Preview
Slopestyle
Big Air
Superpipe
Fresh off his triple cork 1440 last week, Bobby Brown clinched first in Thursday's slopestyle finals at the World Skiing Invitational, also the inaugural Association of Freeskiing Professionals World Championships, at Whistler, BC. This is the last slopestyle contest of the season. In future years, organizers hope this championship event, which will determine the overall AFP rankings for the season, will be used as a qualifier for Olympic team selection.
In the men's field, the contest was determined on the first of two runs, with Brown taking the lead with a first run that included a switch double 900 and right and leftside switch double 1080s to earn a score of 94.8, the highest of the day. Tom Wallisch took second with a 93 and Gus Kenworthy took third with 90.2 -- both scores earned on the first lap.
This was Wallisch's first podium since sustaining a shoulder injury in January. "The injury really broke up my season," Wallisch said. "I haven't been doing so well lately so to be near the top again and land a clean run feels really good."
In the women's field, four-time Winter X event slopestyle champ Kaya Turski took another gold, with Ashley Battersby and Anna Segal rounding out the podium in second and third, respectively.
Turski's run included a stylish rail section, a switch 540 and a cab 720. "It was basically the same run I've been doing all year," Turski said. "But next year, it's not going to hold up." Turski added that she's been working on natural spins and inverts to change up her run for next season.
On Saturday night, the AFP Championships continue with a big air contest under the lights at Whistler Village. Stay tuned to ESPN Freeskiing for more updates.