Watch the video of the slopestyle qualifiers with the runs of Arthur Longo, Mathieu Crepel and the two winners of both boy and girl categories, Chas Gudlemond and Jenny Jonnes.
Second day at the European X Games here in Tignes. Today we had some pipe trainings and the slopestyle qualifiers, both for the girls and the boys. This actually was a bit of a problem ...
Why that? Because THE big question of this second day at the European X Games was the shape of the slopestyle. (The pipe is perfect). Indeed it has been modified every single day before the competition since it is unridable and sometimes the riders can't reach enough speed. It snowed during the night so there is a thin layer of fresh cold snow that is not making it any better...
At 10am today, we see it during the girls' qualifiers. Impossible to have enough speed to go over the MANY tables. Most of the girls will bail on some tables and throw 180's and 360's on the knoll of the kickers... But the tables will be rided (especially on the second runs when the sun came out of the clouds and warmed up the riders and the snow...) We saw some 360's, 540's and even a 720, but nothing compared to the real level of the girls who are here.
The results of the qualifiers:
1- Jenny Jones
2- Sina Candrian
3- Spencer O'Brien
4- Silje Norendal
5- Sarka Pancochova
6- Kjersti Buaas
The afternoon the girls left the floor to the boys. Some riders canceled last minute: Mikkel Bang and Andreas Wiig didn't show. But still, the riders list is quite impressive:T-Rice, Ettala, Daviet, IPod, Grilc, Helgason...
But the speed problem has not been solved yet and lots of the riders are having hard times and land on the flat... Victor Daviet crashed on the knoll of the last table, Eero Ettala will do the same few runs later. With all these tables and this speed problem the program's changed and we see some suitcase tricks, some backside and even a SWITCH BACKSIDE AIR - SUITCASE by Halldor Elgason who made us dream but who finished one before last. (Obviously we don't have the same tastes as the jury...) Some riders are doing better like Arthur Longo who goes high on a Switch Rodeo Back on the first hit and crashes a bit on the flat while Travis Rice lands his rodeo back in the middle of the landing on the last table. This very table on which the other riders land on the knoll...
Between two runs, the shapers have the super eco-friendly idea to spread salt on the slopestyle... (The salt will end in the water-tables). But if we think about the many hours of cat driving, the douzen of skidoo, the helicopters flying over the resort, it is not like the salt was a big concern to them anymore... Anyways the salt works and the problem is solved but the riders are not giving the best of themselves, there is still a big apprehension.
Results:
1- Chas Gudlemond
2- Marko Grilc
3- Eric Willet
4- Christian Haller
5- Sage Kostenburg
6- Iouri Podlachtikov
7- Travis Rice
8- Stephan Maurer
We hope that the slopestyle will be improved again for the finals.
Now we are working on a little video that will be online tomorrow morning in this very article!
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