MAMMOTH, Calif., Jan. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Snow season keeps heating up! Monster Energy congratulates its team of freeski and snowboard athletes on a strong performance at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain this weekend. In the official World Cup event and Winter Olympics' qualifier sanctioned by the International Ski Federation (FIS), the team claimed wins and podium spots in key events at Unbound Terrain Park.
In Saturday's Women's Snowboard Slopestyle final, Monster Energy athletes swept the entire podium. Leading the charge, 31-year-old Jamie Anderson from South Lake Tahoe, California, proved her status as the most decorated woman in snowboard slopestyle with a victory despite challenging conditions. She was joined on the podium by 20-year-old Zoi Sadowski-Synnott from Wanaka, New Zealand, in second place and 17-year-old Japanese rookie Kokomo Murase in third place.
The nighttime Men's Snowboard Halfpipe final saw 23-year-old Monster Energy team rider Ayumu Hirano from Murakami, Japan, soar above the competition to claim first place with a stacked run. On Sunday, the Men's Freeski Slopestyle final ended with a walk-off victory for 23-year-old Alex Hall from Park City, Utah. Hall also won the US National Slopestyle Championship and the FIS yellow jersey as Point Leader in the discipline. He was joined on the podium by Canada's Evan McEachran in third place.
Earlier on Saturday, two-time Olympic gold medalist David Wise from Reno, Nevada, clinched second place in Men's Freeski Halfpipe on Mammoth Mountain's giant halfpipe. In the competitive Women's Freeski Halfpipe event, 31-year-old Brita Sigourney from Carmel, California, took home third place. Following a breakout season, 17-year-old Monster Army rider Hanna Faulhaber earned the title of National Halfpipe Champion for Women's Ski Pipe 2021/2022. On Sunday, 23-year-old Maggie Voisin from Whitefish, Montana put down a perfect run to claim third place in Women's Freeski Slopestyle.
From January 6-9, the world's leading freestyle skiers and snowboarders descended upon Mammoth Mountain's legendary Unbound Terrain Park for halfpipe and slopestyle competitions at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix. After taking a hiatus in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Mammoth Mountain once again hosted a FIS Freeski and Snowboard World Cup. With qualifier points for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on the line, the stakes were high, and the level of competition was off the charts.
Here's how the weekend's action unfolded for team Monster Energy at the 2022 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Mammoth Mountain:
Women's Snowboard Slopestyle: Jamie Anderson Claims Win in Full Podium Sweep for Team Monster Energy
On Saturday, the highly anticipated Women's Snowboard Slopestyle final unfolded on the versatile Unbound Terrain Park. After all women's qualification events could be completed successfully on Thursday, heavy winds on Friday reshuffled the schedule, but conditions improved just in time for Saturday's finals.
The ten riders in the women's final hailed from Belgium, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, as well as the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States. Each rider only received two runs to put down a top score on the downhill obstacle course, leaving little margin for error.
As a seasoned veteran, Monster Energy's Jamie Anderson came to show the field why she is the world's most decorated female snowboard slopestyle athlete. In her second and final run of the day, the two-time Olympic gold medalist rose above the competition in signature clean style.
Starting off in the rail section, Anderson put down a perfect frontside boardslide fakie, followed by a Caballerial boardslide switch-up to frontside boardslide on the flat down, and a lipslide 270 off on the big rainbow rail. Heading into the jumps, she blasted a backside rodeo 540 melon into a massive Caballerial double cork 1080 mute grab for 86.32 points and the win.
"I feel really happy, really proud of myself. I had a pretty hard week. Today was the first day I even got to hit the second jump. I missed all the practice before qualies. I'm so hyped. My family's here, Cali is my stomping grounds, so this one feels really special to me," said Monster Energy's Anderson upon taking first place at the FIS World Cup at Mammoth Mountain.
Saturday's victory marks Anderson's third win at a Mammoth event. Recognized as a trailblazer of the sport, Anderson won the inaugural snowboard slopestyle competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia and also took gold in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. As the most decorated woman in X Games history, she currently owns 19 X Games medals total (8 gold, 7 silver, 4 bronze).
Second place at Mammoth Mountain went to Monster Energy rider and reigning slopestyle World Champion Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. Straight out the gate, the 20-year-old blasted a perfect first run including switch boardslide pretzel, 270 gap to lipslide and 50-50 to backside 180 tail grab off the cannon rail. In the jump section, she pulled a big switch backside 900 mute grab and a clean frontside 720 melon grab for 82.50 points.
Saturday's strong finish marks the third consecutive World Cup podium for Sadowski-Synnott and the sixth of her career. The young rookie made history by winning Slopestyle bronze at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, ending New Zealand's 26-year medal drought and becoming a national hero.
Rounding out a full podium sweep for Team Monster Energy, Kokomo Murase from Gifu, Japan took third place in the heated final session. After emerging from Thursday's qualifier in first place, the 17-year-old from Gifu, Japan, posted a high score on her first run of the finals: backside boardslide pretzel, switch boardslide switch-up to front boardslide, 50-50 to frontside 360 off the Mammoth cannon, stylish frontside 720 tail grab and backside 720 mute grab earned Murase 77.94 points.
On the strength of Saturday's podium finish, Murase maintains the lead in the 2022 FIS Park & Pipe overall World Cup standings. The young snowboard phenom made history at X Games Norway 2018 as the first girl to land a 1260 double cork in competition and became the youngest Winter X Games athlete ever to win a gold medal at age 13.
Men's Snowboard Halfpipe: Monster Energy's Ayumu Hirano Secures Dominant Win
On Saturday night, the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe took place under the floodlights on Mammoth Mountain's superpipe. The crowd was in for a spectacular show as some of the world's best vertical snowboarders put on an unforgettable aerial show.
Heading into the contest, Monster Energy team rider Ayumu Hirano from Murakami, Japan had made snowboard history in December: At the 2021 Winter Dew Tour event, the 23-year-old stomped the first frontside 1440 triple cork aerial ever landed in competition, featuring three upside-down spins.
At Mammoth Mountain, the multi-talent who also represented Japan in Skateboard Park at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics put his full talent for mind-boggling aerials on full display. In his winning run, Hirano finessed a perfect frontside double cork 1440 frontside grab, Caballerial double 1440 mute, frontside double 1260 frontside grab, and finally a backside 900 mute grab on the last hit for the highest score of the day at 95.80 points.
Saturday's victory is Hirano's first major international halfpipe competition win since claiming gold at X Games Aspen 2018. His competitive record includes two Olympic silver medals in snowboard halfpipe (2014 and 2018) and two X Games gold medals. He also won the 2019 Japanese National Championships in skateboard halfpipe.
Men's Freeski Halfpipe: Monster Energy's David Wise Takes Second Place
Earlier on Saturday, the Men's Freeski Halfpipe final unfolded under blue skies on the 22-foot halfpipe. Riders in the final represented Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.
In a field predominantly composed of rookies and rising stars, a veteran of the sport rose all the way to the podium: two-time Olympic gold medalist and Monster Energy rider David Wise put together a perfect run to earn a top spot.
In his first run in the final, the 31-year-old from Reno, Nevada, put together a huge switch rightside 900 tail grab, switch leftside double cork 1080 Japan, stylish alley-oop 540 tail grab, leftside double cork 1260 mute grab, and rightside double cork 1260 mute on the final wall. With 95.25 points, the halfpipe icon finished in second place, closely behind New Zealand's Nico Perteous in first place with 97.00 points.
"I've said it before that I've been skiing better than my results suggest. I've been loving skiing and found my passion again in this last off-season. Today was the first day where I really came out swinging and it's a great, enjoyable day of halfpipe skiing," said Wise.
The second-place finish locks in Wise's criteria to be named to the U.S. Olympic Team for the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Games. "It was kind of a fight, so today was really satisfying. Coming out of the gate first run and landing my best run of the season in the last qualifiers for the Olympics knowing before I even dropped in for my second run that I was on the Olympic team was so satisfying," said Wise.
Known as a pioneer of freeski halfpipe riding, Wise has seen and won it all: His unparalleled track record includes two Olympic gold medals (2014 and 2018) as well as four X Games SuperPipe wins (Aspen 2012-2014, Aspen 2018). He also won the 2018 ESPY for Best Male Action Sports Athlete.
Women's Freeski Halfpipe: Monster Energy's Brita Sigourney Finishes in Third Place, Monster Army's Hanna Faulhaber Named National Halfpipe Champion for 2021-2022
The level of competition kicked into high gear during the Women's Freeski Halfpipe final on Saturday. Under blue skies, riders from China, Estonia, Japan, Canada, and the United States battled for top spots and Olympic qualifier points.
Similar to the men's final, an experienced icon of the freeski halfpipe rising climbed all the way to the podium: When all was said and done, 31-year-old Brita Sigourney from Carmel, California, showed the strategy and bag of tricks that made her an Olympics bronze medalist.
In her highest-scoring final run, Sigourney posted a big leftside 900 tail grab, alley-oop tail grab, leftside 720 mute, switch alley-oop 360 Japan, leftside 540 mute, and a rightside corked 720 on the final wall for 87.75 points and third place.
"I wanted to do my own thing today. It was a great day and great conditions. I'm happy to have skied by best," said Sigourney upon taking third place at Mammoth Mountain.
The weekend's result solidified Sigourney's overall qualifier standings to earn an Olympic team nomination. This will be the third Olympics for the 2018 bronze medalist. "I'm really happy to just lock it in today with my family here in California where I grew up skiing. I'm beyond elated just to be able to put down some runs today and ski with an amazing field of women," said Monster Energy's Sigourney.
Brita Sigourney made history as the first woman to land a 1080 in halfpipe competition in 2012. She represented the United States in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and owns four X Games medals (2 silver, 2 bronze).
Finishing closely off the podium, 17-year-old Monster Army rider Hanna Faulhaber climbed into fourth place with an 87.25-point score. This officially earns the rookie a spot in Team USA's Olympic roster. "The possibility of going to the Olympics with all of these skiers I've admired is just amazing. It hasn't sunk in yet," said Faulhaber.
What's more, Faulhaber was named the Women's Ski National Halfpipe Champion for 2021-2022 on the strength of her breakout season. One week earlier, Faulhaber claimed second place at the FIS World Cup event in Calgary, Canada. In December 2021, the young US Ski Team barged into the spotlight with a breakout performance, finishing in third place Dew Tour Copper.
Women's Freeski Slopestyle: Monster Energy's Maggie Voisin Takes Third Place
On Sunday, the action-packed weekend on Mammoth Mountain concluded with the freeski slopestyle events. Initially slated for Saturday, the competitions had to be moved due to adverse weather conditions. But much to the delight of athletes and fans, the finals were able to be contested under near-perfect conditions on the course.
In the Women's Freeski Slopestyle final, 23-year-old Maggie Voisin from Whitefish, Montana dropped in as a top competitor. But her journey to the podium was in jeopardy early on when she missed a rail trick on her first run.
With everything riding on her second and ultimate run of the final, Voisin showed the nerve and consistency to pull through. In the rail section, she finessed a 270 on 270 off on the top rail, followed by a 270 on as well as a switch up on the rainbow rail. Hitting the jumps with speed, Voisin pulled a huge rightside 900 tail grab and switch 720 truck driver for a final score of 90.00 points and third place.
"I'm honestly pretty emotional. It's been a rough start of the year for me. And putting down a run here in smack third place feels really good. I skied really well," said Monster Energy's Voisin on Sunday.
Voisin is looking forward to representing Team USA at the upcoming 2022 Beijing Olympics. The Montana native was slated to compete in the women's slopestyle event at the 2014 Winter Olympics but was sidelined by injury. She currently holds seven X Games medals (2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze).
Men's Freeski Slopestyle: Monster Energy's Alex Hall Clinches Win on Final Run, Evan McEachran Claims Third Place
Saving the best for last, the Men's Freeski Slopestyle final closed out the epic weekend for snow sports at Mammoth Mountain. In a field of Olympic medalists and elite riders, the stakes were high with only two runs per rider to land that top score.
After throwing away his first run score due to trouble in the rail section, 23-year-old Alex Hall from Park City, Utah, needed a big finish to make the podium. And he found it! Dropping in as the last rider of the heated final, the newly minted Monster Energy athlete stomped a run that bumped Team USA's Nick Goepper into second place.
Working the rail section with some of the most technical tricks of the weekend, Hall put together 270 right on 630 off, 270 switch up 270, and a technical switch 270 backside switch front 630 on the rainbow rail. Heading into the jump section with full momentum, he posted a switch 1080 followed by a perfectly landed switch 1440 on the final hit for 95.50 points and the walk-off victory.
"I'm so hyped! Everyone is skiing so well nowadays, you just got to focus on yourself and try your best. We're just all trying to ski our best and as long as you do that, all is good. It all worked out, so I'm stoked," said Monster Energy's Hall, who officially punched his ticket to the 2022 Winter Olympics with the win.
On the strength of Sunday's victory, Hall also won the US National Slopestyle Championship and the FIS yellow jersey as Point Leader in the discipline. The latest addition to the Monster Energy freeski team, Hall is a four-time X Games gold medalist.
Also claiming a podium spot, 24-year-old Evan McEachran from Canada, boosted into third place on his final run. After an early mistake in run one, the two-time X Games medalist found his perfect line as the penultimate rider to drop into the course.
In the rail section, McEachran landed a 450 on 270 off, switch pretzel, and 810 off the cannon rail. In the jump section, the Canadian clutched a huge rightside 1440 safety grab and wowed the audience by pulling a switch left 1800 tail grab on his final hit. Earning a 93.00-point score landed McEachran in third place.
McEachran is poised to represent Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Known for his technical rail skills, he competed in slopestyle at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and finished in sixth place.
For more on Jamie Anderson, Ayumu Hirano, Alex Hall, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, David Wise, Kokomo Murase, Brita Sigourney, Evan McEachran and the Monster Energy snow sports team, visit http://www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for exclusive updates as the snow season continues.
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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