Pure Snowboard Cross action was on today at Sapporo-Makomanai where the 12th stop of 2000/2001 Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup is taking place this weekend. FIS Snowboard Cross course designer Paul "Ranch" Rossi has built a course with huge obstacles which require a lot of technical skills from each rider — starting with a huge kicker right on top which scared quite a few riders, some of them even refraining from getting to the start today.
A couple of jumps, huge and narrow bank turns, as well as a corkscrew, some rollers and a step-up jump led on to sideway rollers, followed by another pair of rollers and on to the finish jump right before the finish line.
World Cup leader and last year's Makomanai winner Pontus Stahlkloo from Sweden said before the race that it was one of the best courses he has seen so far this season. Planning for another win today, he was knocked out in the first final round and ended up in 17th place.
Instead Jasey Jay Anderson from Canada claimed the gold and his fourth consecutive win in Snowboard Cross racing.
" I liked this course a lot," he said, "it was challenging, especially on an alpine board. It was a battle, everyone in the finals except me was on a freestyle board. It was definitely more of a freestyle course but I'm just used to this one and it would have been like switching from a Formula One to a Volkswagen. I'm used to the Formula One and therefore I stuck with it."
Sweden's Magnus Sterner, usually a halfpipe specialist, took his first Snowboard Cross start this season and ended in 2nd place.
"The course was great and I am happy with the result," he said, "Jasey was so fast and he was really strong at the start. To keep control with that board in the air, that's something special... My main focus will stay the halfpipe, I might participate in another snowboard cross race if they put such a slope in place."
John Fletcher from down under pulled 3rd and liked it even though he had hoped for a win.
"I was trying hard," he said, "but I was happy with my riding and third place is fine for me. I have been struggling in the past four races and never made it any further than the first round so I am glad I could avoid the mistakes and pulled it together today."
Despite being beaten early today, Pontus Stahlkloo is further leading the SBX standings with Anderson at only 30 points behind him right now. Alexander Maier from Austria was knocked out in the quarterfinals and took 10th place but moved up on 3rd position in the World Cup.
New Zealand got the first-ever World Cup victory with Juliane Bray taking the win in the women's race today.
"Third has been my best result in snowboard cross so far. It happened in Whistler back in 1999," she said, "but I was assured afterwards and it feels great to be back on top again. I had so much fun riding today although I was a little scared, especially in the first part of the course but then I found out that had to be aggressive at the first jump and land it straight to keep balance and it worked fine from that time on."
Doris Guenther claimed 2nd place and was happy. "It was good racing and I also had a bit of luck," she said. "After a crash right after the start I tried to get back on my feet as soon as possible and it paid off when Karine Ruby and Nathalie Desmares had some problems further down where I could pass them."
French riders Desmares and Ruby pulled 3rd and 4th and Desmares made it her first-ever podium in snowboard cross.
"I was surprised when I got to the finish," she said. "I was so tired after all those races in January and especially after the World Championships. I was a bit lucky also when some of the others crashed but this is snowboard cross..."
Ruby keeps 1st place in the standings ahead of Sandra Farmand from Germany, who was 7th today and France's Marie Laissus who finished 10th.
The season's fourth parallel giant slalom will be held tomorrow.
— Britta Semmler, MountainZone.com Correspondent
