18-year-old Amelie Haskell made her Olympic debut alongside 26-year-old Emily Arthur competing at her third Games. 

The Sydney snowboarders took to the halfpipe under cloudy conditions in Livigno without their third “Aus Girls” amigo 

Article courtesy olympics.com.au / Images Copyright Chris Hocking

Misaki Vaughan who was ruled out yesterday with concussion.  
 
In the best-of-two run format, the Aussies did not make the top 12 to progress through to finals, with Haskell finishing 20th and Arthur 24th.  

Haskell’s first run was clean, getting good air on her opening backside air, followed by a frontside 540 tail grab. She then went for a front 720 double grab and cab 540 mute for a score of 41.75. It was her best run of the day after she could not land her frontside double grab in her second run and slid out. 

“Going into my second run, my coach was just like ‘go as big as you can' and just show everyone you can go super dooper big!’ So that was kind of the mission,” Haskell said. 

While she did not nail the trick, Haskell fed off the Olympic energy.  

“Seeing the crowd for the Olympics is unreal - it's such a big event,” the Olympic debutant said. 

“Seeing the Olympic rings at the top of the pipe was just crazy. I was like: oh my gosh, I'm here… It's surreal.” 

Arthur’s start was far from what she hoped for, coming down after her opening backside hit. She lined up for her second run knowing everything was on the line and gave it her all.  

“I went for it,” Arthur said of her most impressive backside nine-hundred trick.  

“I didn't really come here to come 13th. I've already done that twice now, so I just kind of went for it. It was kind of a risk, but I made that call two months ago.  

Unfortunately, it was not to be and she missed her landing, but Arthur’s sunny disposition shone through.  

“If I landed, I would have made finals. So I'm glad I went for the risk. It didn't work out today but I'm proud of myself,” she said.  

All eyes turn to the men’s Snowboard Halfpipe qualifiers tonight featuring Valentino Guseli – who was on site watching the women’s qualifiers – and  Scotty James. 

Catch Scotty James and Valentino Guseli in the Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe Qualifiers at Livigno Snow Park from 5.30am AEDT on Thursday 12 February. Finals will be held at 5.30am AEDT on Saturday 13 February.  ​

IMAGE - Amelie Haskell launching out of the Livigno pipe

VIS snowboard halfpipe superstar Scotty James has delivered a career highlight performance under lights at the prestigious Laax Open in Switzerland, winning gold in the World Cup final and leading a memorable double‑podium result, with fellow Aussie and NSWIS rider Valentino Guseli claiming bronze.
 
In the best‑of‑two‑run night final, James opened with a score of 84.00 points on his opening run. He then produced one of the finest performances of his illustrious career, as the last rider of the night and needing a score better than 91 points to win. With a pure pressure performance, James soared to the top of the leaderboard with a spectacular second run scoring 98.75 points. The victory is the eleventh World Cup win of his career, and third consecutive Laax halfpipe title, and fifth triumph at the iconic venue.
 
James began his winning run with a switch frontside triple cork 1440 indy, then a frontside double cork 1260 stalefish, a backside double cork 1080 stalefish, a switch backside double cork 1440 mute, and ended with a backside double cork 1260 mute on the sixth and final hit. The final two trick combination had never been done in competition before.
 
Guseli secured his place on the podium with a strong opening‑run score of 80.25 points, earning the bronze medal, the twelfth World Cup podium of his career. It capped off a big week for Guseli, who balanced halfpipe preparations with a full training load and competition in the slopestyle discipline. Earlier in the day, he placed 17th in the slopestyle semi‑final, just missing the cut for the final.
 
The podium in Laax had a distinct ANZAC flavour, with New Zealand’s Campbell Melville Ives finishing between the two Australians in second place on 91.00 points.
 
“It’s honestly one of my favourite events on the calendar, huge shoutout to Laax, they are a visionary when it comes to freestyle, and they give us the platform to come here and ride every single year and do what we love, “said the 31-year-old James from Warrandyte in Victoria.
 
“To put it down in my last run is a bit of a dream come true and feeling good so I just have to keep it up.
 
“I have been working on some things, and this year is a tough year, its amazing competition, and I want to give a shout out to the ANZAC’s, two Aussies and a Kiwi on the podium which is unbelievable. The Japanese are also riding amazing, so you must put your best foot forward this year to try and get a chance or a sniff of the podium, and I am just grateful to be here, so I am pumped.
 
“We are probably going to be in for one of the most exciting, thrilling and competitive Olympics in history amongst the whole field in the halfpipe, it’s exciting for me and I hope it’s exciting for everyone, and I can’t wait to go to battle with everyone.”
 
Also competing for Australia in the women’s event in Laax were Emily Arthur, who finished 25th, Amelie Haskell in 26th, and Misaki Vaughan in 29th.
 
Next is the X-Games event in Aspen, USA, where James will be aiming to win an incredible fifth straight gold medal.

Men's podium in Laax (top) and Scotty James in qualifying
© David Tributsch & Chad Buchholz

NSWIS snowboard star Valentino Guseli came agonizingly close to a third consecutive World Cup podium in Aspen, USA, finishing fourth in the men’s halfpipe.
 
Guseli faced a packed schedule, competing in both halfpipe and slopestyle, and started strongly by winning the halfpipe qualification round with an impressive 92 points. In the best-of-two-run final, he delivered two solid performances, opening with 85.25 points and improving to 86.75 in his second run, securing fourth overall.
 
Victory went to Yuto Totsuka (Japan) with 90.50 points, followed by teammate Shuichiro on 90, and American Alessandro Barbieri rounding out the podium with 89.25.
 
Guseli now sits second in the World Cup standings with 210 points, trailing Totsuka by 50 points on 260, with three events remaining this season.
 
In the women’s event, teenager Amelie Haskell celebrated her 18th birthday in style, qualifying for her first World Cup halfpipe final and achieving a personal-best eighth place with a top score of 63 points.
 
The women’s podium featured Mitsuki Ono of Japan in first with 91 points, American Madeline Schaffrick second on 82.75, and Sena Tomita also of Japan in third with 80.75.
 
Also representing Australia but missing finals were Emily Arthur in 18th and Misaki Vaughan in 20th, who missed the finals.
 
The final Olympic qualification event for halfpipe will take place at the World Cup in Laax, Switzerland, on January 17.

IMAGE
Valentino Guseli showing his incredible amplitude in Aspen
© Chris Hocking

NSWIS snowboard World Championship medallist Valentino Guseli has claimed his first World Cup victory since February 2024, delivering a gold medal performance in Calgary, Canada. The victory capped a historic day for Australia’s winter sport youth movement, following 15-year-old Indra Brown’s breakthrough win in the women’s freeski halfpipe earlier in the day.

The 20-year-old from the NSW South Coast now boasts three World Cup wins, all on Canadian snow, two in Calgary’s halfpipe and one in big air at Edmonton.

Guseli carried his strong form from a podium finish at Copper Mountain, USA, into Calgary, qualifying first for the finals.

In the best-of-two-run night showdown, he opened with an unbeatable score of 87.75 points, securing the win before his second run and turning it into a celebratory “victory lap.”

His gold medal run featured a stylish backside alley-oop 360, cab double cork 1080, frontside 1260, backside 720 and switch backside 900, with all tricks completed with grabs. 

Swiss rider David Habluetzel finished second with 80 points, while Patrick Burgener of Brazil was third on 79.25.

“It was great, it was the most fun run I have had it this pipe all week, so happy to end my time in this pipe off like that,” said Guseli after completing his victory lap final run.

“I am stoked, Calgary has always treated me very nicely, and I was really happy to be back in Canada after a two-year hiatus. Feels good to be back on the top step and looking forward to pushing for more. “

“There are so many Aussies in Canada, so I really feel the Aussie love here, but also everyone in Canada is so nice, so thank you.”

In the women’s snowboard halfpipe, Australians Emily Arthur finished 14th, Misaki Vaughan 15th, and Amelie Haskell 18th.

With four World Cup events remaining, Guseli now sits first on the halfpipe standings like Brown, and both will wear the yellow leader’s bib at the next event in Aspen, USA, on January 9.

Tess Coady has made a great return to competition, narrowly missing the podium in fourth place in her first World Cup of the season, a slopestyle event in Calgary, Canada.
 
The NSWIS 2022 Olympic medallist has been out of action since late last year and only resumed riding during January.
 
Coady started strongly in qualifying, advancing to the 12-woman final in third place with a best score of 70.26 in run one, the second highest score of the round.
 
In the best of two-run final, Coady opened with a score of 68.80
 
Coady was unable to improve on her score in the final run, losing speed on the landing of her backside 900 halfway through her run and not hit the remaining features.
 
Pulling into first place on the final run of the day was Mari Fukada of Japan on 77.58, Anika Morgan of Germany was second with 76.30 and Mia Brookes Great Britain, third on 74.08.
 
15-year-old NSWIS rider Ally Hickman was 24th in women’s qualifying and Jesse Parkinson was 26th in the men’s event, his highest slopestyle finish this season.
 
Coady commented on her social media after the event.
 
“Fourth place here in Calgary. Not my best riding ever but felt really good to get back in a bib after a year, dust off the cobwebs and land a run.
 
“Thanks to everyone who has supported me to get back to this point, it’s been a long journey!

“Excited to hang around Canada a bit longer before the next event!”
 
The final World Cup before the 2025 World Championships will be held in Absolut Park, Austria, on March 13-14.
 
Haskell 19th in Calgary Halfpipe
 
The final World Cup halfpipe event of the season took place in Calgary ahead of the World Championships, with Amelie Haskel, Misaki Vaughan, Emily Arthur and Sascha Elvy competing for Australia.
 
17-year-old Haskell was the best performed in 19th, followed by Vaughan in 20th, Arthur 23rd and Elvy 24th.
 
The World Championships halfpipe events will take place in St Moritz, Switzerland, from March 27-29.

Snowboarder Scotty James has produced one of the best runs of his impressive career, to claim the gold medal at the Laax Open in Switzerland, the tenth World Cup victory of his career and fourth win at the prestigious Swiss event.
 
In the best of two run night final, the two-time Olympic medallist opened with a score of 88.75 points, then stepped it up in the final run to put down a spectacular performance that included a massive switch frontside triple cork 1440 on his way to a huge score of 95.75.
 
James took the win ahead of Japanese rider Ruka Hirano’s score of 93.75, while compatriot and reigning Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano was third with 87.00 points.
 
“I think it might be one of the best moments of my competitive career” said the 30-year-old VIS athlete from Warrandyte in Victoria.
 
“It’s always challenging to win, but this year I feel like I have been put on the ropes quite a bit from the other competitors, especially the Japanese, they are riding incredible.
 
“Not for a second did I think it was a done deal until the last rider went because any rider could have won.
 
“It’s always been a super important detail for me to spin in every direction, and try and keep a bit of soul in there with the switch McTwist at the start before it gets into a lot of spinning, really happy to get the triple in there this year as well which was a big goal of mine.
 
“It’s one of the best pipes in the world, there are no excuses but to go 110% on this thing, so you’ve got to bring your best if you want to stand on top, or even on the podium for that matter.”
 
The victory puts James move into equal first place on the World Cup standings alongside Yuto Totsuka of Japan on 230 points.
 
Competing in the women’s event for Australia was two-time Olympian Emily Arthur, who finished in 24th place.
 
American riders took the top two places in the women’s final with two-time Olympic gold medallist Chloe Kim victorious ahead of Maddie Mastro in second and Gaon Choi of Korea in third.
 
James will now head to Aspen, USA, to compete in the X-Games on January 23, where he will be aiming to win an incredible fourth straight and seventh career X-Games gold medal.

NSWIS snowboarder Emily Arthur has narrowly missed out on the ten-woman finals field at the World Cup halfpipe event in Mammoth Mountain, USA, finishing in 11th place.In the best of two-run qualifying round, Arthur's best score came in her first run with 49.75 points from the judges.

Arthur was the only Australian to compete in Mammoth, with teen-sensation Valentino Guseli having to withdraw due to a rib injury suffered in training for the X-Games the previous week in Aspen
.
A World Cup halfpipe competition will take place on February 10 in Calgary, Canada, with Scotty James, Valentino Guseli, Emily Arthur all in action. Snow Australia rider Sascha Elvy will also be competing, in her first World Cup of the season following a 12th last week at the Youth Olympic Games in Korea.

In a historic night for Australian snowboarding, Scotty James and Valentino Guseli have claimed gold and silver in the halfpipe event in Laax, Switzerland, the first time Australia has taken out the top two spots in the sport.

In a spectacular final under lights, both James and Guseli put down two great runs with both riders displaying huge amplitude, style and super difficult tricks.

James best score in the two run-final came in his first run, where the VIS rider scored 94 points to record the ninth World Cup win of his impressive career and third victory in the Laax halfpipe.

NSWIS rider Guseli scored 90 points on his first run, and then in the final round stepped it up performing a trick that had never been landed in competition, landing a frontside 1620 tailgrab to score 92.25 points and finish in second place.

Rounding out the podium was Ruka Hirano of Japan who registered 90 points on his final run.

“I feel pretty damm good, it’s tough to win this event so tonight I had to bring my best and it feels amazing to stand on top of the podium” said James the two-time Olympic medallist and triple World Champion from Warrandyte in Victoria.

“Laax feels like a home away from home, it’s always such an incredible the event, the fans and the crowd and the atmosphere is always really special here and unmatched.”

James on his impressive switch McTwist pullback to regular jump.

“It’s something I brought in this year, and I really try to push creativity and technicality in snowboarding, and of course you can’t really do these things without a lot of amplitude and execution, so tonight it was thankfully a combination of all those things which is really nice.”

For Guseli, the podium performance is the seventh World Cup medal of his career, and first in the Laax halfpipe. “To get to the bottom of two runs and having stomped them both, and I think they are some of the best runs I have done, so I am really happy and stoked to have some momentum rolling into the season,” said the 18-year-old teen snowboard prodigy from Dalmeny on the NSW South Coast.

“He (Scotty James) is amazing, coming from Australia we actually don’t have a 22-foot halfpipe anywhere in the whole country, and it’s pretty crazy being second to one of the guys that is the best to ever do it and we are both from the same country and can hold our flag up really high which is a beautiful thing.”

In the women's event two-time Olympian Emily Arthur finished in 20th place.

James and Guseli have now travelled to Aspen, USA, for the X-Games on January 26.

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.

It was an impressive showing for Australian snowboard athletes in the halfpipe in Laax, Switzerland, with three top-6 performances, led by VIS rider Scotty James who claimed the 12th World Cup podium performance of his career.

Poor visibility in Laax resulted in the night-time final being cancelled, with results from the qualification round used to determine the final placings.Heading into the event wearing the yellow leaders bib as the number one ranked rider,
James was again impressive with two high quality runs in qualifying, with his highest scoring run coming in run two, with a huge score of 95 points. Finishing just ahead of James by just 0.25 points in first place was Ruka Hirano from Japan, with his teammate Yuto Totskua rounding out the podium in third scoring 91.50.

NSWIS teenage sensation Valentino Guseli was close to securing his first ever halfpipe podium, finishing in fourth place. Showing his incredible versatility as a snowboarder, Guseli also just missed the slopestyle podium finishing in fifth place over the weekend.

After two events, James is sitting comfortably in first place on the World Cup standings retaining the yellow bib on 180 points, 64 points clear of Swiss rider Jan Scherrer in second place. After his best ever World Cup halfpipe result, 17-year-old Guseli moves up to fourth on the rankings.

In the women’s halfpipe event, two-time NSWIS Olympian Emily Arthur also had an equal personal best World Cup finish of sixth place.

“The halfpipe was amazing as always, but unfortunately with the weather we weren’t able to compete in the end, which was a bit of a shame,” said James after the awards ceremony.

“It’s always amazing to ride here in Laax in front of this crowd. For me on the podium it’s a little bit bittersweet, because I would have loved to have rode tonight but I’m also happy to be able to come away with second place.”

“We had a discussion between the riders about what we wanted to do,” James continued, “And we mutually decided to give it one more try, which we did, but unfortunately the weather came back in again and they had to cancel it.”

James and Guseli will next be in action in the halfpipe at the X-Games in Aspen, USA, on January 27.

Four-time Olympian Scotty James has qualified in second position for Friday's final of the men's halfpipe competition at the Genting Snow Park and, in great news for the Australian Team, he'll be joined by 16-year-old debutant Valentino Guseli in the final.

Scotty put down scores of 88.25 and 91.25 to breeze into the final where he will be looking to add to the bronze medal he won four years ago.

Ayumu Hirano of Japan was the leading qualifier with a score of 93.25. American superstar Shaun White, competing in his final Olympic campaign, was the fourth best qualifier scoring 86.25.

"It's a beautiful day and I'm really happy with how that all went," Scotty said.

"The best bit was we stuck to our plan and when you do that you are happy with the result.

"My last trick was a frontside 1440 with a tail grab. I'm really happy to [have] put it all together."

Despite reaching the podium four years ago, Scotty isn't putting any pressure on himself ahead of the final on Friday.

"For me, I'd be happy on Friday to come out and execute exactly what my plan is."

Valentino showed nerves of steel to qualify in fifth position with a brilliant second run of 85.74. It was a score he needed to post after a first run of 31.75 that was well below his capabilities.

"On the first run I just made a little mistake which I've never made on that trick, ever," Val said.

"I tend to stay pretty calm, and I did that before the second run. I stepped away, reset [myself] and got myself ready to go. I am happy I stomped it."

Both competitors will have three runs down the halfpipe in the final, with qualification scores not carrying over. The best of each competitors' three scores will determine the medals.

Earlier in the day, PyeongChang 2018 finalist Emily Arthur was unable to advance to the last 12 in the women's competition.

Emily put down a solid first run of 62.50 to see her right on the cusp of the final 12 after the completion of the first round, but heading into her second run, she knew she needed to improve on her score as she had been relegated down to 13th place.

Despite a solid start, Emily was unable to stick one of her landings, crashing out and finishing with a score of 19.75. It saw her place 14th after the completion of two runs.

"It's OK, I'm walking away safely and not injured," Emily said.

"The second run was going really well, until I got there a little bit early, it's rough, I know I'm good enough to make the final but it's all OK.

The men's halfpipe final will be held on Friday 11 February from 12:30pm AEDT.

olympics.com.au
Damian Kelly

Tess Coady has recorded the second World Cup victory of her career, with an impressive gold medal performance in the slopestyle event at the Laax Open in Switzerland, with Matt Cox and teen halfpipe sensation Valentino Guseli recording personal best finishes to make it a great day for Australian snowboarding.
 
In a dominating performance, Coady won the qualification round, and had the two highest scoring runs in the final, sealing the deal with a spectacular frontside double 1080 on the last jump.
 
In the best of two run format, Coady scored 79.60 on her first run, and with victory already assured before her final run, she stepped it up to score 86.18 to finish ahead of Anna Gasser of Austria on 78.56 and Annika Morgan of Germany with 76.61.
 
“It feels so good to take the win today” said the 21-year-old from Melbourne.
 
“Really just wanted to land my runs, I think that’s all you can ask for, so to achieve that today was just a win in itself for me.”
 
“This event is always so sick, it’s ran so well and the park is always built well. It makes a massive difference for the riders and how much you enjoy the event.”
 
“The frontside 1080 is a new one for me. I learnt it a few months ago at Prime parks in Stubai. I really wanted to bring it out today so super stoked I was able to do that.”
 
In the men’s event, Matt Cox’s best score came in run number two, with a 65.78 giving him the best World Cup slopestyle finish of his career in seventh place.
 
In the men’s halfpipe final, 16-year-old Valentino Guseli put down two great runs scoring 80.50 on his first run, and 80 on his second run to finish in a personal best fifth. 
 
Competing in his first event of the season, Scotty James unfortunately was unable to put two clean runs down in the final to finish in 11th place after leading the star studded field with the highest score in the qualification event.

Emily Arthur finished in 16th in the women's halfpipe event.
 
Coady, James and Guseli will now head to Aspen, USA, for the X-Games which will take place in the Colorado resort next weekend.

NSWIS snowboarder Emily Arthur has finished the season with a 12th place finish at the World Cup final in Aspen, Colorado.
 
Arthur had her best run in the first round of qualifying scoring 60 points, which put her in 12th position, just missing the eight woman final by four places
 
Taking the win was Olympic Champion Chloe Kim of the USA, with Queralt Castellet of Spain in second, with Japanese rider Sena Tomita rounding out the podium in third.
 
Competing in his second World Cup start, 15-year-old  NSWIS snowboarding prodigy Guseli finished in 29th place.
 
2021 World Champion Yuto Totsuka of Japan took the win in the men’s event with his fellow countryman Raibu Katayama in second with German Andre Hoeflich in third.
 
Three time Olympic Champion Shaun White of the USA made his return to competition for the first time since winning gold at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, just missing the podium in fourth place.
 
After taking home the silver medal last week at the World Championships in Aspen, VIS snowboarder Scotty James elected not to compete in the World Cup in Aspen. James will remain overseas to train during the next few months.

IMAGE: Emily Arthur launching out of the Aspen halfpipe © Chris Hocking

Scotty James has just fallen short of recording a historic fourth straight halfpipe World Championship gold medal, claiming the silver medal today in Aspen, USA.
 
The 26-year-old from Warrandyte in Victoria put down an impressive opening run scoring 90.50 points to lead all competitors after the first round of finals.
 
Going past James in the second run was Yuto Totsuka from Japan who moved into first place with a score of 93 points. Totsuka increased his score on his third and final run with a huge 96.25 points to take the gold medal.
 
Rounding out the podium in the bronze medal position was Jan Scherrer of Switzerland who scored 87 points in is final run.
 
“Happy to come out here representing Australia doing the best I can, and that is really what I did today and that was a second place,” said the 2018 Olympic bronze medallist.
 
“Today I learnt a lot of lessons and things I will be able to move forward and put into play when I go into my offseason. I have tricks I want to achieve, and I will be back to where I want to be.”
 
“Huge thankyou to everyone back home that has been supporting me to this day. I wish I could have brought back a gold medal but give me a little bit of time and I will do no doubt do it again.”
 
In his World Championship debut, 15-year-old Australian snowboarding prodigy Valentino Guseli was unlucky not to make the 10-man final, missing out by just one place in eleventh position. In the women’s event Emily Arthur finished in tenth place, matching her best performance of the season.
 
The athletes will remain in Aspen for another week, with the World Cup final scheduled to take place on March 21. James will be looking to win his fourth World Cup Crystal Globe title and finish the season with a victory.

It was another golden performance for Australia’s Scotty James overnight at the World Cup event in Secret Garden, China, site of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games competition.

The 25 year old VIS snowboarder took the first place podium for the second consecutive time this season.

James led the field with a mammoth 97.80 points in his second run, and held the lead for the rest of the event with a simple victory lap on his third and final run.

“It was definitely a pretty tough day with lots of elements to consider, some winds, a lot of snow, but I mean we prepare for the worst really, so I was really happy that was the run I wanted to do, regardless if it was sunny or snowing”, said the three time World Champion.

“My first run I wasn’t super happy, I did a little hand drag on the last hit, and I knew that I would get docked for that. I knew what I had to do on the second run and I just went back to the top refreshed and got ready to go again.”

“The Japanese athletes really brought it to me today, and I knew they would, so I just came out and gave it my best shot and it seems to be paying off.”

“I am really happy to leave my mark here and finish up with a win. With Secret Garden the Olympic venue in 2022, it was important for me to come here and not leave anything on the table, which I didn’t, and I am stoked.”

James is Australia’s most successful male snowboarder to date. The three time World Champion won an Olympic bronze medal at PyeongChang in 2018, has a plethora of X Games medals (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) and now eight FIS World Cup medals (5 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) to add to his collection.

Behind James on the podium were Japanese riders Yuto Totsuka (95.80) in second and Ruka Hirano (92.50) in third.

Also competing for Australia was NSWIS athlete and 2018 Olympian Emily Arthur, who missed out on the eight woman final placing 14th in the qualifying round.

James and Arthur will next compete at the Laax Open in Switzerland from January 14-18.

It was a golden FIS World Cup opener for Australia’s Scotty James at the Land Rover US Grand Prix event at Copper Mountain, Colorado, USA.

The 25 year old VIS snowboarder, took the first place podium for the second consecutive year at the event.

James, a three time Winter Olympian, led the field with a mammoth 96 point first run in challenging snow and flat light conditions and held the first run lead for the rest of the event with a simple victory lap on his third and final run.

“I definitely put some added pressure on myself after last year with some big expectations” said the Australian Institute of Sport male athlete of the year.

“I had to iron those emotions over and just come out with a clear head and approach it as a new season. I did that and just came out today and knew what I had to do to be up top. The elements weren’t in our favour today but everyone rode really well and I knew they were going to, so I had to bring it today.”

James is Australia’s most successful male snowboarder to date. The three time FIS World Champion won an Olympic bronze medal at PyeongChang in 2018, has a plethora of X Games medals (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) and now seven FIS World Cup medals (4 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) to add to his collection.

Yuto Totsuka (JPN) took silver with 94.5 and Ruka Hirano (JPN) took bronze with 89.25.

NSWIS rider Emily Arthur finished in 25th place, missing out on the eight woman final.

James and Arthur will now travel to Secret Garden in China for the next FIS World Cup on December 22.

NSWIS Snowboarder Kent Callister has recorded his fourth straight top-10 of the season at the FIS World Cup Halfpipe event in Calgary, Canada.

Callister qualified for finals in eighth place, with a best score of 75.75 which came in his first run.

Unfortunately in the final, Callister was unable to put down a run, finishing at the back of the 10-man final.

Also in action for Australia was NSWIS teammate Emily Arthur, who finished in 12th place, just missing finals. 

The next World Cup event for Callister and Arthur will be in Mammoth Mountain, California, USA, on March 9th. 

IMAGE - Kent Callister boosting out of the Calgary Halfpipe © FIS Snowboard

PyeongChang 2018 bronze medallist Scotty James has started the new Snowboard World Cup season off with a bang, winning gold at the opening Halfpipe World Cup in Copper Mountain on the weekend.

After heading into the final ranked third, James put down a blistering score of 96.75 in his third and final run of the day to secure the victory ahead of America’s Toby Miller (94.00) and Chase Josey (90.25) in second and third.

The Copper Mountain World Cup was the first event for the 24-year-old VIS athlete since he won Olympic bronze in February. James said he feels like there is less pressure on him this season, and he's feeling really positive.

“It was an amazing feeling today, there are so many good riders, everyone really showed up and I really had to come out swinging on the last run,” he said.

“Last year I came into this event and qualified first so there was a lot of pressure, but I feel really good this year.
“I don’t really mind where I qualify at all, on the day I just want to show up. I’m feeling better than ever, so it’s a really nice place to kick off the season.”

While the World Cup points are important, James’ big goal for this season is a third World title at the 2019 World Championships in Park City, Utah in early February.

“I’m looking forward to the World Champs. It is my title to hold onto and it would be number three for me, so that would be really exciting, I just hope I can get it done.”

James’ Aussie teammate and dual Winter Olympian Kent Callister also qualified for the final, placing 9th. PyeongChang Olympian Emily Arthur finished 13th in the women’s event, that was unsurprisingly won by PyeongChang gold medallist and three-time Copper Mountain World Cup victor, 18-year-old Chloe Kim.

Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

Emily Arthur has finished 11th in her Winter Olympic debut in the halfpipe at Phoenix Snow Park.

The 18-year-old gave it her all but just couldn't land her run as competition favourite Chloe Kim of the USA won gold ahead of China's Jiayu Liu and USA's Arielle Gold. 

Arthur had her best score in her opening run with a 48.25 before scoring 9.25 and 25.00 in her remaining two runs.

"It was amazing," said the Youth Olympic silver medallist.

"All of my family is here, it was so fun and I can't wait to do another one." 

On her final time down the pipe, Arthur laid it all on the line as she attempted a backside 540, a trick she had never completed before in competition, midway through her run.

The young gun was extremely close to pulling it off but went down, hitting her head before making her way down the middle of the pipe and receving medical attention at the end of the run. 

"I took a bit of a crash at the end of my third run but I'm so happy to be here.

"I pulled through and I'm still alive and I'm sure I'll be back on the snow in a couple of days.

"I'd never done that trick in comp before and I'm sure it would have paid if I'd landed it but I'm still happy."

Arthur had progressed through yesterday's qualification with a score of 66.50.

She was one of five Australians to win a Youth Olympic medal in Lillehammer 2016 when she claimed silver behind now Olympic Champion Chloe Kim.

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au

The world’s eyes were on Korea on February 9 as the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games officially commenced with a spectacular display of Korean culture.

The PyeongChang Olympic Stadium played host to an estimated 50,000 people for the official Opening of the XXIII Winter Olympic Games.

As is Olympic tradition, the Parade of Athletes was led by Greece which was then followed by other delegations in alphabetical order according to the Korean alphabet.

Snowboard Halfpipe World Champion Scotty James led his fellow Australian athletes from seven different winter sports into the stadium during the ceremony to the tune of Korean pop songs.

The 23-year-old, who is set to compete in his third Olympic Games, was completely taken aback by the experience.
“It’s hard to put into words,” James said.

“What really stuck with me was the camaraderie between the Team before we walked out.

“We had the Aussie, Aussie, Aussie going before I got the flag and it was really exciting.

“After all that happened I’m now really excited to use that energy for the rest of the Games.”

With a lot of attention always being on the flagbearers’ technique, James handled the pressure of showcasing the Aussie flag to all those watching in the stands and at home.

“I did not practice but I did look up some past flagbearers and got some pointers from them.

“There was a natural breeze but I did really enjoy waving it myself as well.”

A flurry of colour, lights and dance helped warm up the athletes and those in the stands and despite the temperature still hitting below zero, the conditions were much more pleasant than the week leading in.

The Olympic Torch, which has travelled 2018 kilometres from Olympia and has been passed through the hands of 7,500 torchbearers, eventually was handed to dual figure skating Olympic medallist Yuna Kim who set the Olympic cauldron alight.

For 12 of the Aussies marching into their first Olympic Games, the Opening Ceremony was an experience they will never forget.

“It was insane, there were so many lights, you couldn’t even see anyone,” Snowboard Halfpipe Olympic debutant Emily Arthur said.

“Scotty did a very good job, we were struggling to keep up with him there for a bit but he led us very well and I was proud to have him in front of us.

“I’m excited to go out there in competition, put a run down and have fun. I just want to enjoy the whole experience, it’s big to be here but it’s just another event so it’s going to be really exciting.”

Over the next two weeks 51 Australian athletes will compete across 10 sports including: Alpine Skiing, Bobsleigh, Cross Country Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, Figure Skating, Luge, Snowboard, Short Track Skating, Skeleton and Speed Skating.
You can follow all the coverage from the PyeongChang 2018 Games, live and free on Channel 7.

David Barden
olympics.com.au

SNOWBOARD HALFPIPE: With seven previous Olympic Games and 22 World Cup and World Championship medals between them, the five athletes selected to represent Australia in snowboard halfpipe at PyeongChang 2018 know what it takes to be the best.

Triple Olympian Holly Crawford will compete at her fourth Games, looking to improve upon her best Olympic result of eighth at Vancouver 2010.

The 33-year-old has one gold and two silver World Championship medals under her belt and recently finished 10th at the 2017 World Championships in Sierra Nevada.

"After a long and bumpy road I am mostly relieved to have officially made the 2018 Olympic Team," Crawford said.

"It is less the Olympic Games itself and more the journey to get there that shapes an athlete. By the time you’re at the Olympics most of the hard work is already done and you just have to let yourself do what you’ve trained to do.

"I am very proud to have been able to represent Australia at the previous three Olympics and every four years I am prouder than the last!"

She will be joined by two-time World Champion and Crystal Globe winner Scotty James.

With two 21st place halfpipe finishes from Vancouver and Sochi, plus a 16th place in snowboard slopestyle from 2010, James said his previous Olympic experiences have made him better prepared for his third Games.

“Having been to two Games and with the benefit of many more international competitions under my belt, I now understand what I have to do to achieve my goals,” the 23-year-old said.

“For me, representing my country in the Olympic Winter Team is the greatest honour that I have ever achieved. I really feed off the support that we give each other as Aussie Team members and the support that we receive from all over Australia.”

Sochi Olympians Kent Callister (22) and Nathan Johnstone (27) will return to the Team for their second Olympic experience.

Callister was the surprise packed of Sochi 2014, finishing ninth as the top ranked Australian in a star-studded field. Johnstone wasn’t too far behind, missing the final by one place to finish 13th on debut.

“I’m very excited to be heading to my second Olympic Games,” Callister said.

“I had a blast riding in Sochi so I’m looking forward to the whole Olympic experience at PyeongChang. I feel very grateful to be going to the Olympics again so I’m going to soak it all in.”

The only debutant in the halfpipe team, Emily Arthur, has also had her fair share of international experience.

The 18-year-old won halfpipe silver at the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Winter Games and placed 15th in snowboard slopestyle.

She recorded a career-best result at the 2017 Secret Garden World Cup in December, qualifying for her first final and finishing in sixth place. She heads into her debut Games with a world ranking of 13th.

“Being selected is the most insane moment of my life!” Arthur said.

“I've wanted to go to the Olympics for as long as I can remember, it's always been in the back of my mind growing up that maybe one day I could go, and I can't believe it’s now a reality.”

Arthur said it will be a dream come true to make her Olympic debut alongside athletes she has admired for years.

“I look up to the older girls on the Australian Team so much, they have really taken me in and been so amazing to me! They are the girls I looked up to when I was young and still do, I know they are going to look after me and definitely make the experience so fun.”

Crawford's advice to all the rookies on the Team is to "be proud and confident in the work they've put in."

"Trust in your ability, we all train and compete all year round and your body knows what it is doing so just let it. Most of all enjoy the ride and take it all in, you’ve earned it!"

Snowboard halfpipe will be held at the Bokwang Snow Park with qualifications on Day 4 (February13). The men’s final is on Day 5 (February 14) and the women’s final is on Day 11 (February 20). Find out more about snowboarding at PyeongChang HERE.

The team of Mitchell Allen, Andrew Burton, Ben Mates, Torah Bright and Holly Crawford made Australia’s snowboard halfpipe Olympic debut at Torino 2006. Bright has won Australia’s two snowboard halfpipe Olympic medals, with gold at Vancouver 2010 and silver at Sochi 2014. Find out more about Australia’s Olympic snowboard history HERE.
​
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au

Some of Australia’s top snowboarders will drop into the halfpipe in Laax, Switzerland in this year’s second World Cup and final PyeongChang qualifier.
 
Among those competing at the Swiss resort include Holly Crawford, Torah Bright and Sochi Olympian Nate Johnstone, who is hoping for “redemption” after Snowmass “didn’t go to plan for me at all”.
 
Johnstone finished in 36th place with a best score of 19.00 last week, missing out on Saturday’s 10-man final after he “couldn’t manage to put one [run] down in either of my competition runs”.
 
“I just want to put down a solid run and build on that through the event,” he said.
 
“Training has been good, we had a great first day of training but the snow has rolled in hard and put a handbrake on the event for the time being.”
 
Crawford, Bright and Emily Arthur finished within the top 15 of last week’s Halfpipe World Cup but were unable to secure spots in the eight-woman finals.
 
Crawford, a three-time Olympian, finished in 14th place with a best score of 56.75 while Torah Bright wasn’t far behind, placing 15th with a best score of 55.75.
 
Bright, who like Crawford is hoping to compete in her fourth Winter Olympics, recently stepped up to the podium twice during the North-American Cup circuit in December after making a stunning return to the Snowboard Halfpipe competition.
 
Arthur, who competed in Snowmass after securing her best ever World Cup result at China’s Secret Garden in December, finished in 12th place with a best score of 60.25.
 
With PyeongChang looming, the 18-year-old has elected to remain at her “home mountain” of Mammoth, California while she tests some new tricks on airbags.
 
“It really helps with fear, because you literally have nothing to lose when you try a trick, so it definitely helps me get tricks much quicker,” she said.
 
“My coach and I thought it would be good to compete here and get some extra training in and not worry about travelling so close to the Olympics.”
 
Fellow Halfpipe riders Kent Callister and Scotty James will also remain in the U.S. and compete alongside Arthur at the Mammoth Grand Prix in California.
 
In last week’s World Cup final, described by commentators as the “most impressive event in the history of snowboarding”, James claimed silver with a best score of 96.25.
 
“Australia, more now than ever in my career, I can really feel the energy and the camaraderie coming from them and I really appreciate it,” the 23-year-old said following the event.
 
With snow showers and low visibility on the forecast for Laax, Wednesday’s qualification runs were put on hold with event organisers hoping that a window will open on Thursday for combined qualifiers and semi-finals.
 
“But with more snow on the forecast, we’ll see what tomorrow brings,” Johnstone said.
 
“Otherwise, everything is good and it’s great being back in Laax!”
 
For live updates from Laax click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA

Australia’s top female snowboarders have finished within the top 15 of the Halfpipe World Cup following Thursday’s qualification runs at Snowmass, Colorado.
 
However, with only the top eight making it through to finals, Emily Arthur, Torah Bright and Holly Crawford will not be competing on Saturday and will instead turn their focus to the next competition.
 
Arthur, who came to Colorado after securing her best ever World Cup result at China’s Secret Garden in December, finished 12th today with a best score of 60.25.
 
“I was very happy [with] how I performed considering how awful my practice was,” the 18-year-old said.
 
“I was able to somewhat pull something out when it counted and I’m very happy about that! The pipe and the atmosphere was really fun, I was back with all my American friends which definitely upped the vibes.”
 
Fellow Aussie and three-time Olympian Holly Crawford finished in 14th place with a best score of 56.75 while Torah Bright wasn’t far behind, placing 15th with a best score of 55.75.
 
Bright, who like Crawford is hoping to compete in her fourth Winter Olympics, recently stepped up to the podium twice during the North-American Cup circuit in December after making a stunning return to the Snowboard Halfpipe competition.
 
The last chance for Australia’s Halfpipe riders to secure crucial qualification spots for the PyeongChang Games will be at the next World Cup in Laax, Switzerland from the 17 – 20 January.
 
Arthur, however, will not be competing in Switzerland, instead opting to stay at her “home mountain” in Mammoth, California to compete in the Mammoth Grand Prix and spend time testing out new tricks prior to the Winter Games.

“My coach and I thought it would be good to compete there and get some extra training in and not worry about travelling so close to the Olympics,” she said.
 
As for the men, 2017 World Champion Scotty James qualified for the 10-man Halfpipe final on Saturday after placing second in his qualification heat with a score of 88.75.
 
Unfortunately James’ fellow Aussies Kent Callister and Nate Johnstone did not qualify for the finals, with Callister placing 19th following a best run score of 59.25 and Johnstone 36th with 19.00.
 
The halfpipe finals will be broadcast live on Eurosport from 7am AEDT on Sunday morning. For live results click HERE or follow OWIA on Twitter HERE or Facebook HERE.
 
David Barden
OWIA