Women’s Pipe Podium: (L-R) Kelly Clark, Torah Bright, Queralt Catellet | Photo: worldsnowboardtour.com / Sarah Brunson

Saturday’s halfpipe finals brought a close to the first North American 5Star event on the World Snowboard Tour calendar, and a close to the first event in snowboarding history that was both a World Snowboard Tour event and a FIS event. The sun was out in full force making the halfpipe a prime location for the finalists to throw down their most technical tricks.

The eight Women finalists battled it out in the two run format leaving only three to stand atop the podium. Australia’s Torah Bright came in first place with 85.75 points. In 06/07 Torah was the Women’s overall tour champion. Today her run consisted of a backside air, air to fakie tailgrab and a cab 720 indy grab. She finished her first place run with frontside air to backside 540 mute and backside rodeo 540 alley-oop melon grab. Kelly Clark (USA) who is currently ranked 2nd in Women’s Halfpipe was close behind Bright with 82 points.

Clark started off with a huge frontside 900, followed by a backside 540 mute, a frontside 720 with an Indy grab then she finished her run off with a Cab 720 and a finally a frontside 540.

Queralt Castellet (SPA) scored an 85.75 for a front straight air, a backside method followed by a frontside 540 tailgrab, a backside 540 mute then a stylish frontside 720 with an Indy grab. Bright was pleased to have began her qualification for the Olympics with this event and to get her Tour ranking points. “I am so happy to have been able to put down a run and to have won, I have got my Olympic qualification underway.”

Men’s Pipe Podium: (L-R) Luke Mitrani, Nathan Johnstone, Louie Vito | Photo: worldsnowboardtour.com / Sarah Brunson

Australia was again on top with Nathan Johnstone taking the win for the Men with an impressive 94.75. Johnstone did a massive backside air, a front double corked 1080 followed by a cab 1080. His last hits consisted of a Cab 1080 Taipan grab, a frontside 900 with a mute grab and to wrap it up a backside 900 with a melon grab.

“It feels unreal, I didn’t expect this result coming into this event I am over the moon right now” Johnstone said about his first place win. “Its great to combine the two together (FIS and Tour Points), every great Halfpipe rider in the world was here today and to compete with all the people I have looked up to for so many years is really special to me” he added.

Luke Mitrani (USA) made it into second place with a 92.75. His first hit was a huge double michaelchuck,, then a front 900 tail grab, a backside air, a frontside 1080 then finally a Cab double corked 1080.

In third place was Louie Vito (USA) with 86.75. Vitto put down a double crippler on his first hit then a backside 540 with a mute grab followed by back to back double corked 1080s then a front side 1080 tail grab.

As Copper calms down after the world’s eyes have been set upon it this last week to see who would be taking home the World Snowboard Tour points and FIS points, the contest season moves forward with the 6Star O’Neill Evolution happening on January 14th to 19th in Switzerland. Also make sure to check out the Red Bull Nanshan open on January 16th to the 22nd. This is the only 5Star event to happen in China this season, with an impressive mix of Male and Female riders it will not disappoint.

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