Saturday Superpipe
Sunday Slopestyle
Recap
Men's Snowboard Superpipe
Louie Vito's unbeaten season continued Saturday, as the Ohio native won his third straight pipe contest.
He, like women's winner Kelly Clark, could have won with either of his two runs. That's what happens when you're the only rider in a field of 11 to land a double cork, let alone stick two back to back, as Vito did. Even when he scrubbed out on the final landing of his first run, the judges still gave Vito a high enough score (90.00) to beat runner-up JJ Thomas.
Vito officially won with the 93.00 he recorded on his second run. Thomas took second with an 88.00. Afterward, Vito celebrated in the lodge with nearly 20 family members who made the trip from Ohio and New York to watch him compete.
"A double cork is a good thing to have, but it's not a guaranteed win just by doing one," Vito said. "There are riders out there who don't have a double cork, but if they throw down they could easily beat me."
Thomas, a 14-year veteran of the pro circuit, disagreed. "If someone lands a double cork and the rest of their run is good, it's just basic knowledge: they're gonna beat someone who doesn't have one, no matter how big you go. That's just where the sport's at."
Rebounding from an injury that sidelined him last winter, Mason Aguirre's third-place finish is his first podium win in two years.
Women's Snowboard Superpipe
Back at home on familiar icy East Coast halfpipe walls, Vermont's Kelly Clark won the 48th professional pipe contest of her career, spoiling Gretchen Bleiler's season debut.
Either of Clark's runs would've won, but it was her second-run score of 95.75 that sealed it -- the highest women's snowboarding pipe score in Winter Dew Tour history.
Bleiler, who came to Killington to prepare for her own homecoming at Aspen during Winter X 15, took second with a 92.25.
"The first day coming back east and getting back into the icy halfpipe is definitely an adjustment," said Clark, whose runs were highlighted by massive frontside 900s to start. "But it comes right back. I have a really solid foundation in my riding, and I'm pretty confident in my edging and basics, so coming to an icy pipe doesn't seem to faze me that much."
The victory was Clark's 117th podium in her 11-year pro career. She has podiumed in five of the six events she's entered so far this season, four of which were first place finishes.
Bleiler, who significantly scaled back her contest schedule this winter, was happy to finish second. "I didn't land a single run in practice, then I landed both my finals runs so that feels really good," she said. "And I landed my front 9 for the first time in competition."
Spain's Queralt Castellet took third (86.00), but Saturday's final was a two-woman show.