Halfpipe riders checked out the pipe for the 2002 Winter Olympics at Park City, Utah, for the first time today, where the penultimate stop of the 2000/2001 Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup is taking place this week.
When the clouds disappeared early in the day the riders faced perfect conditions and the contest was a perfect show of excellent riding. Fifteen thousand kids from schools all over Utah, invited through the Salt Lake Organizing Committee's Education Department program called "Classroom to Events," lined the course cheering the riders on.
Riders said the flat part of the pipe was too wide which cut the transition and the Olympic committee assured them it will be corrected for the Olympics.
Finnish rider Heikki Sorsa got the high score for amplitude in the finals today and claimed the lead, but Guillaume Morisset from Canada ultimately took the hot seat out of all 10 finalists. In the second run, Sorsa turned it around and finally got the second win of the season under his belt.
"This feels really good," he said, "the weather was perfect, the pipe was great and everyone was pushing the limits so we had a very high level. It also was so much fun riding in front of all those kids, a really nice athmosphere. I decided to do safe in the qualification and then push it when it counted."
Guillaume Morisset who had proved to be a contender already in previous contests pulled second and liked it a lot. "The pipe has been very hard in the qualifications and we all took it carefully but it was nice when it came to the finals with all that sunshine. The kids have really pushed us and we all went to a high level. It was great to feel that they all liked what we were doing and I think we will have a lot of fun coming back here for the Olympics."
Swedish rider Stefan Karlsson had put in a great run for second place in the first half of the finals but then crashed in the second run and finally finished 3rd place. "I felt pretty good although my riding has not been the best ever today," he said, "but I am happy that I made it to the podium. I did not have a lot of training and was just trying to go big so I am happy that I worked it out. I didn't think a lot about the Olympics — that's next year, we first have to make it there and that was in my head today."
Finishing 7th today, his fellow countryman Magnus Sterner was able to defend the lead in the World Cup standings with Karlsson still sitting in 2nd place ahead of Jan Michaelis from Germany who took 9th place today.
Canadian rider Natasza Zurek had presented herself in top shape already in the qualifications and just kept going alike in the finals to claim the win finally. "My goal was to make it to the finals today," she said, "since I really wanted the quota spot for Canada with regard to 2002 and I feld quite confident when I reached that goal. That is why I was not really nervous in the finals, could just ride my best and have a good time. It did not run through my head that this is where the Olympics are going to be so I have not been too worried about it."
Stine Brun Kjeldaas from Norway who had won every contest which she did on the tour so far pulled 2nd today and was happy. "All this reminded me a lot of Nagano," she said, "and I liked that feeling. The pipe was really nice, much softer than in training so we could use the edge a lot better. It should be a bit rounder to make the transition longer but they said they will fix this for the Olympics."
US rider Shannon Dunn took 3rd place. "With this great pipe, the sun and all those people we had a really good time today," she said. "You do not want to drop out in qualifying so everyone was pretty much going to make it a safe run there, but it is a different thing in the finals. I like the fact that the Olympics are going to take place in my home country and all those people around today were so excited."
Sabine Wehr-Hasler from Germany missed the finals and took 8th place, but is still leading the World Cup standings ahead of Kjeldaas and British rider Lesley McKenna who finished 7th today.
The halfpipe will be cut down and filled with snow within the next two days since the final rehearsal for the Olympic Parallel Giant Slalom will be held on the same hill on Sunday.
— Britta Semmler, MountainZone.com Correspondent
