Utah 2019: Halfpipe preview

Feb 07, 2019·Freeski Park & Pipe

Freeski action at the Utah 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships is set to move to the Park City’s Eagle Superpipe in the coming days, with the qualifications slated to go down on Thursday, February 7 and the finals following up on Saturday, February 9.

Despite harsh weather conditions that caused the postponement of the slopestyle competition, the dedicated team of organisers, course workers and volunteers is on hand at Park City to do their best and deliver a successful world championships competition. And with the promising weather forecast for the upcoming days, hopes are high that the event will run smoothly and the new world champions will be crowned once the finals cap off on Saturday.

And with the 600-feet-long, 70-feet wide and 18-degree pitch Olympic-caliber superpipe, as well as the world’s best halfpipe skiers on site at Park City and ready to battle for world champs gold, all the pieces are in place for some exciting days of competition ahead.

In the ladies event it looks like it’s going to be a tight battle between the 2018 Olympic Champion Cassie Sharpe of Canada and the rising pipe superstar Kelly Sildaru who will be dropping in for Estonia.

Sharpe has been a dominant figure in the ladies’ halfpipe scene in the recent years, winning all possible competitions from Olympic Winter Games and World Cups to Dew Tour and X-Games. She’s also coming straight off a big victory at Buttermilk Mountain two weeks ago, where she edged out Sildaru in a very tight battle for gold.

Still the 16-year-old ripper from Estonia has already proved she’s capable of landing a run that can put her straight on top of the halfpipe podium, and the world championships stage at Park City is the perfect place for Sildaru to try to upset Sharpe on her quest for the world championships gold.

When looking for favourites for podium, also count in the local favourite Brita Sigourney, Rachael Karker of Canada and Zhang Kexin of China.

Moving to the men’s event, the USA’s Aaron Blunck will enter the competition at Park City as a reigning World Champion from Sierra Nevada. Backing him up will be the two-time reigning Olympic champion David Wise, as well as the 2017/18 halfpipe World Cup crystal globe winner Alex Ferreira, and that US trio will be aiming to sweep the podium in front of the home crowd.

However let’s not forget about the young gun from New Zealand, Nico Porteous, who knows how to step it up on the biggest stage. And look to athletes like the veteran Kevin Rolland of France, or the Canadian stylish paoir Noah Bowman and Simon d’Artois, all of whom have the tricks repertoire to grant them spot on the podium at the Utah 2019 world championships.

Competition Programme

Thursday, February 7

11:15 MST - Ladies’ Qualification

13:30 MST - Men’s Qualification

Saturday, February 9

11:00 MST - Ladies’ and Men’s Finals

Watch live:

ORF Sport + (Austria), CBC Sports Streaming (Canada) CT Sport (Czech Republic), ETV2 & sport.err.ee (Estonia), live-stream on www.areena.yle.fi (Finland), Silk Universal & Silk Sport HD1 (Georgia), ARD Streaming (Germany), Connected TV & online (Great Britain), Ziggo Sport Extra (Netherlands), Match Arena (Russia), SRF Zwei (Switzerland), NBC Sports (USA).

Live-streaming will be also available on FIS Freestyle Youtube Channel (geo-blocked in countries with exclusive media rights agreement).

2019 World Cup Leaders

Ladies: Zhang Kexin (CHN)

Men: Simon d’Artois

2018 Olympic Champions

Ladies: Cassie Sharpe (CAN)

Men: David Wise (USA)

2017 World Champions

Ladies: Ayana Onozuka (JPN)

Men: Aaron Blunck (USA)

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