Snowboarding

Historic Big Air Win for USA Teen

by
USSA
2014-12-20 14:36
 
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Dec. 20, 2104) - In front of a packed house at Istanbul’s Technical University Stadium, U.S. Snowboarding’s Ty Walker (Stowe, VT) walked away with her first FIS World Cup win and became the first women ever to win an FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup. The event snowcased big air snowboarding, which is being considered for the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.
 
Walker, who earned $17,000 for the win, landed both backside and frontside 720s for a combined score of 156.5 points besting Swiss Sina Candrian and The Netherlands’ Cheryl Maas.
 
Just 17 years old, Walker was one of the youngest Olympians in Sochi, qualifying for slopestyle snowboarding. She attends the USSA TEAM Academy in Park City, where she’s an ‘A’ student and on track to graduate from high school this spring.
 
 
Over 10,000 fans packed the stadium in Istanbul for the first-ever World Cup in Turkey. (FIS Snowboarding)
 
 
“Before the last jump I was going crazy at the top,” said the teen rider. “I knew I had the trick but I was nervous and I just kept telling myself, ‘I always land my runs in Turkey, I always land my runs in Turkey.’ I was just super positive, trying to get myself stoked. Such a crazy event to do well - great atmosphere, best crowd, best trip ever!
 
For the men, U.S. Snowboarding slopestyle team member Brandon Davis (Mammoth Lakes, CA) landed a Cab 1260 Melon and a BS 1080 Double Cork Nose to Tail Double Grab for a combined score of 179.50 earning him his first FIS World Cup podium in third just behind Swiss up-and-comer Jonas Boesiger and the night’s winner Seppe Smits of Belgium who landed an impressive Cab 1260 Double Cork Indy and Backside 1080 Double Cork Nose taking home his second FIS World Cup win.
 
The event was a showcase developed by FIS to bring big air to a major global city. "Istanbul put on such a spectacular big air event this weekend," said U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Mike Jankowski. "The jump was safe and fun for all the riders. The Turkish people were very welcoming. And for Ty and Brandon to land on the podium made it all the sweeter.
 
"We are eager to compete in more city big air events and are hopeful that the 2018 Olympics will add this exciting event to the program."
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  • First FIS World Cup win for Walker and first FIS podium for Davis
  • First World Cup in Turkey, held in a university stadium in the historic city on the crossroads between Asia and Europe.
  • Big air snowboarding is being considered for inclusion in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.
  • Ty Walker Tricks: Backside 720 Tail and Frontside 720
  • Seppe SmitsTricks: Cab 1260 Double Cork Indy and Backside 1080 Double Cork Nose
  • Brandon Davis Tricks: Cab 1260 Melon and Backside 1080 Double Cork Nose to Tail Double Grab
QUOTES
Ty Walker, FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup Winner
Before the last jump I was going crazy at the top. I knew I had the trick but I was nervous and I just kept telling myself ‘I always land my runs in Turkey, I always land my runs in Turkey.’ I was just super positive, trying to get myself stoked. I was nervous, for sure, but I just kept thinking ‘you know what it feels like to land a perfect front 720.’ Luckily I landed one, I don’t know if it was perfect, but I landed one and was so pumped. Such a crazy event to do well, great atmosphere, best crowd, best trip ever!
 
It’s crazy, at one point I was like, ‘Whoa, I just one a World Cup.’ It’s crazy. It’s hard taking it all in but I’m just so happy to have put down the runs that I wanted and the tricks that I wanted to land.
 
Mike Jankowski, U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach
Istanbul put on such a spectacular big air event this weekend. The jump was safe and fun for all the riders. The Turkish people were very welcoming. And for Ty and Brandon to land on the podium made it all the sweeter. We are eager to compete in more city big air events and are hopeful that the 2018 Olympics will add this exciting event to the program. 
 
RESULTS
 
 

 


 


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