David Wise Wins World Cup Title
TIGNES, France (Mar. 12, 2015)—The final stop of the FIS World Cup halfpipe tour wrapped up under the lights in Tignes, France with David Wise (Reno, NV), Alex Ferreira (Aspen, CO) and Brita Sigourney (Carmel, CA) all snagging podium spots and Wise walking away with his first crystal globe as the halfpipe tour title winner.
WATCH: TIGNES WORLD CUP HIGHLIGHTS
A much anticipated men’s final lived up to its hype with Wise taking an early lead and continuing to increase his score by landing a right double 1440. The crowd thought he had nailed the win, but on the last run, Canadian Mike Riddle outdid Wise to win the World Cup, knocking Wise to second place. X Games bronze medalist, Ferreira claimed third, stomping a clean first run.
“It always plays out interesting at the end of the season for the World Cup title,” Wise said. “There’s so much that goes into it. It's not just one event. It's not just one run. It's the whole season. So to come down with the crystal globe for the first time in my career is an amazing feeling.”
David Wise nails second in the World Cup in Tignes. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom)
Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, CO) who was also in the running to win the World Cup title in both halfpipe and slopestyle, fell during training and did not start in finals, settling for sixth place. Despite not competing in the Tignes finals, Kenworthy still held on for second place in the World Cup halfpipe title. Kevin Rolland of France took third.
On the women’s side, Sigourney put down an impressive third run to earn third place behind Ayana Onozuka of Japan and Canadian Cassie Sharpe, respectively. Onozuka threw down one of the most impressive women’s runs in history—going higher than most of the men on her second-to-last hit of the night—and won the World Cup title and the crystal globe.
Devin Logan took fifth in the halfpipe finals, which sat her third place in the World Cup title chase for halfpipe. Annalisa Drew (Andover, MA) was eighth in Tignes.
Brita Sigourney (left) took third place in Tignes. (Getty Images/AFP-Jean Pierre Clatot)
The final slopestyle world cup starts Mar. 13 in Silvaplana, Switzerland, where Joss Christensen (Park City, UT) and McRae Williams (Park City, UT) will be looking to take home a coveted crystal globe of their own.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Men’s World Cup halfpipe title podium: David Wise was first, Gus Kenworthy second, Kevin Rolland of France third
- Women’s World Cup halfipe title podium: Ayaa Onozuka of Japan was first, Janina Kuzma of New Zealand second, Devin Logan third
- Mike Riddle’s winning run – left double cork 1260 mute, right double cork 1260 mute, left 900 opposite japan, left alleyoop flat 3 bow-and-arrow, switch left 9 mute, switch right 900 tail
- Cassie Sharpe’s winning run – big safety grab, left 900, right flare safety, left flare safety, left alleyoop truck driver
- Other U.S. men's results in Tignes: Kyle Smaine (S. Lake Tahoe, CA) was ninth, Lyman Currier (Boulder, CO) 11th, Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, CO) 12th, Taylor Seaton (Avon, CO) 13th, Wing Tai Barrymore (Sun Valley, ID) 14th
QUOTES
David Wise, World Cup title winner
It always plays out interesting at the end of the season for the World Cup title. There’s so much that goes into it. It's not just one event. It's not just one run. It's the whole season. So to come down with the crystal globe for the first time in my career is an amazing feeling.
I landed my second run really well, with a double cork 1440, and I was really happy with that, and I kinda thought that might hold up. But then Mike Riddle threw down one of the best runs he's ever done, so that put him into first place. So, last run, I thought to myself, 'OK, well this is going to have to be perfect.’ I dropped in and did the best I could, but it just wasn't quite enough tonight.
Sad to not see Gus Kenworthy out there skiing with me. He qualified first and he's been skiing amazing, but that's the way it goes.
RESULTS
Men’s halfpipe results
Women’s halfpipe results
Men's World Cup title results
Women's World Cup title results
