Following a brief holiday break, snowboard and freeskiing competitions have resumed with the majority of the action taking place in central Europe in both Austria and Switzerland. 

In Laax, Switzerland, the 2023 Laax Open World Cup got underway with men’s snowboard slopestyle qualifiers on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Among the field of 57 competitors were Summit’s Red Gerard, Chris Corning and Fynn Bullock-Womble.

Corning recently got done competing in his first competition in the new year in Kreischberg, Austria, from Friday, Jan. 13, to Saturday, Jan. 14. 

After placing second at the Visa Big Air competition at Copper Mountain Resort back in December, Corning qualified for the finals in the fifth and final qualifying spot out of heat one with a combined score of 166.75.

The next day on Saturday, Corning placed seventh overall in finals with a combined score of 128.75. 

Following his top-10 finish, Corning then switched gears to compete in the men’s slopestyle qualifiers in Switzerland. In the first world cup slopestyle competitions of the season, Corning and Bullock-Womble struggled to put down runs that were strong enough to earn themselves a spot in the finals.

Both competitors had runs that looked shaky and were not completely clean from the top of the competition zone to the bottom. Corning recorded a score of 14.5 on his first run and 21 on his second to finish in 48th place out of 57 competitors.

Bullock-Womble, 17, finished in a nearby 52nd place after recording scores of 13.5 and 10.5. 

Gerard had the best performance of the day among Summit talent but missed the final by two places. Gerard recorded a score of 68.25 on his first run, which he improved upon on his second run with a score of 78.25. 

The score was enough for him to earn an eighth place in the second heat, just over two points out of qualifying for the final. Gerard placed 14th overall with California’s Dusty Henricksen earning the top spot in heat two with a score of 93.25. 

Henricksen will be joined by San Diego’s Justus Henkes and Blowing Rock, North Carolina’s Luke Winkelmann in Saturday’s final. 

On Thursday, Jan. 19, the men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe qualifiers will take place in Laax. In the men’s competition, Steamboat Spring product and Summit resident Taylor Gold will compete alongside Dillon’s Chase Blackwell and Telluride’s Lucas Foster. 

The women’s snowboard halfpipe competition will feature Americans Maddie Mastro, Sonora Alba, Summer Fenton, Kinsley White and Vail’s Zoe Kalapos.

Additionally, the men’s freeski slopestyle qualifiers will also take place on Thursday in Laax. Americans Alex Hall, Hunter Henderson and Mac Forehand will attempt to earn their spot in Sunday’s final. 

Live results can be found at FIS-Ski.com.