Stassel and Gerard Land on World Cup Podium
KREISCHBERG, Austria (Jan. 14, 2017) – It was a great showing for the American men at the first slopestyle World Cup of the season, with Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, AK) and Red Gerard (Silverthorne, CO) both earning spots on the podium, finishing second and third respectively.
It was Stassel’s third World Cup podium of the season - he was third at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix big air at Copper Mountain in December and third at the big air Olympic test event at Alpensia, Korea in November. The Alaskan native also took home the FIS World Championships title on the same Kreischberg course in 2015.
Ryan Stassel scored his third World Cup podium of the season, finishing second in Austria Saturday. (FIS)
The third-place finish was a career-first World Cup podium for 16-year-old Gerard, who is quickly rising to the top of the competitive ranks. Gerard had a technical run that included a switch backside triple cork 1440.
Mons Roisland of Norway took the win for the men; it was his first World Cup podium. Local Austrian rider Anna Gasser earned the win for the ladies—her fourth win of the season. Swiss rider Sina Candrian was second and Silje Norendal of Norway rounded out the podium in third.
Ryan Stassel and Red Gerard stand on the podium in Kreischberg. (Getty Images-Erwin Scheriau)
The World Cup tour continues next week for the slopestyle and halfpipe snowboarders at the Laax Open January 16-21.
HIGHLIGHTS
- U.S. Snowboarding pro slopestyle team member Ryan Stassel earned his third World Cup podium of the season with a second-place finish. His best run scored 83.30: switch 270 to 270 out, frontside 360 hand plant, backside double cork 1080 mute, frontside 1440 indy, boardslide to underfip 450 out, switch backside 1260 mute.
- U.S. Snowboarding pro slopestyle team member Red Gerard scored his first World Cup podium with a third-place finish. His best run scored 81.35: 50-50 back to 270, boardslide to underfip 450 indy out, switch backside triple cork 1440 mute, frontboard to 270 melon out, frontside 1080 melon.
- The snowboard World Cup tour continues next week with this season's second slopestyle and halfpipe event staged at the LAAX OPEN from January 16-21.
