SUPERPIPE DEW CUP GOES TO JOSSI WELLS
A FIFTH PLACE AT THE FINAL DEW TOUR STOP IN MT. SNOW SECURED JOSSI WELLS THE OVERALL SUPERPIPE TROPHY. THE 21-YEAR-OLD COMPLETED THE TRIUMPH OF THE ATOMIC FREESKI TEAM FOLLOWING THE TITLE OF HIS TEAMMATE ANDREAS HÅTVEIT IN SLOPESTYLE EARLIER THAT WEEKEND.
When the Winter Dew Tour, Freeskiing’s most important Event Series with extensive coverage on national TV, entered Mt. Snow, Vermont, for its final stop, one man sat comfortably on top of the overall superpipe rankings. Jossi Wells from New Zealand had placed second at the tour opening in Breckenridge, Colorado, and won the second event in Snowbasin, Utah. Halfpipe superhero Simon Dumont was already 35 points behind with Xavier Bertoni and Mike Riddle following closely. A Top 5 finish was therefore enough for Jossi to secure the coveted overall trophy.
SUPERPIPE LESS SUPER
Bluebird skies greeted the riders to Saturday’s superpipe finals, but conditions were still not perfect. The venue at Mt. Snow, one of the East Coast’s premier freestyle resorts, was simply not big enough for the incredible riding level the top halfpipe skiers have established in recent weeks. Kevin Rolland for example, X Games champion a week earlier with three double flips in one run didn’t even pass qualification as he waived his best trickery due to missing amplitude. Simon Dumont on the other side proved that he still is one of the best. The superpipe veteran employed his signature high airs and a double flip to clinch his first victory of the season. His final run of 900°, Rightside 900°, Double Flare, Alley-oop 720° and Switch 720° knocked Tucker Perkins off the top spot. Third place went to Justin Dorey, the only rider beside Simon Dumont and Tucker Perkins to show a double flip at Mt. Snow.
JOSSI WELLS ON TARGET
Jossi Wells played it safe. Fully aware of his commanding lead in the overall tour standings he opted out of his double flip, a trick the ATOMIC team rider had shown in perfection just a week ago during a second-place-finish at the X Games in Aspen. His run of 900°, Rightside 900°, 540°, Rightside 720°, Switch 720° Shifty and Alley-oop Flatspin 540° exhibited great style as usual, but couldn’t challenge the more technical runs of the top 3. However, placing fifth right behind Xavier Bertoni did the job. Jossi Wells held off Simon Dumont by 5 points in the overall tour standings to win his first Dew Cup. Xavier Bertoni finished third overall. When he realised his triumph, Jossi Wells was totally happy: “To win the Dew Tour was one of my great objectives for this season. Holding this cup in my hands now, just couldn’t feel any better.“