Adelisse takes Destne win, while Ruud and Tanno claim globes
Mar 01, 2020·Freeski Park & Pipe
The 2019/20 FIS Freeski Big Air World Cup season ended with a competition that many who were there to watch are describing as the best big air contest of all time, where the athletes on hand put behind a week of weather-related struggles and stepped up in a massive way at the Destne (CZE) Freeski Soldiers event in a remarkable show. And, when it was all said and done, France’s Antoine Adelisse would walk away with his first career World Cup victory, while Birk Ruud (NOR) and Giulia Tanno (SUI) would take home the 2019/20 big air crystal globes as the top riders of the season.
Rain, hail, snow, and wind all effected training and qualification throughout the week in Destne with the difficulties presented by the weather resulting in the unfortunate cancellation of the women’s big air competition, while also testing the resolve on the men right up until time for semifinals on Saturday evening.
However, come that time, perfect conditions finally presented themselves in the Czech Republic and held right through to Saturday night’s finals. And, there, with the massive Destne jump in the best condition seen all week, the top 11 skiers (one athlete was a DNS due to a crash in training) on hand absolutely attacked the evening’s competition in front of the huge Destne crowd.
Historic level of competition for the men in Destne
All signs pointed to historic level of skiing right from the word ‘go,’ as 10 of the 11 skiers on hand stomped their first hit, with none scoring lower than an 80.75, and seven of those 10 tricks earning a score in the 90s - lead by Adelisse and a 96.25 for his right side triple 1620 mute grab.
Through the second run their would be multiple lead changes as the heavy hits kept coming, but in run three Adelisse would throw down his trump card, stomping a near-perfect switch pre-nose grab triple cork 1440 that nobody else in the world can do like him. The trick would earn him a score of 98.00; giving him a combined score of 194.25, a lead which would not be touched, and the first victory of his World Cup career.
“Tonight was the highest level ever, and I finally landed those tricks in this competition,” Adelisse smiled from the finish area, “It was kind of revenge for me for a couple other competitions this season (that didn’t go my way). I couldn’t be more happy to win this competition today. I’m so proud to be able to do this thing (the switch pre-grab triple 1440) that nobody can do. There’s been a lot of work behind this and I’m so proud to finally land my tricks and finish in first place. It means a lot to me. It means a lot. And then to finish third on the World Cup overall as well…this is the best night of my life.”
As Adelisse mentioned, the win vaulted him into third overall on the 2019/20 FIS Freeski Big Air World Cup standings, which was the highest result possible for anyone else on tour, with Birk Ruud and Alex Hall (USA) locked in a battle atop the standings as the only two skiers who could possible take home this season’s globe.
Ruud came into the competition with a 30 point lead on Hall, and he would leave the competition still on top and holding the crystal globe, earning second place on the evening with a combined score of 191.50 for his switch left double 1620 tail grab and left double bio 1800 mute.
“It feels amazing,” Ruud said after the awards ceremony, “I’ve been trying hard to get this globe. It’s tough though - I’ve already finished second overall twice. But now I’ve finally got the globe and it’s such a great feeling. It’s not easy. Everyone is skiing so well and the level keeps going up and it just gets harder for every comp. I don’t know how many 90-point scores there were tonight, but there was a lot. Crazy stuff.”
Ruud would finish the season with 320 points, while Hall would have to settle for second overall with 240, and Adelisse would sneak into third overall with 188 points - just three points ahead of Canada’s Teal Harle.
Third place on the evening in Destne went to Ruud’s Norwegian teammate Ulrik Samnoey, as the 18-year-old earned his first career World Cup podium with a showstopping performance that included what was likely the largest stomped air of the evening in his switch triple 1440 truck driver, as well as a left side triple cork 1620 safety for a combined score of 188.50.
Dropping last in the final run was Elias Syrja (FIN), who had coming into the final run of the evening in top spot but had been bumped into fourth place by Samnoey’s last hit. And with his final jump Syrja’s night ended on the wrong note, as he sent his air to the very end of the landing, appearing to injure his leg in the process. While it was a sad note to end on
Tanno claims first women’s globe
While the women were’t able to compete at what would have been there World Cup season finale in Destne, the season’s top three did stick around for Saturday night’s awards ceremony. There, Giulia Tanno would receive the first crystal globe of her career after locking down second-place finishes in all three of the women’s competitions of the season for a final points total of 240.
“It feels insane,” said Tanno on her globe win, “I didn’t really expect to have that many podiums. This is the most podiums I’ve had in one season in my career. I was coming back from an injury and I didn’t really have two many expectations for this season, I just wanted to stay healthy. It’s special to win this. The level of riding was so high all year and the girls just keep progressing every competition. It’s super nice to see.”
Behind Tanno with 200 points was her Swiss teammate Mathilde Gremaud, for her second-straight season of earning runner-up status on the big air World Cup rankings. Third place, meanwhile, went to Norway’s Johanne Killi, who finished just back of Gremaud with 195 points.
And, finally, the big air nations cup would be handed to the Swiss team, with Tanno and Gremaud along with the likes of Andri Ragettli, Fabian Boesch, and the rest of their squad rewarded for a strong season from top to bottom of the team.
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