Saas-Fee, Switzerland – China’s Xuetong Cai and Tore Holvik of Norway won the first halfpipe contest of the 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup season, held Thursday in Saas-Fee.nCai’s teammate, Zhifeng Sun, helped Team China secure a 1-2 punch to top the women’s podium, which was rounded out by Ursina Haller of Switzerland in third. On the men’s side, Japan’s Ryo Aono and Mathieu Crepel of France completed the podium in second and third, respectively. No American or Canadian riders entered Thursday’s competition.

Holvik, 2, was surprised to land atop the podium as Thursday marked his first ever World Cup triumph in 30 starts.

“I was aiming for the final but I never expected to finally win it. I’m super stoked,” said Holvik, who threw in a frontside air, backside 540, frontside 900, backside 900 and a frontside 1080 double cork to finish things off. It was the final spin which made Holvik the most proud.

“It was the first time that I tried the double cork. And it worked out. It’s unbelievable,” added an excited Holvik.

It was this trick that enabled Holvik to edge out Aono, the reigning World Champion, who himself stuck a method air to frontside 1080, cab 720, frontside 540, backside 540 and frontside 900 in the first run.

Crepel, too, threw some style on Thursday by by nailing method air to frontside 900, air to fakie, switch backside 900, haakon flip and frontside 1080 on only his third day of halfpipe riding after the summer break.

“I’m happy but I was also lucky that the others weren’t able to stick their runs. But I guess this is it, right?” Crepel, the 2007 Double World Champion who suffered a minor shoulder injury during Thursday’s warm-up run asked rhetorically. “You have to be on top of the game when you have to.”

Just like Crepel, Haller turned up the heat when she had to. While the top ranked European couldn’t defeat the two Chinese riders who executed nearly identical runs consisting of a method air, back-to-back 540’s, frontside 720 as well as cab 540, switch backside air and back-to-back 360’s, Haller’s frontside air, backside 540, frontside 540, method air, frontside 720, cab 360 and a final stalefish were equal to her career’s second best World Cup result.

“I’m absolutely surprised as this was the best World Cup we ever had in Saas-Fee. High class riding in the finals, nice weather and a super pipe,” Haller said. “I had thought of trying an even more technical run for the second run of the finals but then I decided to do the first one again, but more secure and smoother.”

The LG Snowboard FIS World Cup continues on Nov. 20 in Stockholm, Sweden, where the big air cracks will meet for the next round competing at the Winterjam.

Official Results
2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup
Halfpipe Finals – Saas Fee, Switzerland
Oct. 4, 2010

Men
1. HOLVIK Tore­V. – NOR – 27.6
2. AONO Ryo – JPN – 26.5
3. CREPEL Mathieu – FRA – 25.1
4. LONGO Arthur – FRA – 24.9
5. LAARI Ilkka­Eemeli – FIN – 24.4
6. TSUTSUMI Shoto – JPN – 24.3
7. HALLER Christian – SUI – 23.4
8. AUTTI Antti – FIN – 22.9
9. BAISAMY Johann – FRA – 20.5
10. SMITS Seppe – BEL – 19.3
11. KUMAZAKI Keito – JPN – 18.1
12. WAL VAN DER Dolf – NED – 12.9

Women
1. CAI Xuetong – CHN – 25.6
2. SUN Zhifeng – CHN – 24.4
3. HALLER Ursina – SUI – 24.0
4. YAMAOKA Soko – JPN – 21.9
5. SADAR Cilka – SLO – 19.9
6. RODRIGUEZ Sophie – FRA – 19.8