Ian Hamilton Earns a Return Trip to Freeski Finals, Joins Newcomer Noah Wallace

Despite weather threatening slopestyle events at both Jackson Hole and Mountain High this weekend, freeski contestants at the Gatorade Free Flow Tour proved nothing could stand in their way of giving their top performance in their quest to move from flow to pro. Out west, it was Noah Wallace who earned the freeski win while in the snowy Tetons, Ian Hamilton held the high score.

After pushing the contest back a day due to rain and high winds, the Mountain High slopestyle contest went off with blue skies and sunshine Sunday morning. The skiers took to the well-tended park, where Wallace stomped a run with a rightside 900, switch left 720 and switch right 900, following stylish domination of the rails. A repeat contestant in the Tour, Wallace will make his first trip from Spokane, Washington to the Finals in Snowbasin, Utah. Coming in second was Chris Verrue, while Alek Hackel snuck into the third place spot.

"I’ve entered a bunch of Gatorade Free Flow comps in the past and always got second or third," an excited Wallace said after his victory run. "I’m so psyched to win today and get the trip to Utah for the Finals!"

Mountain High Freeski Slopestyle Results:
1. Noah Wallace
2. Chris Verrue
3. Alek Hackel
4. Danny Arnold
5. Hudson Knoll

Ian Hamilton awaits his turn to drop in

Ian Hamilton earned his second trip to the Finals Sunday, advancing from Jackson Hole. Versatility and constant unseating of the leading amateur made decisions hard for the judges. In the last run of the entire day, Ian Hamilton claimed a well deserved victory over Noah Morrison by laying down a perfect switch left 900 mute-grab, rightside 540 tail-grab, and a textbook 450 onto the downbar. Morrison finished in 2nd, with Max Heard placing 3rd.

Jackson Hole Freeski Slopestyle Results:
1. Ian Hamilton
2. Noah Morrison
3. Max Heard
4. Jonah Elston
5. Trevor Jackson

With their wins, Wallace and Hamilton earn automatic bids into the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals that will take place at the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, February 9-12, 2012 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah.

Ian Hamilton