Park City, UT – Canada’s Rosalind Groenewoud, of Calgary, Alberta, and Mike Riddle of Squamish, British Columbia, were crowned ski halfpipe at Saturday’s FIS Freestyle World Championships held at Park City Mountain Resort in Utah. Keltie Hansen, of Edmonton, Alberta, picked up a bronze for Canada in the women’s category behind American Jen Hudak, of Salt Lake City. Simon Dumont of Dillon, Colo., one of the sport’s greatest stars, earned bronze in the men’s behind Kevin Rolland of France.nThe conditions were trying, with gusting winds and an icy pipe taxing the athletes and forcing some of them to downgrade their runs.

In the women’s event, Groenewoud earned a convincing victory, with a score of 44.70 on her second run in the best-of-two run event. Hudak broke Canadian chances of a sweep with a score of 42.10, and Hansen scored 38.80. X Games champion Sarah Burke, of Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, was fourth at 38.30.

Groenewoud, who goes by the nickname ‘Roz G’, said, “I was pretty nervous, because the last time I competed here — two years ago — I fell on my 900 and got a really bad concussion. I was thinking about that injury way too much, so it feels good to get over that fear and put down a good run.”

Hudak, who qualified first, needed a strong second run to upset what would have been a Canadian 1-2-3. With the final run of the women’s competition, Hudak laid down a very big and technical run, which included a smooth 900, to earn World Championship silver.

“I knew the conditions were going to be tough,” said Hudak. “But to be honest, I didn’t even think of the weather until someone asked me after my run. I had one of the highest amplitudes of the day.”

U.S. women Devin Logan, of West Dover, Vt., and Carmel, Calif.’s Brita Sigourney had solid runs down Park City Mountain Resort’s Eagle Superpipe. The two finished just off the podium in fifth and sixth, respectively.

On the men’s side, Riddle’s 45.60 first run took the victory, followed by Rolland at 45.20 and Dumont at 43.20.

“I’m really happy to come out on top today,” said Riddle. “To be the current World Champ maybe when the Olympics are announced would be super exciting. I think pretty much every competitor out there wants to take ski halfpipe to the Olympics.”

The strong winds impaired Dumont in his final run, blowing him off course, which kept him from challenging Riddle for gold. Dumont’s bronze medal run began with a huge cork 900 into a right side 900 to a double flip 900 with tail grab to an allyoop 720 and ended with a switch 720.

David Wise, of Reno, Nev., had a standout second finals run in which he led off with a super technical double cork 1260. Wise ended in fourth after being ousted off the podium when Rolland wowed the judges with his second run. Joining Dumont and Wise in the finals was Tucker Perkins, of North Hampton, N.H., in seventh. Other Canadian men in the final were 18-year-old Calgary native Noah Bowman who finished in 11th position and Vernon, British Columbia’s Justin Dorey, who finished the day in 12th.

Snowboard halfpipe made its Olympic debut in the 1998 Nagano Games, many, including the outspoken Dumont, consider that the ski version’s inclusion into the Games should be a “no-brainer”, especially considering the young demographic and huge TV audience that the discipline can garner. Dumont articulated what every other competitor at this event was thinking when he told reporters, “The Olympics is our biggest goal, that’s why we’re here, to put on a good show for the IOC.

“Hopefully we proved that we are here, we’re serious and we are going to ski in a hurricane and put on a good show,” added Dumont.

“There is a ton of attention on our sport right now. The IOC is here looking on,” added Hudak. “We just wanted to come out and put on a good show. Hopefully we will have a shot at 2014 in Sochi.”

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships
Park City Mountain Resort, Park City, UT – Feb. 5, 2011
Halfpipe

Men
Gold: Mike Riddle, Canada, 45.60
Silver: Kevin Rolland, France, 45.20
Bronze: Simon Dumont, Dillon, CO, 43.20

Women
Gold: Rosalind Groenewoud, Canada, 44.70
Silver: Jennifer Hudak, Salt Lake City, 42.10
Bronze: Keltie Hansen, Canada, 38.80