Laurie Blouin wins the 2020 FIS Slopestyle Rodeo in Calgary, Alberta
February 16, 2020
THE SNOW RODEO WRAPS UP IN CALGARY WITH CANADIANS ON THE PODIUM - POSITIONING ITSELF ON THE FIS WORLD CUP TOUR AS A WORLD LEADING EVENT
The SNOW RODEO event includes both the World Cup disciplines of Slopestyle and Halfpipe. It also includes both snowboard and freeski as mirrored World Cups. A total of 8 World Cup titles get fought for during the weeklong event.
-Laurie Blouin – Canada’s Olympic Silver medalist wins the Snow Rodeo Snowboard FIS World Cup Slopestyle
-Liam Brearley - Canadian 16-year-old places third in the men’s Snowboard FIS World Cup Slopestyle
-Ruka Hirano – Japanese 17-year-old wins the men’s Snowboard FIS World Cup Halfpipe
-Xuetong Cai – Chinese powerhouse takes out the women’s Snowboard FIS World Cup Halfpipe and overall World Cup Crystal Globe for 2019/2020
-Scotty James – Australian Halfpipe superstar takes out the Snowboard FIS World Cup Halfpipe and overall World Cup Crystal Globe for 2019 / 2020
Laurie was the odds-on favourite to win the event having proven herself consistently since her Olympic Silver medal as being one of the strongest and most consistent female riders in the world. Both of Laurie’s run scores topped the field effectively making her second run a victory lap. Second place went to Silje Norendal (NOR) and third place went to Katie Ormerod (GRB). Laurie has already stood on the podium four times this winter at Elite level events in Europe, Asia the US and now Canada including a Silver at the X Games in Aspen.
16-Year-Old Canadian Liam Brearley placed third in the Slopestyle component of the Snowboard World Cup housed within Winsport’s Canada Olympic Park’s Snow Rodeo Festival. Liam is a Next Gen athlete on the Canada Snowboard National Program. He is progressing rapidly up the ranks having just returned from Switzerland where he achieved the unique result of placing top 3 in Slopestyle, Big Air and Halfpipe at the Youth Olympic Games. Liam is a great young future star who Canada Snowboard recently profiled to get a glimpse into the what he has to do to make the costs of the sport manageable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE-RfWXi2Ok
Scotty James has his record-breaking winning streak ended by the technically brilliant Japanese 17-year-old Ruka Hirano. Ruka Hirano took the Halfpipe Rodeo title with near flawless runs scoring a 94.7 run and a 92.75, both of which won the event over Scotty’s 92.25. Ruka was not only technically superior on the night but also launching higher than anyone else the whole way down the halfpipe and entertaining the crowd in the process. Scotty won Bronze to Ayumu Hirano’s Silver at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Despite sharing a common last name the two young Japanese riders are unrelated although to Scotty it must be challenging to have been beaten by so few riders in major events over the past 3 years and yet he has been beaten twice by a young Japanese Ayumu.
Canada’s highest-ranking halfpipe competitor Derek Livingston had a tough night breaking two of his boards in practice. Despite the huge handicap of competing on a borrowed board the majority Canadian crowd hyped Derek up to a very credible 7th with his supporters wearing giant Derek heads to show the love.
“Last night’s Halfpipe Final was great and really engaging. There were people everywhere which really goes to show what a great atmosphere can be created with a night-time final. The Halfpipe was a perfect competition pipe and the live TV footage under lights looked amazing.” Roby Moresi Contest Director for Park & Pipe
Scotty James did get the last laugh and the main prize for the night however in taking home the FIS Crystal Globe for another year. The Snow Rodeo here in Winsport’s Canada Olympic Park, Calgary was the last stop on this year’s FIS World Cup Tour and with Scotty James being undefeated for the past few years at every Elite level event in halfpipe he was the standalone contender for this year’s title.
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2020 SLOPESTYLE RODEO FIS WORLD CUP RESULTS
Women’s
https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/results.html?sectorcode=SB&raceid=16476
Men’s
https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/results.html?sectorcode=SB&raceid=16477
2020 HALFPIPE RODEO FIS WORLD CUP RESULTS
Women's
https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/results.html?sectorcode=SB&raceid=16474
Men’s
https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/results.html?sectorcode=SB&raceid=16475
2020 SNOW RODEO FIS WORLD CUP PHOTOS
https://canadasnowboard.smugmug.com/
In the Women’s Halfpipe Rodeo finals, it came down to a battle between Japan and China in what could be described as gladiatorial in its brutality. Jiayu Liu took a hit falling hard on the top of the coping in her second run causing her to collapse in pain whist awaiting her score with the live TV rolling in the finish corral. She sought immediate medical treatment and assessment and despite being in a massive amount of pain where walking was near impossible, she managed to drop into the pipe and pull out a higher score than her first run maintaining her third place and podium position. Mitsuki Ono put down a score of 84.25 in her second run slotting the Japanese girl into second unable to catch the first run score of 87.25 that Xuetong Cai had already laid down as the benchmark in her first run.
The Women’s FIS Halfpipe Crystal Globe for the 2019 / 2020 Season went to Xuetong Cai (CHN).
WHAT IS THE SNOW RODEO?
WINSPORT’S CANADA OLYMPIC PARK, CALGARY, ALBERTA HAS JUST HOSTED THE FULL FIELD OF OLYMPIC SNOWBOARD & FREESKI SLOPESTYLE AND HALFPIPE ATHLETES AT THE SNOW RODEO FIS WORLD CUP
This event has been the ONLY opportunity for the entire Canadian National Teams to compete at the top International level at home in 2020 and the only time media can witness these sports at Olympic standard in an Olympic standard venue in Canada.
WINSPORT, CALGARY played host to all Park & Pipe National Snowboard Teams at the Snow Rodeo FIS SS + HP World Cup, from 12 – 16 February 2020.
Canada has hosted most of the World’s Olympic athletes including multiple World Champions and Olympic Medallists from around the Globe for the past week here in Calgary. Canada is one of the World’s strongest nations in both sports and disciplines and WINSPORT is a world class facility featuring Canada’s only 22ft Superpipe and a purpose-built competition slopestyle course that will push the athletes to the absolute limit. This event is the best opportunity to see both sports and disciplines at their highest level in Canada and it is planned as an annual event.
8 x FIS World Cup Podiums are contested at the Snow Rodeo.
Men’s and Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle
Men’s and Women’s Snowboard Superpipe
Men’s and Women’s Freeski Slopestyle
Men’s and Women’s Freeski Superpipe
Snow Rodeo World Cup Sponsors and Canada Snowboard Partners
The Snow Rodeo is brought to you by Canada Snowboard, Freestyle Canada and Winsport’s Calgary Olympic Park.
The Snow Rodeo is proudly supported by our premiere partners Mazda Canada the official automotive partner, Li-Ning is the official apparel sponsor for the slopestyle event, Anta Sport is the official apparel sponsor of the halfpipe event, Red Bull Canada is the official energy drink, Swatch is the official watch, Konica Minolta Canada is the official technology partner, Westin is the official hotel supplier, Flags Unlimited is the official branding and signage producing partner. Thanks to the support of the provincial federations of Alberta Snowboard and Freestyle Alberta.
Huge thanks and credit to the vital support from The Government of Canada, The Government of Alberta and the City of Calgary.
A special thanks to the Indigenous peoples of the First Nation
In the spirit of our efforts to promote reconciliation, we acknowledge the traditional territories and oral practices of the Blackfoot (Seeg-See-Kah, Pee-Kah-Knee and Guy-nah) and sue-ine (Sarcee), the Stoney Nakoda First Nations, the Metis Nation, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
About Canada Snowboard
Canada Snowboard is the national governing body for snowboarding in Canada.
Canada Snowboard is committed to high performance excellence in FIS World Cup, World Championships, World Snowboard Tour and Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games competition. We are supported by valued corporate partners including Burton Snowboards, Zanier Gloves and Mazda Canada, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Canada Snowboard also provides a wide range of programs and support services based on the established principles of Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD). For more information on the services and programs offered by Canada Snowboard, visit: www.canadasnowboard.ca
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