Saas-Fee, Switzerland –Spain’s Queralt Castellet and Swiss local Iouri Podladtchikov on Thursday won the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup season’s second halfpipe contest in Saas-Fee.
In the women’s competition, Castellet, 21, secured her career’s second World Cup win with a score of 87 out of a possible 100 points to force France’s Sophie Rodriguez, who had won last week’s Europa Cup on the Allalin glacier in Saas-Fee, to the second spot. With 75 points, Swiss rider Ursina Haller rounded out the podium in third and took over the lead in the halfpipe rankings.
Spain's Queralt Castellet rides to victory Thursday in the World Cup halfpipe on the Allain Glacier in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. (photo: FIS/Oliver Kraus)
On the men’s side, 95.3 points brought Podladtchikov his second career victory in Saas-Fee, the highest elevation freestyle contest on the World Cup tour. As was the case when Podladtchikov first won here in 2010, Japan’s Ryo Aono had to settle for second place with 91.3 points. Finn Janne Korpi finished in third position with 87 points to maintain his lead in both the halfpipe and overall freestyle snowboard rankings.
Riders had to cope with gusty winds in Saas-Fee but nonetheless delivered top-level riding. After sitting in the snow and listening to music while he waited for winds to calm down, Podladtchikov took advantage of a windless window and dropped in for what turned out to be the winning run, consisting of a backside 900 mute to frontside 1080 tail, cab 1080 tail, frontside 540 indy and a backside air to finish things off.
“I was so relaxed and just listened to The Doors,” the 23-years-old said. “Just like at my last win here four years ago, I had the same feeling again. A feeling of knowing that I could and would be able to do it. And that’s weird as the pipe was icy and it wasn’t easy with the wind. But the pipe crew did an amazing job and prepared a perfect pipe. I rarely have runs like this in the training. Even for me, it was a ‘wow run’”.
Thursday’s win helped Podladtchikov forget that he had torn his syndesmosis ligaments in his lower leg last year in the Saas-Fee pipe. “I guess I wanted too much last year,” he said, “so I tried to take it more relaxed this time. And it worked out. I’m so stoked!”
While the Swiss national team rider celebrated his third win on home turf, Castellet was all smiles after winning her second World Cup. And just like the event’s top male rider, Castellet seems to have a special connection to the Swiss pipes as she also won here first one in Switzerland, in Arosa in 2011.
“But I don’t think it is related to Switzerland or so. It’s got more to do with the top conditions. I’m stoked that I was able to win especially as we all had to cope with the wind while trying to pull down our runs,” explained Castellet.
Throwing in a frontside air to backside 540, frontside 540, backside air and frontside 720, all topped with some incredible amplitude of the tricks, the smallest rider in the field edged off some contenders who might have had more technical runs but didn’t stomp them as cleanly as the Spaniard did.
In the end, Castellet left standing not only Rodriguez (frontside air to McTwist, air to fakie, cab 720, frontside 720 and cab 360), but also Haller, who was the only female to try to stick a 900 (frontside 900 to backside 540, frontside 540, backside air, frontside 720, cab 540).
“I’m pleased with the result although I could have done better,” said 25-year-old Haller, the third place finisher. “If I would have pulled down a cleaner run I guess I could have placed better. But I wanted to do this run and am happy that I did so. In the end, it was the right decision.”
