First World Cup Victory for Martin; Gerard Second at the Snow Rodeo
Sixteen year old rookie Oliver Martin earned his first World Cup victory, and subsequent first World Cup podium, and veteran teammate Red Gearard finished just behind him in second place at Saturday’s slopestyle competition at the the Calgary Snow Rodeo.
The Hydro Flask U.S Snowboard Team put seven riders through to finals on the men's side of competition and the squad came out swinging. After two solid top-to-bottom pulls from Judd Henkes and Sean FitzSimons, rookie Ollie Martin looked to continue the American momentum and delivered. Martin kicked off the rail section with a back 450 boardslide to fakie, a half cab back boardslide 270 and a back boardslide cord 630 weddle before sending a switch back double cork 1260 melon and a back double cork 1440 gorilla on the first two jumps. His third and final jump was the true show stopper- a front double cork 1440 indy off the shark fin feature that had the Canadian crowd on their feet. Cool, calm and collected as ever was Martin as he received his first run score from the judges- a massive 80.60 that put him in the top spot heading into run two. Teammate Red Gerard was the only rider to get in striking distance of Martin’s score, showing veteran composure under pressure to post a second place worthy 78.63 on his first drop after a string of mistakes attributed to the slushy conditions from the warming temperature plagued the second wave of riders
Despite stringing together a solid second pull, Martin was not able to best his first run score on his final attempt and was left anxiously waiting in the finish area with nine riders left who could ruin his chances of a podium result. The rookie watched as teammates Fynn Bullock, Judd Henkes, Sean Fitzsimons, Jake Canter and Dusty Henricksen all aimed for the top spot, but none of the Americans were able to shake up the top-three. Martin and Gerard’s first run scores stood in the top two spots for the entirety of the second run and ultimately earned the teammates a spot next to each other on the podium. Martin’s win in Calgary checks two major milestones off the list for the young sixteen year old rookie- his first World Cup podium and first World Cup victory.
“It feels amazing, I couldn’t be more happy," said Martin. "I didn’t think I was going to do this well today in such a stacked field, but I’m so happy and proud of my riding. Waiting for the other riders to drop was super stressful, especially because of how good everyone is, so I’m just stoked to be on the podium and it makes it even better that it’s a win. So cool being up there with Red, too.”
Martin’s previous best result was a fourth place finish in the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota last month in Aspen. Gerard’s second place finish marks his second time on the podium this season after taking the runner up spot in January’s Laax Open. This was his first podium appearance in Calgary.
Dusty Henricksen, the top American qualifier heading into the final, took fifth overal, Jake Canter seventh, Judd Henkes eighth, Fynn Bullock 12th and Sean Fitzsimons, coming off a third place finish at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen, 15th. Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team's Rebecca Flynn was the lone American woman to qualify through to the main event and put down a first run heater to earn her fifth overall on the day.
The Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team sits in fifth overall in the Nations Cup standings and Gerard moes up to second place in the men’s snowboard slopestyle overall standings.
The slopestyle squad has a few weeks off from World Cup competition before heading to Austria’s Absolut Park Flachauwinkl in mid-march for the final slopestyle competition of the 2024/25 FIS Snowboard World Cup season.
Results
Women
Men
