by YoMamaRice
As you know, I’m a snowmom and I like rice, and part of the thrill of snowboarding for me is not just watching my kid on the pipe but also diving into the world of competitive snowboarding.
The World Cup competition season has just kicked off, with the first event held at Secret Garden Resort in China, and the next stop is in Copper, Colorado, where my son, Tristam Henkels (USA), will be debuting in his first World Cup!
The World Cup opener in China marked the start of the qualifying process for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and it will be a tough season of competition, with all the pros vying for a spot in the next Olympics. My son will be the youngest competitor, having just turned 15 a few weeks ago. He will compete in the second World Cup of the series, here in Copper Mountain, Colorado, on December 20.
It took us many years of hard training to get to this point, where Tristam will go head-to-head with the world’s elite pros in halfpipe snowboarding. We know that getting on the podium will be next to impossible with athletes like Scotty James, Ayumu Hirano, Yuto Totsuka, and Cheun Lee competing—each one pretty much rehearsing for the Olympics. We are grateful to be a part of the excitement and to have this experience.
Standing at the bottom of the pipe as a snowmom, there’s something so exciting and admirable about watching these athletes push the limits of the sport, and I’m looking forward to sharing my snowmom experiences with you.
Secret Garden, China World Cup 2024
The first 2024 World Cup Halfpipe Snowboarding event took place at Secret Garden Resort in China on December 8, 2024 (China Time). The Japanese dominance in men’s halfpipe snowboarding continues, with Yuto Totsuka (Japan) taking gold with a clean run and Japanese athletes sweeping the top five out of six spots.
Men's Competition
The men’s competition was exciting to watch, with most athletes falling on their first two runs, making the third run crucial to determine the final standings. Yuto Totsuka, however, was like a cat, always landing on his feet and standing tall through all three runs and made me scream "How?!". Cheun Lee (South Korea), 2023 World Champion, gave it his all with a powerful triple but couldn't land a clean run and slightly brushed his butt on the pipe giving him a lower score. Scotty James (Australia), on his third attempt, laid down a solid, clean run, standing out with his impressive presence.
Ryusei Yamada (Japan) earned bronze with a creative and technical run, while the goat, Ayumu Hirano (Japan), placed 4th. The only non-Japanese rider in the top positions was Australia’s Scotty James, who finished 2nd. American atheltes, Chase Joey (USA) came in 9th, followed by Alessandro Barbieri (USA) in 13th, and Lucas Foster (USA) in 15th. Levko Fedorowycz (USA) did not attend the competition due to injury.
Women's Competition
In the women’s competition, USA had a stronger presence on the podium. Maddie Mastro laid down a double crippler to win gold, and Madeline Schaffrick (USA), a 30 year old who had been in and out of competitions due to injuries came back strong and took bronze with her stylish run.
Rise Kudo (JAPAN), her first world cup at the age of 15, decked hard on her second run, ultimately not finishing her third run. Last year’s World Champion, Ono Mitsuki, placed 4th, and another Japanese hopeful, Sara Shimizu, took 5th. Gaon Choi (S. KOREA), who won gold at the 2023 X-Games and 2023 Copper World Cup did not attend the competition, nor did Chloe Kim (USA).
Future of Snowboarding
The future of halfpipe snowboarding looks exciting, especially with the Olympics on the horizon. The near-total dominance of Japanese men in the event presents a challenge for the rest of the world, with only a few strong competitors like Cheun Lee, Scotty James, and Valentino Guseli (currently out with injury) standing in the way.
Snowboarding could be more inviting to general audiences if advertising were clearer with timezones and there were no paywalls to watch. There was no clearly stated timezones of the competition times, leading to confusion. I mistakenly thought the event was on Sunday, when it was actually on Saturday in America and Sunday in China. Additionally, the event was behind a paywall, which is a barrier for the general public.
I hope to offer more insights, highlights, and the moments in snowboarding. The next World Cup competition is in Copper, Colorado on December 20, and I can’t wait to share the experience with you.
Sign up for my newsletter and get my blogs in your mailbox for up to date World Cup news.
If you want to donate to Tristam's Olympic journey -
or
buy hoodies and skincare at www.Tristamboardshop.com
#snowmom #snowboarding #halfpipe #worldcup #worldcupsnowboarding #olympics #ayumuhirano #yutototsuka #scottyjames #cheunlee #joeychase #alessandrobarbieri #risekudo #gaonchoi #chloekim #onomitsuki #sarashimizu #ryuseiyamada #maddiemastro #maddyschaffrick #snowboardingnews #lucasfoster #tristamhenkels #yomamarice #secretgarden #coppermountain
Comments