The third weekend of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour hit mountain resorts across the country with slopestyle events at Mount Bachelor and Okemo, plus a superpipe event at Killington Resort. From Oregon to Vermont, the competitors came out gunning for a win and hoping to secure their spot in the Finals. Victories went to Max Heard at Bachelor, while out East, Logan Dobson and Tyler Duncan took the top spots.
Max Heard with a 450 out on a cannon rail. His win put him on the podium for the 2nd time in 2 weeks.
Following a recent record-setting snow, the park at Mt. Bachelor was primed for a heavy contest. After 48 competitors were whittled down to the top ten, the freeskiers gave the judges a show as they rode the course for their trip to the Finals. Claiming the win, British Columbia’s Heard scored big with a slide to 270 out up top, a right seven and left 900 tail on the jumps, and a killer slide to 450 out on the cannon. Throwing it down for second place was Carson Lehouillier, while Chris Verrue took third for the day.
"This made my trip from BC well worth it!" said an excited Heard, a week after taking 3rd at Jackson Hole. "I’m so psyched for Snowbasin."
Mt. Bachelor Freeski Slopestyle Results:
1. Max Heard
2. Carson Lehouillier
3. Chris Verrue
4. Keith Forsyth
5. Trevor Hattabaugh
Tyler Duncan is back in finals, and after placing 3rd overall in 2011, he looks like one of the early favorites.
Over 2,000 miles away on the East Coast, competitors vying for their shot into the pro circuits took to the slope course at Okemo and the superpipe at Killington, freshly used by the pros at the Winter Dew Tour. With nearly fifty competitors in freeski alone, it was up to Tyler Duncan, who used consistency and smooth style to land his spot atop the podium at Okemo. Runner-up Freddy Brideweser, a former Finalist, couldn’t top Duncan’s 450 onto the stairs with a 270 out, blind 450 out of the a-frame, switch-on switch-off the kink rail, a switch cork 720 japan to switch bio 900 safety grab. Rounding out the podium was Erik Lukkari.
"The contest was really fun, and I’m glad the weather was nice," said Duncan Saturday afternoon. "I’m psyched to go to Utah!"
Okemo Freeski Slopestyle Results:
1. Tyler Duncan
2. Freddy Brideweser
3. Erik Lukkari
4. Christian Franchino
5. Sam Parker
Logan Dobson was named the winner of the weekend's lone superpipe contest.
Killington held a strong pipe contest Sunday, with contenders coming from all over the northeast and beyond for the contest. Freeskiers flocked to the Killington pipe, where Canadian competitor Logan Dobson cleaned up with a first place run, throwing a huge 900 and following it up with a flatspin 540. Earning a close second place was Nick Rosenburger, while Ari Schneider secured a third place finish.
Killington Freeski Superpipe Results:
1. Logan Dobson
2. Nick Rosenberger
3. Ari Schneider
4. Mark Spinney
5. Gideon Le Gros
With their wins, all three contestants earn an automatic bid into the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place in conjunction with the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, February 9-12, 2012 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah.
