Monday Mix - June 10, 2019
Jun 10, 2019·Alpine Snowboard
Decisions of the 2019 FIS Spring meetings in Cavtat-Dubrovnik (CRO)
In case you missed it, we posted a recap of some of the key decisions and talking points of this year's FIS spring meetings that took place in Croatia at the end of May, including calendar info, future world championship and Olympic developments, and rule changes. Check that out HERE.
Japan Snowboard announces 2019/20 team nominations; Young guns in focus
The high-flying Japanese squad announced their team nominations for the 2019/20 season this past week, and once again the depth, quality and youth of their squad has them looking like he most fearsome in Park & Pipe. Last season the Japanese claimed four crystal globes, with Takeru Otsuka Reira Iwabuchi claiming the respecctive men's and women's big air trophies, Miyabi Onitsuka taking home the women's slopestyle globe, and 17-year-old Yuto Totsuka taking home his second-straight halfpipe title and Utah 2019 world champs halfpipe silver. With Onitsuka the oldest of the above-mentioned group at just 20 years of age, the Japanese team is primed to a be an absolute force for years to come.
Sticking with the Japanese team, a couple up-and-coming members of the squad were highlighted this week, with 16-year-old Kaishu Hirano interviewed (youngest of the three halfpipe-crushing Hirano brothers) in this video profile by the Olympic Channel. If you don't speak Japanese you can still enjoy some top-quality shredding from his junior world championships runs in Leysin (SUI).
And, finally, check out the incredible profile and 2018/19 season edit from Taigu Hasegawa, a 13-year-old phenom who's already dropping 1260s three ways, as well as boasting one of the best front blunt continued 450 outs we've seen all season...
Chloe Kim (USA) returns to snow
PyeongChang 2018 Olympic halfpipe champion, Utah 2018 world champion, and future parkour world champion Chloe Kim of the USA returned to snow last week, just 12 weeks after undergoing ankle surgery. No word yet on if she's quite back to chucking double cork 10s, but knowing her it probably won't be long until she is.
Canada announces SBX and alpine nominations for 2019/20
After we announced their Park & Pipe squad nominations in last week's Mix, the Canada Snowboard last week announced their 2019/20 speed team, where the likes of Tess Critchlow and Kevin Hill will look to lead the SBX charge, while Megan Farrell and Sebastien Beaulieu will look to bring it in the parallel events.
Epic conditions continue at glaciers around norhern hemisphere
Slovenian speedster Gloria Kotnik had the raceboard out for some turns in Hintertux last week, where conditions look to be absolutely A+ for early June...
...while at Hintertux's Betterpark a load of heavy clips have been dropping from a slew of riders...
...and over Stateside a collection of US Ski and Snowboard SBX development team members are gathered in Mt Hood for the Project Gold camp this week, and the Oregon resort is STILL getting fresh snow...
Pierre Vaultier (FRA) back shredding
After missing the last half of the season after suffering a concussion in training for the Utah 2019 world championships it's good to see two-time reigning Olympic champion (and the winningest man in World Cup SBX history) Pierre Vaultier back on board and arcing some turns...
Eva Samkova (CZE) competes in Redbull 400
The results website is a little (a lot) hard to figure out, so we can't tell you how she did, but photos suggest that reigning women's SBX world champion Eva Samkova - along with her Czech teammates Radek Houser and Radek Vintr - took part in the punishing Redbull 400 race last week in Liberec (CZE). 400 meters of racing on a 37 degree incline track...yikes.
Alpine riders set to tackle the Frodeno Challenge
While the Redbull 400 certainly sounds like a good way to put yourself through 3-6 minutes of hell, what's being called the Frodeno Challenge is another beast entirely. Named after champion Ironman Jan Frodeno, the challenge requires athletes to complete 650km of cycling, 100km of running, and 25km of swimming, all in just SEVEN DAYS (the women's requirements are slightly less, at 520km/80km/20km). Austria's Sabine Schoeffmann and Alexander Payer, along with Germany's Selina Joerg and Swizerland's Patrizia Kummer, have all committed to tackling this monster challenge this week, and we wish them the best of luck.
Staale Sandbech (NOR) takes his Lines to the beach
A few weeks ago slopestyle and big air ruler Staale Sandbech released his groundbreaking "Lines" edit, with three and a half minutes of footage cut to give the viewer the impression of a seemingly neverending, constantly jaw-dropping dream line of hammer after hammer.
Well Sandbech ha since decamped to the beach (in the Maldives? Not sure!) and dropped a tropical-themed Lines-style edit, featuring a little surfing, a little snorkleing, and a whole lot of jealousy-inducing, sun-soaked goodness. Watch and drool...
And on that note, we'll wrap it up for this week. Have a good one, y'all!
