Copper Mountain snowboard halfpipe World Cup preview
Dec 16, 2022·Snowboard Park & Pipe
The 2022/23 FIS Snowboard halfpipe season is set to get underway this week in Copper Mountain (USA), with our annual stop at the Toyota US Grand Prix the first of four halfpipe World Cup events slated to take place between now and mid-February 2023.
This year marks the official start of a new era in halfpipe snowboarding, as last season we bid farewell to the GOAT Shaun White (USA), who officially retired from competition following the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in February.
However, perhaps the new era had already begun in autumn 2021, when three different Japanese riders stomped halfpipe triple corks before the competition season even began - beginning a trend that lead to Ayumu Hirano’s stunning gold medal win at Beijing 2022 where his crowning run started out with a massive frontside triple cork 1440.
Beijing was the last major halfpipe event of the competition season last winter, and while the biggest stars of that show won’t be in attendance at Copper this week - with women’s winner Chloe Kim electing to sit out this competition season, and Hirano selective as always with the events he enters - a strong field is on hand here in Colorado and keen to kick the pipe campaign off on a high.
Qualifications in Copper are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 14 December beginning at 09:30 MT with the women, followed by men’s heat one at 11:55, and heat two at 14:10. Finals are to follow on Friday, 16 December beginning at 13:00. While there is some light snow in the forecast, it should be all systems go for the programme on Wednesday.
Without further adieu, let’s take a look at who to watch at the Copper Mountain US Grand Prix halfpipe World Cup.
COMEBACK KID MADDIE MASTRO LOOKING FOR FIRST WORLD CUP WIN
With no Chloe Kim on the scene this week in Copper, the weight of the host USA squad’s hopes rests on the shoulders of Maddie Mastro, who will be dropping in on her first World Cup competitions since the end of the 2020/21 season.
Mastro suffered a heavy crash at last December’s Dew Tour, and while she was able to compete at the Beijing 2022 Games, a disappointing 13th place result showed that all was not right with the rider who boasts nine career World Cup podiums - as well as a pair of World Championships top-3s.
Now back to full health, Mastro is amongst the favourites here in Copper, and should she be able to put it together and finally capture her first career World Cup win it will be a comeback story to remember for the 22-year-old.
However, Mastro have her hands full with the likes of Cai Xuetong (CHN), Queralt Castellet (ESP), Sena Tomita (JPN) also on the scene here in Copper.
The veteran Cai is fresh off the 10th crystal globe-winning season of her 11-season strong World Cup career (seven halfpipe globes, three overall), which puts her behind only the late, grate Karine Ruby (FRA) on the all-time FIS Snowboard globe rankings.
It’s a truly incredible feat for a freestyle snowboarder on the World Cup tour, where talented young riders are constantly pushing the boundaries and taking over the scene, and Cai shows no signs of slowing down after last season where she took the win at Copper, earned a second in Mammoth Mountain (USA), and finished just off the podium in fourth at Beijing 2022 Olympics.
Speaking of longevity in a youth-first sport, Beijing 2022 silver medallist Castellet has Cai beat by a couple of years, and the 33-year-old comes into her 17th World Cup season still, somewhat incredibly, looking for her first crystal globe. Considering that the Spaniard won her first Olympic medal in fifth go-round at the Games last year, don’t count Castellet out this season.
As for Tomita, she finished second overall on the halfpipe World Cup rankings last year behind Cai, and the 23-year-old also finished second behind Cai at last season’s Copper competition. Look for her to once again be pushing for top spot this week.
SCOTTY JAMES LOOMS LARGEST IN DEEP MEN’S FIELD
For the men we’re looking at the same situation as the women here in Copper, where the Olympic champion won’t be on hand but darn near every other rider who matters in halfpipe snowboard will very much be dropping in.
Looming largest amongst those on the men’s side is Scotty James (AUS), Beijing 2022 silver medallist and winner of just about anything there is to win in the pipe, from World Championships to crystal globes to X Games golds and everything in between.
However, James was largely absent from the World Cup last season as he focused on the Games, entering only the Laax Open where he finished a surprising 11th. Look for him to right the ship and be in the hunt for his seventh career World Cup victory - and his third at Copper - on Friday.
While Ayumu Hirano won’t be dropping in on the US Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, the Japanese team is still the strongest force in halfpipe snowboarding even without their three-time Olympic medallist, with Ayumu’s brother Kaishu Hirano, Yuto Totsuka, Ruka Hirano and and handful of others all outrageously talented. Totsuka and Ruka Hirano in particular have been exceptional at Copper with podiums in both of the last two events here, including a win for Ruka at last year’s competition.
Beijing 2022 bronze medallist Jan Scherrer was second here in Copper last season and can be counted on to bring his unique style to the event once again, and the same can be said of Taylor Gold, who’s got two prior victories at Copper, though none since the 2014/15 season.
With the likes of Chase Josey, Lucas Foster, Joey Okesson, Toby Miller and a handful of others riding along with Gold, the US team is looking primed to make some noise this weekend on home soil.
Finally, watch out for Valentino Guseli (AUS), the 17-year-old triple-threat who’s fresh off his first career World Cup victory at the Edmonton (CAN) Style Experience big air this past weekend. Guseli now has podiums in both slopestyle and big air, and it’s just a matter of time before he adds a pipe top-3 to that tally. When he does, he’ll join an elite group that includes Finnish legends Janne Korpi and Peetu Piiroinen and perhaps a couple of others with top-3’s in all three Park & Pipe competitions.
WHERE TO WATCH (livestream links below)
skiandsnowboard.live (USA), Eurosport 2 Asia, Eurosport Asia streaming, ORF Sport+ (AUT), CBC streaming (CAN), CCTV16 (CHN), CT Sport Plus streaming (CZE), TV3 Sport 3HD (EST), V Sport + (FIN, NOR), L’Equipe streaming (FRA), JSPORTS 2 (JPN), TV3 Sport (LAT, LIT), ESPN Latin America, Polsat Sport News (POL), JOJ Sport (SVK), TVE/Teledeporte (ESP), V Sport Vinter (SWE), Viaplay streaming (GBR)
QUICK LINKS
Copper Mountain Toyota US Grand Prix halfpipe World Cup data page (start lists, livescoring, results)
YouTube livestream (with geo restrictions)
