Guseli wraps up history-making season with Park & Pipe overall title
Valentino Guseli became the first rider in FIS Snowboard World Cup history to finish on the overall podium in slopestyle, halfpipe and big air in the same season as he secured the Park & Pipe overall crystal globe.
The 2022/23 FIS Snowboard Park & Pipe World Cup season came to a close over the weekend in Silvaplana and it was Australian sensation Guseli that emerged with plenty to celebrate.
Despite finishing Sunday’s slopestyle competition in 36th place, the 17-year-old claimed the Park & Pipe overall title as he ended the season with 440 points.
Guseli also became the first rider in World Cup history to secure podiums in all three events in the same season, finishing his campaign with two big air victories, two second-place finishes in halfpipe and a runner-up place in slopestyle.
Guseli said: “I can’t really believe it yet. I think there’s still more to push for and plenty more shredding to be had, but I’m super stoked to have this trophy in my hands. It’s definitely a goal I’ve checked off, but I’m already looking forward to next year and continuing to put on a show for all the beautiful people around the world and showing off what we do.
“Slopestyle, big air, halfpipe… to me it’s just snowboarding. It’s always been a goal of mine to show that it’s possible to be competitive in all three disciplines, and I’m obviously going to try to keep pushing that case. I started doing this stuff when I was three and it’s always been just strapping in and riding down the hill on a piece of wood to me.”
Meanwhile, in the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup, Johannes Lamparter became the third Austrian man to win the overall title after ending the season on 1,367 points.
Lamparter finished 14th in Lahti, Finland, and claimed the crystal globe, ending the dominant run of Norway’s Jarl Magnus Riiber who had claimed the overall title for four seasons in a row.
Elsewhere over the weekend, the 2022/23 FIS Freestyle and Freeski season came to a close in Switzerland with victories for Tess Ledeux and Jesper Tjader.
Ledeux had endured a difficult slopestyle season, with just one podium to speak of before the final event in Silvaplana. And, following a fall during her first run, it looked as though the French skier’s poor run would continue.
However, in her second and final run of the day, Ledeux produced something special – leading things off with a blindside switch-up to front 270 and ending with a tail grab and an alley-oop in the challenging final halfpipe to secure the win with a score of 93.25.
Ledeux, 21, said: “I’m just so happy to finish this season with a first place. It was a hard season for me in slopestyle, that’s why I’m so happy. it’s my fifth podium here, that’s why I love this place.”
In the men’s slopestyle competition, Tjader returned to the scene of his first World Cup success and managed to produce his best skiing of the season during a thrilling first run.
The Swede landed a right double cork 1620 tail on jump one and hit a switch right double cork 1620 mute as he secured victory with an impressive score of 94.25.
Tjader, 28, said: “It feels so good to win. The last time I won a World Cup it was in Silvaplana, too, nine years ago. I’m just stoked. I started the season strong in Stubai but it kind of got shaky in the middle of the season, I missed a few finals, but I’ve been feeling confident and feeling better than ever on my skis.”
Header image: Valentino Guseli. Credit: Christian Pondella / Red Bull Content Pool
