A First For Flynn: Flynn Earns First Career World Cup Podium in New Zealand
It was a storybook ending for Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team's Rebecca Flynn, who took home her first-career World Cup podium with a third-place finish at the 2024-25 FIS Snowboard slopestyle World Cup season opener in Cardrona, New Zealand. Although windy weather conditions forced delays throughout the event and ultimately led to the cancellation of finals, the event did not disappoint. The best riders in the world battled windy conditions and put on a show in Cardrona's Big Bucks terrain park.
Men’s qualifications ran in a double-up format, with the top eight advancing out of each heat. Red Gerard was the first to drop for the U.S. men and earned a solid 70.25 on his first run, stomping a massive back-14 on the final jump feature to put himself in a comfortable position to qualify through to finals. Gerard upgraded to a unique trick – the back-16 – on his second run but just missed putting it down to cap off a stylish and clean line. Gerard’s first run score held firm, earning him fourth place in heat two and a spot in the final.
Heat two also featured Liam Johnson, whose signature precise rail riding earned him a score of 43.00, which held strong throughout the remainder of the competition and punched his ticket to the finals.
Windy conditions forced the cancellation of Sunday's final. To kick off the season, Gerard earned an eighth-place finish, and Johnson took home 16th place, his best finish on the World Cup circuit to date.
Notably, Sean Fitzsimons made his anticipated return to World Cup competition after fracturing his pelvis at the 2024 Visa Big Air in Copper Mountain, Colorado and Youth Olympic Games reigning big air silver medalist Ollie Martin made his World Cup debut.
In a stacked field of 30 riders, Hailey Langland and Rebecca Flynn led the way for the U.S. women. Coming off of an incredible backcountry season, Langland proved why she is one of the best all-around riders in the game, lacing together a solid line that put her in seventh place after run one. Langland was ultimately edged out of the top-8 but walked away with a 13th-place finish to kick off the 2024-25 slopestyle season.
Despite it only being the fifth World Cup competition of her young career, Flynn looked like a seasoned veteran on the course, showing impressive composure before dropping into a high-stakes second run after an uncharacteristic bobble on the final jump of her first run left her out of the top eight. Flynn cleaned up her line and scored a solid 57.58 putting her in the top three amongst a stacked field of seasoned veterans. Her score held strong throughout the remainder of the competition and ultimately secured third place overall, marking her first career World Cup podium.
“I honestly don’t know what to say other than the comp went way better than expected,” Flynn laughed. “Especially considering the challenging weather conditions and lack of practice time. The goal was just to land a run and make finals, so I’m happy to put a run down, especially one that the judges liked. I’m excited to start the season strong and look forward to popping more bottles on the podium in the future.”
With the next slopestyle contest not slated until January 2025, the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team looks ahead to October’s Big Air Chur for the next World Cup contest of the season.
RESULTS
