David Wise repeats as X Games ski halfpipe champ

Aspen, Colo. — David Wise, 22, of Reno, Nev., earned his second consecutive X Games Aspen gold on Friday night. Wise combined incredible amplitude, boosting 20 feet out of the 22-foot SuperPipe, with unique and technical grabs, including an unprecedented back-to-back double cork 1260 mute.

Wise’s winning run consisted of a rightside 720 to switch double cork 1080, followed by a right side double cork 1260 to a leftside double cork 1260 and capped off with an alley-oop flatspin 540.
 
“It means the same to win it again as it does to win it the first time,” said Wise, “It’s such a challenge to come out and compete with the best guys in the world.”
 
Just on his heels was local favorite, Torin Yater-Wallace, 17, of Aspen, Colo. Yater-Wallace, who captured his second consecutive silver with clean, tight grabs and some new tricks.

In his first contest since shoulder surgery, Yater-Wallace upped the ante in his third and final run with a right side double cork 1260 mute to a stylish alley-oop double flatspin 900, followed by a double flatspin 900 into a leftside 1080 and finishing with a switch rightside 900.
 
Simon Dumont, 26, of Bethel, Maine, earned bronze without poles. Dumont, who is coming off surgery in one wrist and a fracture in the other, still managed to impress the judges with his trademark energy and amplitude.

Dumont’s run included a leftside double cork 1260 that was 19 feet out of the SuperPipe, to a rightside 900 mute, followed by a double flare tail, to an ally-oop 720 to a switch 720 and ending with an alley-oop flatspin 540.

Results
1. David Wise — 95.66
2. Torin Yater-Wallace — 93.00
3. Simon Dumont — 85.66
4. Kevin Rolland — 84.66
5. Joffrey Pollet-Villard — 82.66
6. Tucker Perkins — 78.66
7. Aaron Blunck — 74.66
8. Benoit Valentin — 63.66

U.S. Freeskiing’s Maddie Bowman takes women’s ski pipe

Maddie Bowman, 19, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., was the first competitor to drop into the 22-foot SuperPipe on Friday night; it was that first run which stood above the rest and landed Bowman her first X Games gold.

She started the competition off with some of the most impressive amplitude of the evening. Her first hit consisted of a big 900 to a 540, followed by a smooth tail grab to a cork 900 to 720 to a switch 540.
 
“I’m on cloud nine. It was huge [to land everything on the first run], because I didn’t land anything on my other two runs,” said Bowman, “I’m glad I stuck the first run.”
 
Defending champ Roz Groenewoud, 23, of Calgary, Canada, who was the favorite to win, fought through some bobbles — including a crash on the last hit of her last run — and heightened emotions, for the silver and her fourth X Games medal.
 
“I feel like my last run was one of my best, I’m interested to see how that would’ve scored if I didn’t fall,” said Groenewoud.
 
Megan Gunning, 20, of Calgary, Canada, who is coming off a knee injury, nabbed bronze – her second X Games medal — with a big cork 900 to left 500 to right 500 safety to switch mute and ending with a solid switch 900.

Results
1. Maddie Bowman — 91.33
2. Roz Groenewoud — 86.66
3. Megan Gunning — 85.00
4. Keltie Hansen — 84.33
5. Brita Sigourney — 82.66
6. Annalisa Drew — 81.00
7. Jen Hudak — 77.66
8. Anais Caradeux — 61.66