Sam Smoothy (NZL) wins a stop of the FWT for the first time and then immediately in the freeride mecca of Chamonix (FRA). With his fluid riding style, he clearly pulled away from Reiner Barkered (SWE) and Oakley White-Allen. The latter now leads the overall standings. In the women's event (skiing), Jaclyn Paaso (USA) could not be beaten by Angel Collinson (USA) and Janina Kuzma (NZL). The snowboard competition was won by French local Douds Charlet (FRA), who finished on the podium ahead of Ralph Backstrom (USA) and his compatriot Aurelien Routens (FRA). The women's podium (snowboard) was also dominated by North Americans: Maria Debari (USA) won ahead of Margot Rozies (FRA) and Shannan Yates (USA).
The winning run by Sam Smoothy (NZL)
Lots of snow, poor visibility and still a great weekend
A weekend of mixed weather conditions in Chamonix ended with a very appealing contest yesterday, Monday. The snow conditions were better than they had been for a long time in Chamonix, although the rise in temperature meant that the snow was already quite heavy. The only reasonable weather window on Monday, with a few interruptions due to poor visibility (and crashes), was enough to complete the event. Sam Smoothy from New Zealand dominated the men's skiing with an impressive run (see video) and finished on the podium ahead of the Swede Reine Barkered and the second North American Oakley White-Allen. The German-speaking riders also did well in Chamonix with an eighth (Tom Leitner), 12th (Björn Heregger), 13th (Sebastian Hannemann) and a 17th place (Samunel Anthamatten). In the overall standings, Sebastian Hannemann (9th) and Björn Heregger (10th) are in the top ten, while Austrian snowboarders Flo Orley (5th), Max Zipser (6th), Christian Schnabel (9th) and Mitch Toelderer (10th) also did well. Pia Widmesser (GER), Eva Walkner (AUT) and Lorraine Huber (AUT) finished fifth to seventh and are now in fourth, seventh and eighth place respectively in the overall standings. Liz Kristoferitsch (AUT) held her own respectably in the women's snowboarders with a fifth place; Ursula Wohlschläger (AUT/GER) finished in eighth place.
All results of the second stop of the Freeride World Tour 2012 at a glance
Women Ski
1 PAASO JACLYN USA
2 COLLINSON ANGEL USA
3 KUZMA JANINA NZL
4 MC MILLAN JESS USA
5 WIDMESSER PIA GER
6 WALKNER EVA AUT
7 HUBER LORRAINE AUT
8 MARTINAIS SARAH FRA
9 HARGIN CHRISTINE SWE
10 BOLBJERG ANJA DEN
Men's Ski1 SMOOTHY SAM NZL
2 BARKERED REINE SWE
3 WHITE-ALLEN OAKLEY USA
4 SALENCON NICOLAS ARG
5 TABKE DREW USA
6 COIRIER ADRIEN FRA
7 GURI KEVIN FRA
8 LEITNER THOMAS GER
9 HAUSL STEFAN AUT
10 AMACKER RICHARD SUI
10 THORSEN AASMUND NOR
12 HEREGGER BJÖRN AUT
13 HANNEMANN SEBASTIAN GER
14 PITTIN ALEXANDRE FRA
15 IMBERT MATHIEU FRA
16 WILLIMAN NEIL NZL
17 ANTHAMATTEN SAMUEL SUI
18 LOPEZ JULIEN FRA
19 VOLE TORGRIM NOR
20 HAUNHOLDER MATTHIAS AUT
21 DUCROZ AURELIEN FRA
22 PREVOST JÉRÉMY FRA
23 SUNNERHEIM ERIK SWE
France versus USA in the snowboarders
In the snowboarders' competition, the battle for first place was also a contest between the USA and FRA. The women's podium was exactly the same as at the first stop in Revelstoke. In the men's event, Douds Charlet (FRA) came out on top against Ralph Backstrom (USA) this time, taking revenge for the stop in Revelstoke.
Women Snowboard
1 DEBARI MARIA USA
2 ROZIES MARGOT FRA
3 YATES SHANNAN USA
4 LAZZARESCHI IRIS USA
5 KRISTOFERITSCH LIZ AUT
6 KUZMA MARIA NZL
7 MOUTHON ELODIE FRA
8 WOHLSCHLAGER URSULA AUT/GER
Men's Snowboard
1 CHARLET JONATHAN FRA
2 BACKSTROM RALPH USA
3 ROUTENS AURELIEN FRA
4 BADOUX EMILIEN SUI
5 ORLEY FLO AUT
6 ZIPSER MAX AUT
7 STENTIFORD JAMES GBR
8 DE LE RUE XAVIER FRA
9 SCHNABEL CHRISTIAN AUT
10 CREPEL MATHIEU FRA
11 ANNETTS MATT USA
12 TOELDERER MITCH AUT
13 DEBARI LUCAS USA
The men's Freeride World Tour now moves straight on to Courmayeur on the other side of Mont Blanc. The third tour stop will take place there from January 24 to 29, 2012. The women will not be back in action until the next but one stop in Roldal (NOR) from February 25 to March 2, 2012.
The Freeride World Tour 2012 stops at a glance
1. Swatch Freeride & Freeskiing World Tour, Revelstoke 2012, Date: January 04-11. Location: Revelstoke (CAN)
2nd Swatch Freeride World Tour, Chamonix Mont-Blanc 2012, date: January 21-27. Location: Chamonix (FRA)
3rd Swatch Freeride World Tour, Courmayeur-Mont-Blanc 2012, Date: January 24-29; Location: Courmayeur (ITA)
4th Swatch Freeride World Tour, Røldal 2012, Date: February 25 - March 2. Location: Røldal (NOR)
5th Swatch Freeride World Tour, Fieberbrunn 2012, Date: March 10-15. Venue: Fieberbrunn (AUT)
6th Swatch Freeride World Tour, Verbier 2012, date: March 24-April 01. Location: Verbier (SUI)
All information about the Freeride World Tour can be found here...