, including four finalists (Duncan, Hibbs, Hamilton, Briggs) returning from last year. Included in that group is Vermont's Will Hibbs, who has now made finals in all 3 years of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour's history.
In total, 3 countries on 2 continents (USA, Canada, New Zealand) will be represented by the finalists, with ages ranging from 15 through 21 years old. Here's a look first at some of the returning finalists we could see make some noise.
Tyler Duncan
Age: 16
Past Finals appearances: 3rd (2011)
Tyler was in good company on the podium last year, as Robby Franco and young Wille Borm have spent this season competing against the pro talent on the Winter Dew Tour. The Maine native finds himself back at Snowbasin this year by virtue of his win at Okemo.
Will Hibbs
Age: 17
Past Finals appearances: 5th (2010), 5th (2011)
Hibbs has experience on his side, having placed in the top 5 at both of his previous appearances in finals. He's proved to be quite dedicated already, making an 11-hour drive from his home in Vermont down to Seven Springs to compete at the Gatorade Free Flow Tour this year.
Ian Hamilton
Age: 19
Past Finals appearances: 6th (2011)
Tricks like the switch 900 will make Ian a name to watch on Friday. After placing a respectable 6th in last year's appearance, he's earned a return trip after winning the slopestyle contest at Jackson Hole.
The rest of the field...
Taylor King, 16: the lone representative from outside North America, King hails from New Zealand
Noah Wallace, 20: came close to making finals lin 2011 after finishing 2nd at Vail
Max Heard, 19: the lone Canadian in the field finished on the podium at Jackson Hole before winning at Mount Bachelor a few weeks later
Max Szekely, 17: has the switch 900 among his arsenal of tricks
Andy Partridge, 15: ability to spin in opposite directions helps keep him on par with other riders
Matt Heffernan, 21: one of three Virtual Stop video contest winners, oldest rider in the field
Sam Viseur, 18: another wildcard from the video contest
Michael Briggs: 2011 finalist, earned his spot through the video contest
Freeski Superpipe
This year's superpipe field is a bit smaller due to the unseasonably warm temps this winter that hindered the production of pipes across the country this year. But that doesn't mean it's devoid of talent in any way.
Most of the riders in the field have the 900 in their bag of tricks, so it may come down to who has the variations or who's able to step it up a notch as these guys look to set themselves apart in the contest.
Ty Wellman
Age: 18
Past Finals appearances: 7th (2011)
Back-to-back 900's helped propel Wellman to the win at Vail this year. The Boyne City, Michigan resident will return to Snowbasin this year looking to improve on last year's 7th-place finish. In August 2010, he was invited to compete in the International Ski Federation Junior World Championships
Broby Leeds
Age: 18
Past Finals appearances: 7th (2010)
Although Broby missed Finals last year, he's been relatively consistent in competition over the last few years, racking up four top-six finishes at local qualifiers in 2010 and 2011. In December, the Vail native tried his hand at breaking into the pro ranks through the Winter Dew Tour’s qualifiers in Breckenridge, Colorado . Broby was selected as a wildcard after submitting a stellar video part to the Virtual Stop contest.
Conor Garrecht-Connelly, 19: selected as a wild card for his 2nd place finish at Vail
Logan Dobson, 16: the Canadian is one of the youngest riders in the field
Cody Buchalter, 18: after reaching the podium at a qualifier in 2011, cracks through with a win this year
Hunter Visser: claimed the last spot with a win at Snowbasin on Wednesday
Hudson Knoll: the other Virtual stop video contest winner
Freeski slopestyle finals kick the weekend off on Friday night, with superpipe finals still to come on Sunday. Check back on gatoradefreeflowtour.com after each event for a full recap.
