LAAX, Switzerland (Jan. 20, 2017) – Jamie Anderson (South Lake Tahoe, CA) scored a third-place podium finish at one of the most prestigious contests of the year - the LAAX Open - which served as a stop on the FIS World Cup Tour for the first time in 2017. Julia Marino (Westport, CT) also had a strong showing for the women, finishing just off the podium in fourth. Red Gerard (Silverthorne, CO), who is fresh off his first World Cup podium at Kreischberg last week, was fourth for the men.
The podium was Anderson’s third of the year, after a stellar December that featured wins in big air at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain and slopestyle at the Breckenridge Dew Tour. “I’m really happy,” Anderson said of the finish. “It was a great contest, really progressive.”
Jamie Anderson stood on the podium in third. (FIS-Miha Matavz)
Enni Rukajarvi of Finland won the ladies’ event, while Austria’s Anna Gasser continued her highly successful season with a second-place finish. Also making a strong showing for the American women was Hailey Langland (San Clemente, CA), who finished sixth as the youngest competitor in the field (16).
For Gerard, it was another excellent finish in a year that is proving to be a breakout one for the 16-year-old Coloradan. The strong Canadian men swept the podium—Max Parrot scored his second World Cup win of the season after winning the big air at the Copper Grand Prix, Mark McMorris was second and Tyler Nicholson was third.
The LAAX Open will continue with halfpipe finals on Saturday, Jan. 21. Americans Chloe Kim and Jake Pates lead the charge against a stacked field beginning at 1:00 p.m. CET (6 a.m. MST). Up next for the slopestyle athletes is X Games Aspen Jan. 26-29.
HIGHLIGHTS
- U.S. Snowboarding pro slopestyle team member Jamie Anderson was third. Her first run scored 81.50.
- U.S. Snowboarding pro slopestyle team member Julia Marino was fourth. Her third run scored 75.53: frontside boardslide, Cab 180 frontflip, frontside 540 mute, Cab double underflip mute, backside 720 mute, frontside lipslide.
- U.S. Snowboarding pro slopestyle team member Red Gerard was fourth. His second run scored 79.13: switch backside 270 on pretzel out, frontside 540 indy, switch backside double 1260 indy, frontside 1080 indy, backside triple 1440 mute, Cab 180 on 180 off.
- U.S. Snowboarding pro slopestyle team member Hailey Langland was sixth. Her second run scored 69.98: frontside blunt 270 out, method, frontside 720 mute, backside 540 stalefish, Cab 540 stalefish, switch boardslide.
QUOTES
Jamie Anderson
I’m really happy. It was a great contest, really progressive. It was fun to be a part of it. Unfortunately I fell in both of my last two runs, which was a bit of a bummer. I love the park in LAAX; it has always a cool and creative set up.
RESULTS
Men’s Slopestyle Results
Women’s Slopestyle Results
