2009 Dew Cup champion Spencer O’Brien enjoyed her first victory since the 2010 season, taking the top spot in the women’s slopestyle finals at the Nike Open.  O’Brien led the field after her first run and improved on her second with a 90.75, more than 10 points higher than the nearest competitor.  Her run of frontside boardslide into frontside lipslide, followed by a backside 540 melon, switch backside 540 mute, into a 50-50 backside 180 and switch backside 180 mute, finished off with a huge frontside 720 indy, impressed the crowd and judges alike.  Enni Rukajarvi, 79.50, and Sarka Pancochova, 72.00, took second and third respectively. O’Brien was both excited and relieved to return to familiar territory atop the podium.

“I’m so excited to win in Breck.  The first contest I won was here in the first year of the Dew Tour.  It feels really good to be back on top in Breck.  I’m really looking forward to Snowbasin.  I’m feeling good going forward,” said O’Brien.

Norway’s Germund Braaten took home a victory in slopestyle snowboarding at the Nike Open in Breckenridge, Co., the first of three stops on the Winter Dew Tour.  Braaten, who was competing in his first final on the Dew Tour, bested a field of the top names in slopestyle snowboarding with a technical and stylish run that pleased the crowd on-hand here in Breck.  Braaten started off his run with a switch back tail 270, cab boardslide to front boardslide to fakie, into a switch backside double cork 1080 and cab double cork 9 followed by frontside 180 into the wallride with a 180 off, finishing with a backside double cork1080 and frontside double cork 1080, to score a 97.75, the highest slopestyle score in Dew Tour history.   Sebastien Toutant, 96.00, and Charles Reid, 90.00, took second and third respectively on the first slopestyle podium of the season.  After suffering a shoulder injury at last year’s Nike Open here in Breckenridge, Braaten made the most of his return.

“I couldn’t even imagine this.  I’m just really happy to put my run down and I’m excited to see where the winter takes me from here,” said Braaten after the win.

Words & photos: Allisports.com