SWATCH SKIERS CUP 2013, BACKCOUNTRY SLOPESTYLE. Zermatt, Switzerland - February 14, 2013 -​ Team Europe took the SWATCH SKIERS CUP trophy back from defending champions Team Americas today, with a masterful team performance on the Backcountry Slopestyle course. Today’s 10 – 6 win follows their victory on Big Mountain Freeride day, making Team Europe the event champions with a final score of 21 – 11.

A crisp, sunny day greeted spectators and competitors as they emerged from Zermatt’s spectacular Gornergrat Bahn ski train. Riders found the competition face in perfect condition, with 20cm of untouched powder blanketing the venue. The top section of the course featured steep, freeride-style terrain, while the middle and lower sections were filled with hand-sculpted jumps, with the riders taking full advantage of the variety of possible lines and airs.

Team Europe’s Fabio Studer (AUT) had the standout run of the day, entering the course with a switch cork 540 (taking off backwards with one and a half off-axis rotations) off the ridge, drawing cheers from the large crowd as he flashed effortlessly through a hidden couloir, before finishing with a flawless cork 720.

Sverre Liliequist (SWE) kept his momentum from Big Mountain day going with a creative double cliff drop to backflip and a huge double front flip attempt. “Even though Slopestyle isn’t my strength, it doesn’t make me nervous to give it my best try. I know I’m stretching my abilities super far, but the features are very safe and the vibe here is so encouraging that it creates the perfect environment to push your comfort level,” said Liliequist.

Team Americas laid down standout performances as well. Rory Bushfield (CAN) skied an extra run to replace the injured Tim Dutton (USA), nailing all three of his super technical, stylish lines. The last competitor of the day, Charlie Ager (CAN), nearly pulled off a switch landing on his cork 900 in the deep powder of the final jump.

The successful week in Zermatt points to a bright future for the SWATCH SKIERS CUP. “Bringing together 16 of the best riders in Big Mountain and Backcountry Slopestyle has proved to be a winning combination and I’m pleased to be able to announce today that the event will go on. Thanks to our key partner SWATCH, we’re looking forward for the next two editions which are confirmed,” said head event organizers Nicolas Hale-Woods.

The two captains for the 2014 SWATCH SKIERS CUP have just been confirmed, with legendary riders Julien Regnier (FRA) to lead Team Europe, and JP Auclair (CAN) to head Team Americas. Look for the host resort of the next edition to be announced soon on www.swatchskierscup.com.

Today's Quotes

Cody Townsend (USA) – Team Americas Captain
“For my second run, I knew we were out of reach of getting the trophy, with no mathematical way to win. So at that point I told the boys to just go have fun, and for myself, I decided to give this crowd a show and go for my double cork 1080. The rotation was right on but I just went a little, ok, a lot too big. But it was just so much fun.
After that epic Big Mountain day, and then to top it off with today? I mean, it was honestly one of the greatest contests I’ve ever seen.”
 
Julien Regnier (FRA), jump shaper and judge
“We deal with huge challenges to make this event happen. Putting in tons of work on the jumps, and the safety protocols, and judging, and then hoping mother nature cooperates. It’s a job, but I love it, and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”

Markus Eder (ITA)
“This course is a combination of good freestyle features with some Big Mountain mixed in. It’s a little more mellow than a true Big Mountain face, but still with some really cool cliffs to jump. I like this style of event, and I like pure Big Mountain, I think both are cool. So let’s keep this going as a unique celebration, and keep pushing and building on freeride, too.”

Nicolas Vuignier (SUI)
“The 2014 Olympics might be possible for me, but I need to really commit a lot of time to the FIS events. Personally I would rather ride powder than train in the terrain park. When there’s powder I ride powder, and if not I’ll be in the park. And this year in Switzerland there so much fresh snow that freeride is all I’ve been doing. For the Olympics, I think you need to go 100% and just make it your whole focus. And I don’t know if I could do it. If I had to ski park all year I think I’d go mad. I have to ski pow.”

Kaj Zackrisson (SWE)
“I was so nervous coming into this day, cause I’m a big mountain rider. And seeing those kickers and seeing how they’re shaped, its definitely outside of my comfort level. So when I come down those in-runs towards the kickers I have to overcome myself. And then you do it and that’s such a great feeling.”

Fabio Studer (AUT)
“Hitting jumps where we don’t get to practice on them before the event isn’t as hard as people might think. I have to say, I’ve done so many switch 5s, 720s, and cork 3s in my life, that when I pop off the jump I feel if I need to speed up or slow down the trick, like on that big cork 3 on my second run, and I can control the rotation and bring it to my feet.”

SWATCH SKIERS CUP
www.swatchskierscup.com
Thu. 14.02.2013, 15:08
Photo: D.CARLIER, D.DAHER, J.BERNARD / SWATCH SKIERS CUP