Espen Arvesen from Norway wasn't a top contender here today until his second qualification run when he went so huge he claimed the maximum points for amplitude, and took the lead over the 10 riders who had made it to the finals after their first runs. Although he couldn't repeat this performance, none of the others scored even close and Arvesen got the win and a Ducati Monster Dark motorbike.
"It happened to me before," an obviously relieved Arvesen said. "I was in the lead with a high score and felt safe for a win, but someone always made it up then. That is why I was not convinced until the last rider finished. I wanted to perform more technical tricks in the second run - maybe a 1080 which not so many people do, but otherwise I did not change anything from the first run. I am stoked with the win since I have not been doing that good on the FIS tour so far and really wanted a good result... The other good thing is the bike. I always wanted to have one."
His fellow countryman Daniel Franck was in 2nd after the first final run and put everything into his second before crashing right before the finish. "The pipe was pretty slow with all that manmade snow underneath and the fresh snow on top, so it was hard to perform spins and flips. I think the judges were especially looking for amplitude today. That is why I was trying to be fast and go as big as I could," Franck said.
Magnus Sterner from Sweden was sitting in 7th place after the first run but moved up to 3rd, thus stealing the Norwegians chance at a triple podium. "The pipe was good," Sterner said, "except for the fact that it lacked speed." Norway's Kim Christiansen finished fourth.
Sterner still keeps the lead in the halfpipe standings with his teammate Stefan Karlsson, 6th today, in 2nd place overall and Franck, 3rd.
The North Americans dominated the women's contest with US rider Tricia Byrnes taking the win and her second motorbike in three years. "I am thinking about taking the prize money instead since motorcycles are too scary for me," she said, "and I don't want to kill anybody." Byrnes had none of the problems she experienced during this morning's quals and was happy with her runs. "I was having problems with landing the tricks in training and also this morning, so I was glad I pulled it together today. I was just going for solid runs once I made it to the finals and it is just great that I pulled it together when it counted."
Canadian Natasza Zurek crashed in the first run and took the second seemingly more relaxed, ultimately claiming 2nd place. "I was too nervous and then just let it go, so it paid off," she said. "The shape of the pipe was much better today and the weather got better also. This is my best results so far this season so I am really happy."
US rider Kelly Clark, reigning Junior World Champion, took 3rd. "I expected the worst conditions when I got up here this morning," she said, "but, except for the first few runs, it was not that bad actually. The organizers did a great job with removing the snow so it was pretty good riding." Japan's Michiyo Hashimoto, 2nd after the first run, finished 4th.
Stine Brun Kjeldaas, who has won all the World Cup contests she's entered this season did not race today. However, she is still in the overall halfpipe lead, ahead of Hashimoto and Sweden's Anna Olofsson, who was 9th today.
The Snowboard Cross will conclude the event at Kronplatz tomorrow before the riders head on to the World Championships at Madonna di Campiglio.
— Britta Semmler, MountainZone.com Correspondent
