SKIING NEWS ITEM

Free Ski Open Closes With Spectacular Slopestyle

THURSDAY, 30 AUGUST 2007

Lake Wanaka, New Zealand – The final day of the Volkl New Zealand Free Ski Open featured the Red Bull Slopestyle on a day that ranged from blizzards to bluebird, highlighting the level of the riders who threw down amazing tricks in less than perfect conditions.

An international field of 35 men and 11 women took on the massive Snow Park NZ slopestyle course providing a spectacular display of big airs and technical rail riding with a final that drew shouts of appreciation from crowd, riders and judges alike.

Adam Delorme (USA) stole the show with huge double front flips with a switch 1080 over the massive 60ft kicker combined with good clean rails. Colby West (USA) took second place spinning all his rails switch followed by a switch 720 to a switch 1080 on the kickers. Jossi Wells was the highest place New Zealander in third spinning 900 to 1080 on the kicker. On the bottom rail he attempted a misty flip (front flip with a 180 spin) not quite pulling it off but when he tried it again after the competition he landed it perfectly which was the first time this extremely difficult and highly technical trick had been seen in competition.

The USA also took first and second place in the women’s event with Keri Marie Herman earning first place doing big 360s over both the giant kickers with a difficult true tip grap (grabbing very tip of ski) and confidently sliding the rails. Yesterday’s halfpipe champion, Angeli Van Laanen came in second with a huge 360 into a huge 540 on the kickers combined with technical rails.

The Volkl New Zealand Free Ski Open closes with the Icebreaker Big Mountain Heli-Accessed Finals public viewing in downtown Wanaka tonight where final results for the extreme skiing element of the event will be announced, together with a People’s Choice award.

Visit www.freeskier.co.nz for more information.

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