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BRECKENRIDGE — Shaun White showed why he’s considered the best rider in the world; Steve Fisher showed why he’s the local favorite; Louie Vito, Danny Davis and Danny Kass all showed why they’re threats for the Dew Tour pipe title.
All in all, everything seemed to go as expected Saturday in the snowboard superpipe prelims on Peak 8 at Breckenridge.
That is except for the performance of 18-year-old Zack Black.
While White stole the show and captivated the crowd, Breck-rider Black laid down one of the most impressive technical runs of the day earning him a spot in today’s finals.
Fisher, who also rides for Breck, seemed to be one of the few that wasn’t surprised by the high school senior putting up an 84.5.
“Zack is an amazing rider,” said Fisher, who finished fourth in the qualifying with a 93.25. “He does tricks that no one else does. ... His run, hands down, is the hardest run you’ll see.”
Black was a bit more modest, even with the excitement of moving on.
“It’s just different,” Black said of the run. “ ... Everyone has their own style and their way to do stuff, that’s just how I wanted to do it.”
Of course, the qualifying round was won by White, who landed an alley-oop backside rodeo on the first hit of his second run. White earned a 96.75 for his effort, which amounted to a two-point lead over Danny Davis.
White’s rock star status in the sport was on full display Saturday, as the 22-year-old Californian was hounded by autograph seekers after each impressive run.
In his first trip down the pipe, White had tremendous amplitude on his tricks but kept the routine pretty basic. When he kicked off his second run with the rodeo, it was pretty obvious that he’d have a descent lead.
Fellow Californian Danny Kass put up an impressive first run score of 94.5, putting him a spot above Fisher. Antti Autti of Finland rounded out the top-five, and Vito finished in sixth.
Though White put up the top score of the day, the crowd was certainly backing its two hometown riders. Dozens of fans held signs showing their support for Fisher.
“I was surprised; I didn’t know that people would have signs,” he said. “It was great though.”
Fisher was pleased with his score, especially considering the harsh weather conditions on the day.
“The weather is challenging for everyone, so speed is a major factor,” the former X Games gold medalist said. “I ended up just trying to go for amplitude and not get too technical, and it worked.”
Among the notables, Mason Aguirre and the Mitrani brothers, Luke and Jack, failed to advance to today’s finals.
Teter sets pace for women
Though only 21, Hannah Teter is definitely a veteran of the superpipe. That why a little bit of poor weather couldn’t deter Teter, an Olympic gold medalist, in Saturday’s superpipe prelims at Breck.
“You’ve got to try just try to keep yourself positive when it’s windy and snowy,” she said.
She must have taken her own advice, because Teter put up two of the best three scores in the 15-woman qualifying field to take the top seed into the finals.
“As long as you make it, that’s all that matters,” Teter said.
Fellow American rider and last week’s U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix winner at Copper Mountain, Kelly Clark finished just behind Teter in second place. Clark (95.75) and Teter (96.75) were the only women to break the 90-point mark.
“When you go into a qualifying, making it to the next round is the key,” Clark said. “You want to be simple but progressive enough to score well. I was thinking clean and consistent in the poor conditions.”
Gretchen Bleiler rounded out the top-three thanks to a first run that began with a crippler, one of her signature moves. She earned an 83.75.
Kjersti Trondheim of Norway was the top international finisher, coming in fourth.
The final two qualifiers were Australian Holly Crawford and American Elena Hight.
Not making it through to the finals was Torah Bright, who fell on both runs.
All in all, everything seemed to go as expected Saturday in the snowboard superpipe prelims on Peak 8 at Breckenridge.
That is except for the performance of 18-year-old Zack Black.
While White stole the show and captivated the crowd, Breck-rider Black laid down one of the most impressive technical runs of the day earning him a spot in today’s finals.
Fisher, who also rides for Breck, seemed to be one of the few that wasn’t surprised by the high school senior putting up an 84.5.
“Zack is an amazing rider,” said Fisher, who finished fourth in the qualifying with a 93.25. “He does tricks that no one else does. ... His run, hands down, is the hardest run you’ll see.”
Black was a bit more modest, even with the excitement of moving on.
“It’s just different,” Black said of the run. “ ... Everyone has their own style and their way to do stuff, that’s just how I wanted to do it.”
Of course, the qualifying round was won by White, who landed an alley-oop backside rodeo on the first hit of his second run. White earned a 96.75 for his effort, which amounted to a two-point lead over Danny Davis.
White’s rock star status in the sport was on full display Saturday, as the 22-year-old Californian was hounded by autograph seekers after each impressive run.
In his first trip down the pipe, White had tremendous amplitude on his tricks but kept the routine pretty basic. When he kicked off his second run with the rodeo, it was pretty obvious that he’d have a descent lead.
Fellow Californian Danny Kass put up an impressive first run score of 94.5, putting him a spot above Fisher. Antti Autti of Finland rounded out the top-five, and Vito finished in sixth.
Though White put up the top score of the day, the crowd was certainly backing its two hometown riders. Dozens of fans held signs showing their support for Fisher.
“I was surprised; I didn’t know that people would have signs,” he said. “It was great though.”
Fisher was pleased with his score, especially considering the harsh weather conditions on the day.
“The weather is challenging for everyone, so speed is a major factor,” the former X Games gold medalist said. “I ended up just trying to go for amplitude and not get too technical, and it worked.”
Among the notables, Mason Aguirre and the Mitrani brothers, Luke and Jack, failed to advance to today’s finals.
Teter sets pace for women
Though only 21, Hannah Teter is definitely a veteran of the superpipe. That why a little bit of poor weather couldn’t deter Teter, an Olympic gold medalist, in Saturday’s superpipe prelims at Breck.
“You’ve got to try just try to keep yourself positive when it’s windy and snowy,” she said.
She must have taken her own advice, because Teter put up two of the best three scores in the 15-woman qualifying field to take the top seed into the finals.
“As long as you make it, that’s all that matters,” Teter said.
Fellow American rider and last week’s U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix winner at Copper Mountain, Kelly Clark finished just behind Teter in second place. Clark (95.75) and Teter (96.75) were the only women to break the 90-point mark.
“When you go into a qualifying, making it to the next round is the key,” Clark said. “You want to be simple but progressive enough to score well. I was thinking clean and consistent in the poor conditions.”
Gretchen Bleiler rounded out the top-three thanks to a first run that began with a crippler, one of her signature moves. She earned an 83.75.
Kjersti Trondheim of Norway was the top international finisher, coming in fourth.
The final two qualifiers were Australian Holly Crawford and American Elena Hight.
Not making it through to the finals was Torah Bright, who fell on both runs.
