Valentino Guseli also took part in the big air event in Copper Mountain, which was the fourth and final big air World Cup of the season.

Guseli put down two impressive jumps with 1800 degree spins, scoring 87 points for jump one and 90.50 for jump two, but he missed by one place on qualifying for the 10-man final, finishing in 11th.

Also in action for Australia was Joshua Robertson-Hahn who was 18th in qualifying in his heat, giving him a ranking of 33rd place.

On the final big air standings, Guseli finished the season ranked 12th, with Robertson-Hahn in 40th. Laax, Switzerland, will host the next slopestyle and halfpipe World Cup events scheduled for January 17-20.

NSWIS snowboard super teen Valentino Guseli has narrowly missed out on the podium at the World Cup snowboard halfpipe event in Copper Mountain, USA, finishing in fourth place.

Competing in his first halfpipe event of the season, the 18-year-old qualified for the final in equal first place, after scoring 95.25 points in heat two.

VIS three-time World Champion Scotty James also qualified for the final in first place, scoring a massive 95.50 in heat one.

In the best of three run final, many riders struggled to put runs down without errors, but in the third round several competitors rose to the occasion and put down clean runs.

Guseli was unlucky not to land on the podium after an impressive final run, receiving a score of 77.25 points from the judges missing the podium by just 0.75 points.

In first place was 2022 Olympic Champion Ayumu Hirano of Japan who scored 91 points, with Korean Chaeun Lee in second with 80 points and rounding out the podium in third was Yuto Totsuka on 78 points.

Scotty James had a rare bad final, unable to put a clean run down, finishing in ninth place.

In the women’s event, two-time NSWIS Olympian Emily Arthur just missed the eight-woman final finishing in ninth place.

Scotty James has started the season in the best possible way, taking home a gold medal in the opening snowboard halfpipe World Cup in Secret, Garden, China, his eighth career World Cup win, and the third most by any male snowboard halfpipe rider.
 
Competing on the 2022 Olympic course where he claimed the silver medal, James led all qualifiers, and came out firing in the first round of finals scoring 91.25 points from the judges to put him in first place.
 
All riders had three runs in finals, and none came close to James first run score, ensuring the 29-year-old from Warrandyte could perform a “victory lap” on his final run, knowing his score could not be bettered as the final competitor.
 
Behind James on the podium was Japanese rider Ruka Hirano with a best score of 88.25 points, and rounding out the podium in third was Korean Chaeun Lee with 87.50.
 
“Feels like a bit of redemption for sure from the Olympic Games, but I have always had a good time in Secret Garden and the halfpipe is incredible and honestly today was as heavy as a show as the Olympics” said the two-time Olympic medallist and triple World Champion.
 
“Everyone really brought it and I had to bring my best, really awesome to share the podium with these boys and it’s been a fine day for sure.”
 
“I came unstuck last season at the World Championships which was frustrating, and funnily enough the frontside 1400 that I landed today was a bit of a testament for me, as that was what I crashed at my last event, so I wanted to come out and land it today and put that run together, it felt really nice and super happy overall.”
 
James will next be in action competing at the World Cup event in Copper Mountain, USA, next weekend on December 16.
 
Australia’s teen snowboard sensation Valentino Guseli did not compete in the halfpipe in China as the event clashed with the big air snowboard city event this weekend in Edmonton, Canada, where Guseli will be aiming to repeat his victory from last year at the Canadian city venue.

It has been an incredible start to the 2023-2024 northern hemisphere winter for Australia with a gold medal overnight to mogul skier Jakara Anthony in Ruka, Finland, and a silver medal in the big air in Beijing, China, for snowboarder Tess Coady.

It was the opening event of the season for the 2022 Olympic medallists, with Anthony winning for the second consecutive time to start the season in Ruka and for Coady the second place finish was the best big air result of her World Cup career.

In the first FIS World Cup event in China since the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Tess Coady had the best big air finish of her career, taking home a silver medal in the city night event.

Competing in the three run final with your best two jumps counting, Coady scored 84.75 points in her opening back double 1080 melon jump, and then stepped it up in the final round with 86.25 points for her front 1080 double tail grab jump, giving her a two jump combined score of 171 points.

Recording victory was two-time Olympic big air champion Anna Gaser of Austria with 174 points, with Japanese rider Miyabi Onitsuka rounding out the podium scoring 170.50.

“Super happy with how this competition went in China, I love the jump, it’s one on the best city big airs in the world” said the 23-year-old Coady from Melbourne.

“It’s been a really fun trip, it’s really cool to check out Beijing as last time we were here we didn’t get to see the city.”

Also in action for Australia was Valentino Guseli in 16th and Joshua Robertson-Hahn in 22nd.

Coady will now return home to Australia, with Guseli and Robertson-Hahn heading to Edmonton for the next big air World Cup event, where Guseli will be aiming to make it back-to-back victories at the Canadian city venue.