Conditions on the pipe were very windy and icy today. Gusty winds came and went, pelting the riders faces with snow. The announcer, Todd Richards, even joked that he was getting a nice exfoliating facial from all the little pieces of ice that were flying about. Despite the less than perfect conditions, the Superpipe qualifier riders had an excellent competition.

This year the pipe is 21 feet tall, three feet larger than last years. The extra height lets the riders get more air. In a bigger pipe, if you can keep up your speed, you can go huge; however, if you lose speed early on, it’s harder to gain it back.

Roxy rider Summer Fenton boosted nice straight airs in the beginning, doing back to back fives.  She pulled a 720 right at the end which is  what got her into the Main Session. Congratulations to the top 6 Superpipe Qualifiers. They will be competing in the Main Session tomorrow.

1. Nadja Purtschert from Rickenbach (SUI)
2. Rana Okada from Shign-ken (JPN)
3. Jenna Dramise from Truckee, CA (USA)
4. Summer Fenton from San Francisco, CA (USA)
5. Allyson Carroll from Truckee, CA (USA)
6. Erica Montgomery from Tahoe City, CA (USA)

Due to high winds on the course, the Slopestyle Qualifiers are postponed until tomorrow morning.