Martin Earns Bronze in World Championships Debut; Gerard Fifth; Henricksen Seventh
SILVAPLANA, CE (March 21, 2025) 16-year-old Ollie Martin stepped up under pressure in the first event of the 2025 FIS Snowboard World Championships slopestyle final to earn a bronze medal - this is Martin’s first career World Championships appearance and first medal
Originally set for Sunday, Mar. 23, finals were rescheduled for Friday, Mar. 21 to take advantage of the weather window. Martin was joined by two Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team teammates in finals, 2023 FIS slopestyle Crystal Globe winner Dusty Henricksen and 2018 Olympic slopestyle champion Red Gerard, each bringing their own unique style and steeze to the Silvaplana course.
Gerard was first to drop for the Americans and had a solid start to his run before an uncharacteristic mistake on his front double 10 on the transition feature, which ultimately denied him the full pull. Although a low score was given, Gerard stood in podium position for the majority of the first run, as rider after rider fell victim to the flat light conditions that plagued the World Championship final. Despite a laced second run, Gerard’s run cumulative two score’s of 74.61 was unable to crack the top three and earned him fifth on the day.
With a gold chain around his neck and rocking his signature stache, Henricksen dropped into the picturesque Silvaplana slopestyle course and earned the first full pull of the morning. Complete with a flawless 50-50 frontside 270 boardslide & massive switch backside rodeo stalefish in transition, Henricksen sat in third place heading into run two. A fall on the first jump of his third run ultimately took Henricksen out of medal contention but the “sleepy style” rider put on a show for the European fans lining the course, proving why he’s one of the most stylish riders in the world, and ultimately took seventh place overall.
With both American veterans out of the top three, the 16-year-old rookie was the last hope for the American’s to secure a World Championships slopestyle podium. Stoic as ever, Martin locked in and delivered the run of his life, switching up his final two tricks last minute after watching his fellow competitors level up. Martin upgraded his back-16 to a back-18 on the third jump and opted for a double crippler on the sharkfin over a cab double nine. The judges awarded his versatility with a score of 78.98, earning the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team rookie the 2025 Snowboard World Championships slopestyle bronze.
“Switching things up last minute made things super stressful,” said Martin, visibly realized after the contest was over. “I didn’t feel confident the run I had planned would give me a good enough shot at the podium so I talked with my coaches and decided to change it up. I’m so glad I did and just relieved I was able to put it down. Really happy to have pushed through the stress and have used it to my advantage.”
Spot owned.
Martin’s third place finish marks the second consecutive World Championships slopestyle bronze for the United States, with Olympian Chris Corning taking the chocolate medal in 2023.
The slopestyle team will be lucky to squeeze in a nap over the next few days as big air training at the 2025 FIS Snowboard World Championships begins tomorrow, Saturday Mar. 22. Snowboard big air qualifications are scheduled for Mar. 24-25 with finals on deck for Thursday, Mar. 27.
