Frederickson with the $10,000 prize: picture credit score Lisa Mutz-Nelson

Europeans win in opening spherical at Howellsenhill

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colorado – Friday’s 2023 World Professional Ski Tour season opener at Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs was a day of surprises and turmoil.

The European landed on the prime of each the boys’s and ladies’s parallel slalom races because the reigning Tour champions took the again seat within the ever-falling snow, ferocious winds and more and more tough situations.

Within the males’s division, No. 1 qualifier and World Professional Ski Tour veteran Michael Ankeny had an thrilling begin from the beginning. He got here out of the gate first in spherical 16 along with his hair on fireplace. Nonetheless, within the quarter-finals he confronted Norwegian Matthias Tefre, narrowly beating him within the first run, however was scrapped within the second run, with Tefre firing forward to advance. When catching the gate, Ankeny wrapped the gate panel round his ft and crossed the end line.

go along with all one’s may

“It occurs whenever you’re pushing it,” stated Ankenyi, who received back-to-back in Steamboat final yr and completed second general. “Typically I miss a line or misjudge. My preparation was non-existent this yr.

Three-time Professional Tour champion Rob Kohn was additionally eradicated within the quarterfinals to face Swiss slalom specialist Reto Schmidiger. Retschmidiger had simply completed his 4th place end on the No-Am in Burke, Vermont, and certified for his first Professional Tour race.

“I put the skis collectively and did a light-weight boot-out on the second run in a row. One thing pushed me out of my line. ought to have taken,” Cohn stated.

Photograph by Lisa Mats Nelson

new chief

Austria’s Simon Breithus Kammerlander misplaced within the first spherical to Slovenia’s Micha Kuerner. Quellner then confirmed no mercy on French Tour rookie Jeremy Laget. Raget confronted Joachim Lindstor of Norway within the semi-finals in a photo-finish showdown, the place he received by 0.001 seconds. Tefle overwhelmed Schmidiger within the semi-finals earlier than going through Laget within the ultimate spherical. The race culminated in a fierce match, with each athletes competing for pace. When Tefre crossed the road with a giant win and a test for $10,000, Lagier ended up snowboarding off-course after the bounce.

In accordance with Tefre, a senior on the College of Vermont and a constant prime 10 finisher on the GS and slalom school circuits. “I struggled a bit in qualifying, however by spherical 16 I understood how you can slide the course and the hills.”

The consensus among the many racers was that the blue course was quicker on the highest and the purple course was quicker on the underside. Tefre has provide you with a profitable technique that works for each.

course connection

“After I was doing the blue, I attempted to cost as a lot as doable on the highest and take it straightforward on the underside. I received

The 23-year-old Norwegian stated beating Ankeny was an actual confidence enhance.

“I’ve had some good runs so I’ve gotten taller on skis,” Tefre stated. am.”

Ladies’s race successful rookie

In a small however stacked subject within the girls’s occasion, newly retired World Cup slalom specialist Erin Mierzinski put down her hammer early on to simply declare the highest qualifying spot. Regardless of being simply eight, the Canadian, who received the World Cup and had quite a few prime 10s alongside slalom, confronted rookie Rachel Deroches within the quarterfinals earlier than Slovak Olympian Sona Moravcikova. and received each run. Cicada.

Sweden’s Evelina Frederiksson, in the meantime, was busy pushing ahead. WPST rookie, 23-year-old Westminster Faculty Tech Her racer beat USA’s Shea Soneva Scott within the quarterfinals and within the semifinals she defeated 2022 WPST champion Norway’s Shea Tuva Norbye . With two fortunate breaks on account of errors made by their opponents, Norbay was finally screeched by Moravchikova to complete third within the small ultimate as Mierzinski and Frederiksson went head-to-head within the championship spherical. I used to be.

Males’s champion Matthias Tefre picture courtesy of Lisa Mats-Nelson

final second shock

Mielzynski continued her dominating streak till the penultimate run.

“I tousled my timing at first, so I missed the pole plant after I went skating. “The blue course was quicker on the prime. The purple course was quicker on the backside so she wasn’t glad. You may’t let go. She was hammering.”

Mierzinski slowed down, however Frederiksson, who scored a podium on this very hill on this December’s FIS slalom race, adopted her for a lot of the run. The Swede then made a mad sprint in the course of the course and each girls crossed the road in unison.

“I felt just a little bit quicker down the purple observe, however I may very well be just a little behind up there,” Fredericksson stated. “She was forward of me within the center and I attempted to make a clear flip. I attempted to catch up. I used to be stunned. It was actually enjoyable.”

The lads’s and ladies’s Tremendous Slalom can be held on Saturday at Howelsen Hill.

Friday, January 6 outcomes

Ladies’s grades

Males’s outcomes