LAAX, Switzerland, Jan. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Monster
Energy's Chloe Kim Returns to Competition with 1st Place
Performance in Women's Snowboard Halfpipe at Laax Open 2021 Jamie
Anderson Dominates Women's Snowboard Slopestyle / Yuto Totsuka Wins
Men's Snowboard Halfpipe
Monster Energy congratulates its team of snowboard athletes on a
strong performance at Laax Open 2021 on Crap Sogn Gion mountain in
Switzerland this weekend. On
Saturday, the Women's Snowboard Halfpipe final saw the return to
competition of 20-year-old snowboard phenom Chloe Kim with a dominant victory. In the heated
Men's Snowboard Halfpipe final, 19-year-old Yuto Totsuka from
Yokohama, Japan, claimed the win
with a technical run for the history books.
On Friday, two-time Olympic gold medalist Jamie Anderson from Lake Tahoe, California, kicked off her 2021 season by
winning the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle final against an elite
field of international riders. Anderson was joined on the podium by
her teammate, upcoming New Zealand
ripper Zoi Sadowski-Synnott in
second place.
Considered one of the most important snowboard events on the
calendar, Laax Open kicks off the FIS Snowboard Tour 2021 season
for Slopestyle and Halfpipe. Over 200 riders from 25 countries
competed at the Open between January
19-23. Upping the ante, Laax Open provided a rare chance to
score points toward Olympic qualification, because few events are
expected before Beijing 2022 due
to the ongoing pandemic.
This year's edition of Laax Open was contested without the usual
crowds and musical performances amid full Covid-19 safety
precautions. Fans and spectators watched the action via television
broadcasts and online channels, while access to competition sites
was limited to athletes, trainers, and event staff. The threat of
the pandemic became apparent when large parts of the U.S. and
Canadian Slopestyle teams – including Monster Energy rider and
certified podium threat Max Parrot –
were forced to withdraw from competition after several athletes had
tested positive for Covid-19.
Nevertheless, the full level of snowboard progression was on
display and all disciplines were able to crown winners in final
competitions. Here's how the action unfolded this weekend at Laax
Open 2021.
Women's Snowboard Slopestyle: Monster Energy's Jamie Anderson Takes First Place, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott Finishes in Second
Place
In the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle event, Monster Energy team
riders pulled off a clean podium sweep in Wednesday's semifinals:
Anderson, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and
Japanese snowboard wunderkind Kokomo
Murase qualified in first, second, and third place,
respectively. The eight-rider final on Friday featured elite
snowboarders from Austria,
Australia, Canada, Japan, New
Zealand, and the United
States on a challenging course peppered with six features
that tested air and rail skills.
In the two-run final session, all eyes were on 30-year-old
snowboard icon and Monster Energy athlete Anderson from
California. Amid stormy weather
and overcast skies on Crap Sogn Gion mountain, Anderson opened with
a solid run for a 74.66-point score but found herself trailing
Sadowski-Synnott, who took an early lead.
Digging deep into her unique bag of tricks, Anderson showed the
field of rookie competitors why she's still the most decorated
woman in snow sports. On her second run, Anderson finessed the rail
section with a half Cab tail bonk, backside bluntslide 270 off, and
frontside bluntslide 270 on the up rail. In the jump section, she
pulled an alley-oop backside 540 stalefish over the hip, followed
by a huge Cab double 900 Weddle, frontside 720 Weddle, and
frontside 180 butter to switch backside 540 Indy on the table
obstacle for 84.35 points and the win.
"I'm really happy! I decided I was just going to send it and try
to go as big and stylish as I can. I'm just ecstatic!" said
Anderson upon taking first place in Women's Snowboard Slopestyle in
Laax this weekend. Speaking on the significance for Olympic
qualifiers, she said: "This is super important! I am only doing a
couple of events [this year], maybe this and X Games. I am so proud
of myself riding with all these youngsters."
Friday's victory marks Anderson's fifth Slopestyle win at Laax
Open. She previously claimed the title in 2008, 2011, 2012 and
2016. Anderson has earned ten FIS World Cup wins, with two coming
from Big Air contests. She heads into next week's X Games Aspen
event as the most decorated woman in X Games history. Having
claimed 17 X Games medals total (6 Gold, 7 Silver, 4 Bronze),
Anderson has surpassed Shaun White
and Mark McMorris for the record of
holding the most Snowboard Slopestyle gold in X Games history at
six medals.
Also taking a podium spot in Laax this weekend, 19-year-old
Sadowski-Synnott from Wanaka, New
Zealand, stepped into the Women's Slopestyle final with
confidence and a powerful first run full of heavy hitters.
Approaching the course in her signature technical style,
Sadowski-Synnott put down a spine transfer 270 out on the
double-barrel, 50-50 to frontside boardslide, and backside
boardslide 450 underflip on the up rail. She blasted into the jump
section with a Cab backside 540 underflip before launching a
frontside 720 Weddle, backside 720 melon, and frontside 180 up to
switch backside 540 stalefish on the table obstacle for 82.96
points and a strong second-place finish.
During her breakout 2020 season, Sadowski-Synnott earned gold in
Women's Snowboard Slopestyle at X Games Norway 2020. She currently
owns three X Games medals (2 gold, 1 silver) and was recognized as
'Rookie of the Year' in the 2020 Snowboarder Magazine Awards.
Sadowski-Synnott made history as the first athlete from
New Zealand in 26 years to win a
Winter Olympics medal when she earned Slopestyle bronze at
PyeongChang 2018.
Women's Snowboard Halfpipe: Monster Energy's Chloe Kim Returns
with Dominant Victory
On Saturday night under the spotlights, the snowboard action
culminated in the Laax Superpipe. Revered as the world's largest
snow halfpipe, the Olympic-sized superpipe at over 22.5 feet in
height and 650 feet in length provided the perfect backdrop for a
spectacular show. As a special treat, the Women's Snowboard
Halfpipe event saw Monster Energy's Chloe
Kim return to competition. In 2019, the 20-year-old from
Long Beach, California, had
decided to take a two-season hiatus to focus on her academic
studies at Princeton.
But making a comeback at Laax was no walk in the park for the
Olympic gold medalist. After qualifying into the final in first
place, Kim was in for a harsh awakening in the six-rider contest.
On her first run, she lost her momentum after a botched landing and
found herself trailing behind in fifth place at 30.25 points as
Japan's Mitsuki Ono took the lead.
When it all came down to Run 2, the 'Queen of the Superpipe'
once again proved her grace under pressure. Opening her run with a
huge method air, Kim put down a frontside 1080 tailgrab, switch 720
Weddle, frontside 900 tailgrab and a classic McTwist with a slight
alley-oop angle for a score of 89.75 points, taking the win more
than 13 points ahead of the next competitor.
"I'm so happy I was able to land something today and just really
stoked to be competing again. It's been almost two years. I was so
nervous coming into this competition, but super happy to be back!"
said Kim upon claiming the Women's Snowboard Halfpipe Win at Laax
Open 2021.
Saturday night's victory brings Kim back into the winner's
circle after ending her 2019 season with a second-place finish at
the Burton U.S. Open. The Team USA
winter sports athlete officially holds all of snowboarding's major
titles: Kim took gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics as well as X
Games Aspen 2019 and the 2019 FIS Snowboarding World Championships.
She won her first U.S. Open halfpipe title in 2016 at age 15 and
was listed among the 'Most Influential People of 2018' by TIME
Magazine. Welcome back!
Men's Snowboard Halfpipe: Monster Energy's Yuto Totsuka Takes
1st Place with Epic Run
In the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe event, a field of twelve
international top athletes took on the Laax Superpipe. As riders
from Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, and the
United States went head-to-head in the night session, one
thing became apparent: Even the global pandemic can't hold back the
rapid evolution of halfpipe snowboarding that manifested in
ultra-technical runs replete with 1440-degree rotations, technical
switch tricks and never-been-done moves.
But as the action progressed in the final session, it all boiled
down to a storied rivalry: Monster Energy's Totsuka against
Australian halfpipe phenom Scotty
James. On their last encounter at the 2020 U.S. Open, it was
Totsuka who gained the upper hand after trailing James for several
seasons. But straight out the gate, James was back to dominant form
at Laax Open 2021. A flawless run propelled James to the top of the
leaderboard with a 93.25-point score, leaving Totsuka in close
second place at 90.25 points.
When it all came down to his second run, next-generation ripper
Totsuka needed to show the judges something they had never seen
before. And he did: Dropping into the Laax Superpipe, Totsuka
started his run with a massive frontside double cork 1440 right
into a never-been-done combo of switch frontside double cork 1260
into a switch backside double cork 1080, followed by a backside
1260 and frontside 1260 for the weekend's highest score of 95.25
points and first place.
"I'm super happy to make the double cork into the 1080 for the
very first time in my life and take the win today," said Totsuka
upon taking first place in the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe final at
Laax Open 2021 on Saturday.
Known as one of the pacesetters of halfpipe snowboarding's
evolution, Totsuka has already earned FIS World Cup Crystal Globe
wins in 2018 and 2019, as well as the coveted 2020 U.S. Open title.
Looking ahead, the reigning Japanese national halfpipe champion is
set to return to competition at X Games Aspen next weekend. The
rookie already owns two X Games silver medals – will this be the
year for Totsuka to claim his first X Games gold? Stay tuned!
Download Photos for Editorial Use.
Speaking of X Games, prepare for the greatest winter sports
spectacle kicking off in less than one week from now. X Games Aspen
2021 will bring together elite athletes across ski and snowboard
disciplines on Buttermilk Mountain in the heart of the Rocky
Mountains for the 20th-consecutive year from January 29-31, 2021. Expect the world's best
performances across Big Air, Slopestyle, Halfpipe, and Knuckle Huck
disciplines. For the first time, the live action will be
supplemented by the virtual X Fest fan experience for a chance to
win prizes, enjoy exclusive content, and connect with X Games
sponsors including Monster Energy.
For more on X Games Aspen 2021 and the Monster Energy snowboard
team, visit http://www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter for exclusive
behind-the-scenes looks from the 2021 snowboard season.
###
About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California,
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Media Contact
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Agency, Inc., (949) 300-55465, kim.dresser@indiepragency.com
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