Day 2

Big Mountain Freeskiing Finals

Aussie Telemarker, Martha Burley, shows the other skiers a clean pair of ‘free-heels' this afternoon in Verbier. Unknown Canadian, Brendan Noel-McLean, rides an inspired run to find himself a very surprised winner of the Verbier Ride 2004.

Summary:

“Today it was all about fluidity. The riders showed the true style and spirit of freeskiing.”

So spoke Dino Raiffault, head judge of the Verbier Ride 2004, as he summed up what had been a particularly successful and spectacular day of competitive Big Mountain freeskiing. Under a bluebird sky, with fresh snow on the ground, the final 32 men and 12 women threw down an inspired and inspiring collection of runs on Mont Gele's demanding slopes.

But there was a new feel to the riding - it wasn't the balls-out, testosterone-fuelled, huck-or-die kind of day we used to see. Partly, conditions were responsible. The new snow sluffed frequently, rocks lurked just below the surface and snow texture varied significantly across the face. But more than this, recently there seems to have been a progression to the way riders are thinking.

“We were impressed today. It was intelligent riding. The guys are realising we are looking for smooth, fluid and creative runs: we're not impressed by Hollywood air or reckless riding any more” explained Dino.

That's not to say, there wasn't some awesome hucking or some sick lines, just that the airs or technical sections were worked seamlessly into the run. It was all about flow.

…And judging by the way the beers were flowing in the finish area, the crowd were pretty impressed by this new wave of freeskiing style.

Results:

Ladies:

Aussie Telemarker, Martha Burley, showed the other skiers a clean pair of free-heels this afternoon. She picked a particularly technical line through a ‘no-fall' zone under start gate 3 (far skier's right on Mont Gele). Martha rode powerfully in the heavy snow, combining great control with the grace that only telemarkers can bring to the slope. But it wasn't just her style, halfway down she appeared on top of a large rock none of the other girls had been near. Burley by name, she proved herself burly by nature, throwing herself off and nailing the landing without the slightest speed-check. As the crowd went wild, she rode back to the finish area, hit the big kicker to more cheers and slid to a stop and clear victory in the Big Mountain event.

Martha had made it clear to the event organisers that she was there as a freeskier, not as telemarker, and was judged as such. No dispensation was made for the increased technical difficulty of riding tele. Instead, she just ripped a route that left her head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Her win summed up the essence of freeriding competitions. When it comes down to it, it's just about the skiing!

Martha's talents deserve wider exposure and hopefully her win today will get her increased recognition. Quite simply she is one of the best female telemarkers in the world.

Marie Pieronne was the only rider on the day who could have threatened Burley. Her top section was awesome, but two falls in the tricky snow in the mid-section cost her a chance at the podium. No doubt she will be back to try again.

Second place ended up going to Amelie Simon, the French freeskier. She proved that fluidity does not necessarily mean speed. Her run was smooth, steady, and skied exceptionally well. She ran a tight chute near the bottom, showing her aggressive edge, and deserved her runner's up position.

German freeskiing star, Steffi Frank, took 3 rd place. She chose the same start gate as Martha and found a creative route down. She showed her characteristic strength and technical style on the snow, but lost out by dropping slightly below the traverse she needed for her preferred line and therefore having to change her route choice mid-descent. Her skiing talent shone through sufficiently though for her to occupy the last place on the podium.

Men:

Unknown (well, not for much longer that's for sure) freeskier, Brendan Noel-McLean, a Canadian based in Europe this winter, rode an inspired run to find himself a very surprised winner of the Verbier Ride 2004. He combined supreme style, grace and fluidity with guts and aggression to wow both the crowd and the judges in his descent of Mont Gele. He may have been surprised to find himself atop the podium, but it is something he might just have to get used to. Noel-McLean dropped 3 big cliffs and made a highly technical route through an exposed narrow chute look sickeningly simple.

Second place went to Jean-Michel Gouadain – his run epitomised the French wave of freeskiing. Super-fast and with very creative use of terrain, he drew cheers from the crowd with a lightening-quick double drop out of a funnel chute that had left many riders cautiously picking their way down. His Lincoln Loop off the Dainese kicker rounded off an awesome descent; yet it wasn't quiet enough to knock Noel-McLean off top.

Olivier Maynet filled the last spot on the podium, only 0.4 points behind Gouadain. Another French rider and another French descent! Maynet linked together sections in a way very few other riders managed, combining drops with chutes and showing a technical pedigree that could take him far in the future. His crotch-grab off the finish area kicker may not have gained him many points, but it made the crowd chuckle and, anyway, by then he'd done enough to ensure he'd be in the money come the end of the day.

The ever-popular ‘Oiseau Malade' (Sick Bird) award went to Gouadain for the way he ripped the funnel chute; however this sick bird really should have had a mate. John Witherspoon's double (a huge air into a steep narrow chute and immediately out over another rock band onto a particularly steep and exposed runout) not only had the crowd's hearts stopping, it also left commentator, (freeski legend, Jamie Strachan) capable only of uttering the words “oh my god, …Oh My God, … OH MY GOD!” Without doubt it was the sickest air of the day and stomped so solidly that Mont Gele must have shaken under Witherspoon's skis.

Other highlights included Frederick Andersen's incredible run through one of the most exposed sections on the hill. His poise and style made it look effortless, but the fact that only Todd Windle and Leif Zapf-Gilje took the same route pointed to just how challenging his choice was. Todd, himself, took a variation along a shelf of snow that certainly made for the most technical traverse award. In days gone past, these seriously technical and exposed lines may well have been winning routes, but these days, as Dino and fellow judge, Phil Maier, stressed, the judges are focussing much more on the fluidity of the run. They are looking for continuity, creativity and speed, rather than the slower precise technical control necessitated by serious exposure.

A few other crowd-pleasers included: Andrew ‘Noddy' Gowans ‘Superman' frontflip off the Dainese kicker; Thomas Diet's attempt at a D-Spin that almost turned into a ‘9' and left him riding fakey through the finish line; and Glen Parsons (after a strong run by the British rider) rounding things off with a ‘corked 7 to face plant' that took his breath away, if not so much the crowd's.

Round-up:

A magical day's competition - epic riding, perfect weather and an inspiring vibe running through the crowd. The Verbier Ride 2004 Big Mountain Freeride was definitely a triumph. The cameras were out in force to record the whole event and the results will be must-see viewing. Make sure you catch YOZ on Eurosport or the Extreme Channel to check out the footage. Dates and times will be announced soon.

But just to put things into perspective: so she may have just proved she's one of the best freeskiers on the planet, but Verbier Ride champion Martha Burley's head is definitely not stuck in the clouds just yet. After picking up her cheque and doing her post-prize-giving interviews, Martha was caught rushing off. Why the hurry? “Well, I've got to be at work in 25minutes!” explained the Australian. “But I'll think I'll be out for a few drinks later” she added.

And the rest of Verbier will be joining her!

© Phil Martin Writer, Freeskier, Wintersports Media Consultant email: philmartin@skijournalism.com mob:+44 7800 912369 Phil Martin recommends:
Weather protection by	Impact protection by