Monster Energy's Yuto Totsuka Takes Third Place in Men's Snowboard Halfpipe at 2021 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo., Dec. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The World Cup season is officially opened! Monster Energy congratulates Yuto Totsuka on taking third place in Men's Snowboard Halfpipe at the 2021 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain on Saturday. Battling a field of the world's top freestyle snowboarders, the 20-year-old from Yokohama, Japan, earned a podium spot in a heated final session.

Sanctioned by the International Ski Federation (FIS), the U.S. Grand Prix marks the official start of the 2021/22 FIS Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup season. Contested at Copper Mountain Resort for the seventh time, the event drew an international field of snowboarders and freeski athletes for a weekend of competitions. At over 22 feet in height and 600 feet in length, the Copper Mountain superpipe is the only of its kind currently in operation in North America and provided a world-class backdrop for elite riders in the discipline.

In Saturday's Men's Snowboard Halfpipe final, the ten qualified riders hailed from only three countries: Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. Winners were determined based on their single best run out of three attempts.

As the final session got underway under blue skies, Monster Energy's Yuto Totsuka from Yokohama, Japan, came in as a podium favorite after a dominant 2020/21 season. But on his first attempt, the 20-year-old reigning Men's Snowboard Halfpipe World Champion was having difficulty putting a full run together.

Ultimately, Totsuka put down his highest-scoring run on the second attempt. A massive frontside double cork 1440, followed by a Cab double cork 1260 mute, switch backside 1080 mute, backside 900 mute and a huge frontside double cork 1260 on the last wall earned Totsuka 87.75 points.

On his third and final attempt, Totsuka tried to up the difficulty and elevation of his aerials but lost the handle on landing a backside 1260 halfway through his run. With fellow Japanese rider Ruka Hirano claiming the top spot, Totsuka finished in third place on the strength of his second run.

Considered as a key driver of halfpipe snowboarding's evolution, Totsuka is the 2021 FIS Snowboard World Champion. The two-time Japanese national halfpipe champion (2017 and 2019) also won the snowboard halfpipe event at X Games Aspen 2021 and owns three X Games medals (1 gold, 2 silver). Other accolades include consecutive FIS World Cup Crystal Globe wins in 2018 and 2019, as well as the coveted 2020 Burton U.S. Snowboard Open title.

Finishing closely off the podium, 23-year-old Monster Energy team rider Ayumu Hirano from Murakami, Japan returned to his first international competition since earning silver at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. This summer, the two-time Olympic silver medalist had represented his country in the Skateboard Park discipline at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. In the final, Hirano threw down a frontside double cork 1440, Cab double cork 1080, frontside double cork 1260, huge backside 900 and frontside double cork 1080 for 87.25 points and fourth place.

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For more on Yuto Totsuka, Ayumu Hirano and the Monster Energy snowboard team, visit http://www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for exclusive behind-the-scenes looks from the 2021/22 snowboard season.

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About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at http://www.monsterenergy.com.

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