Langland, Fourth at VISA Big Air
Hailey Langland earned the top finish of the day for the U.S. Snowboard Team, landing in fourth place at the VISA Big Air presented by Toyota at Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She earned her combined top score with a Cab frontside 900 indy, followed by a frontside 900 Weddle—both first-time tricks for Langland.
The snowboarders were the first to drop in during a full day of big air competition, “It was pretty firm at the start,” said Langland referring to the early morning conditions, “ but as soon as the last couple laps of practice rolled around, the sun started to peak out over the jump, and there’s something about seeing the girls send in conditions like this that makes you want to do the same thing. I’m just really hyped on today – I couldn’t imagine it going better.”
Langland, a three-time X Games medalist, most-recently led the U.S. Snowboard team with a second-place finish in snowboard slopestyle at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup.
“This was really exciting for us,” said U.S. Slopestyle Coach Dave Reynolds, “Hailey worked on these tricks at our most recent camp in Austria and this is the first time she’s landed them in competition.”
Japan’s Reira Iwabuchi took the win for the women landing a backside 1260, which also earned her the women’s VISA Best Trick honors. Big Air champion Anna Gasser of Austria followed in second, and Germany’s Annika Morgan finished off the podium in third—marking her first World Cup podium.
On the men’s side, 17-year-old Chinese rider Yiming Su earned his first podium and the first Big Air podium for China, especially notable ahead of Beijing 2022. Su put down a backside triple cork 1800 indy and a frontside 1800 tailgrab for the best combined score of the day.
“It feels incredible,” said Su. “I still cannot believe this just happened. I just kept training and finally I had the chance to join World Cups and do my best in the competition. I put two tricks down. I couldn’t be happier.”
Second place behind Su went to Austria’s Clemens Millauer, who fired up the crowd with a backside double cork 1620 tail grab and a switch backside 1620 nose grab. Rounding out the men’s podium in third place was Norway’s Mons Roisland, whose frontside triple cork 1800 tail grab also earned him the men’s VISA Best Trick award.
The U.S. National Champions in Big Air were announced at the end of the event—congratulations to Red Gerard and Hailey Langland. Gerard just missed the finals, earning an eleventh place finish at Steamboat.
The World Cup season continues at Copper Mountain, Colorado with the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, featuring the best halfpipe snowboarders throwing down in Copper’s legendary 22-foot Superpipe Dec. 10-11, 2021.
RESULTS
All times EST
Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021
4:00 p.m. FIS Snowboard World Cup Visa Big Air Presented by Toyota Men and Women's Finals, Steamboat, CO, Broadcast NBC
Red Gerard and Hailey Langland accept their U.S. National Champions in Big Air awards. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Mike Dawsy)
