Bardonecchia, Italy – Katarzyna Rusin of Poland and Russia’s Alexey Sobolev won the second and last slopestyle event of the 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup tour Saturday in Bardonecchia.nIn the women’s final Rusin, 17, came out on top with 22.6 points, barely edging out Croatian rider Anja Stefan (22.0) and Rrance’s Lou Chabelard (19.6). On the men’s side, Sobolev clinched his first ever World Cup win, and the first ever by a male Russian rider, with 25.0 points. New Zealand’s Milu Multhaupt-Appleton (24.3) and Austria’s shooting star of the season, Clemens Schattschneider (23.4), who crowned himself first ever Big Air-Slopestyle World Cup title winner, rounded out the men’s podium in second and third, respectively.
Schattschneider might have had the chance to better his score in the second run but heavy snowfall prevented him and Kiwi Multhaupt-Appleton, who had led the pack after the first run, from doing so.
“On the one hand, my board was pretty broken already and on the other hand I couldn’t get the right speed,” Schattschneider explained. “So I decided to take it easy and don’t risk any injuries.”
Schattschneider, 19, nonetheless earned his season’s second podium result to win the first ever Crystal Globe for the combined Big Air-Slopestyle World Cup standings.
“I never expected this title as this was my first ever season on the tour,” he admitted. “I was happy to make it to the finals almost every time. According to this, I’m very happy with how my season went.”
Sobolev was also all smiles in the finish area after it became clear that no one would be able to attack his high score. In 2002, Dmitri Fessenko had posted the only previous podium result for a Russian male snowboarder, finishing second in the Berlin Big Air.
“Although I didn’t expect to win I was hoping for it. The course was super good, well, the weather wasn’t,” Sobolev, 19, said. “I can’t describe how I feel, I’m just stoked.”
Sobolev secured the historic triumph with 270 on to frontside boardslide on the first down rail, backside 720 melon and frontside 720 tail at the first two kickers, backside boardslide to fakie over the canon pole, a switch backside 900 at the last kicker and a cab 180 on to 50/50 to 180 out at the final rail.
In the women’s contest Rusin, who had celebrated her World Cup debut just a day earlier in the Bardonecchia halfpipe event, clinched victory by stomping 50/50 at the first rail, backside 360 to frontside 360 at the first two kickers, 50/50 over the pole, a backside 180 at the last kicker and a 50/50 to 180 out at the last rail to finish things off.
“I’m super happy as I didn’t think of this at all,” said Rusin, who also added that she “tried to calm down before the second run by listing to some music and tried to concentrate to give my best.”