We've witnessed some remarkable runs in the snowboard women category in 2023! Watch the top 6 lines from last season featuring Erika Vikander and Anna Orlova at Baqueira Beret, Tiphanie Perrotin at Ordino Arcalis, Michaela Davis-Meehan and Estelle Rizzolio at Kicking Horse Golden BC, and the 2023 World Champion Katie Anderson at Fieberbrunn.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Welcome, welcome, welcome to our first category of the day, the snowboard women.
00:07 Erika Vikander, she's been on the tour, she's 32 years old.
00:11 Last year, locked in a head-to-head battle.
00:14 So Erika now into the meat of things and getting ready to kick things off in this extremely technical zone.
00:24 Again, on that hard bed beneath the slab that was released this morning, working her way into the same cool wire as Estelle.
00:31 Yeah, one of the things that really stands out to me about Erika's riding is the heel side turn.
00:37 She always has control on that heel side, which for a snowboarder is the scary side.
00:42 You know, you're sliding down, you don't have your toes gripping in, but she handles it on all of the comp faces.
00:48 So far, so good here, looking good for Erika.
00:52 Smooth as butter, not having any issues navigating through that cool wire.
00:56 Taking off some smaller features, I think she's potentially seen that people have had trouble so far on the face.
01:03 But again, I mean, strategize and ride it for what it is, that's what Erika's done.
01:07 Our first rider, Tiffany Perretin, getting herself psyched up to send.
01:12 We are underway here in Ordino-Arklays, Tiffany Perretin, current world champion on course.
01:21 Tiffany finding the way in there and now truly underway as she gets that first turn going.
01:27 And this is really her first opportunity to feel out the snow on the face here, Anna.
01:31 Yeah, and it's looking good. The snow is moving, she's making a dent in the face and she's looking to find her first features.
01:38 Yeah, so a couple of solid turns here for Tiffany as she eases her way in.
01:43 As I said, this is the first opportunity for the riders to feel out the snow,
01:47 make sure they know where they are and now coming down, what's looking like towards her first feature off the corner
01:53 and dead bolts on her board. So underway truly now for Tiffany.
01:58 Just linking some turns, finding the next cliff she's going to hop straight into some turns.
02:06 She is lining up a big air here, a chunky one, finds a landing pad, stomps it. That was a sick air from Tiff.
02:15 Alright, so clean riding so far from the champ as she comes down into this slightly wind touch section
02:21 and looking like she's going to just make her way over to this last feature.
02:25 This is a big one. A lot of riders commenting on how flat the landing was.
02:29 Tiffany's going to get onto her toe side and into the takeoff.
02:33 Taking it cross court and riding up clean. A sick run from Tiffany Perretin.
02:38 And she is going to be pleased with that run.
02:43 She's got to go hard, she's got to put it down.
02:46 Mikaela Davis-Meehan is going to hold it down here and kick things off for the snowboard women.
02:52 Oh yes, I like this, I like this.
02:55 Over the X.
02:56 Getting right into the steep exposure, strong toe side turn towards this mandatory air.
03:01 Putting it down, lining up another one. Come on.
03:06 Yes, strong riding. Fluidly into the apron, finding some nice snow there. Really strong start there.
03:14 Yeah, banging it off, right off the top, aggressive.
03:18 Mikaela Davis-Meehan making a strong case for herself.
03:21 Estelle Rosolio getting ready to kick off her campaign here, kicking hard.
03:28 And she is out of the gate and on the face.
03:35 So Estelle airing off the cornice and now this is where that ridge top snow that's been scoured from there has been deposited.
03:41 So a little bit of a nicer riding surface.
03:44 Estelle stacking up the features, keeping it pinned, getting heel side there.
03:48 Disappearing into the pow cloud.
03:51 Potentially missing a spot there that she was looking to hit as she struggled to hold that turn.
03:56 But strong riding as she works her way across the zone.
03:59 Really milking the turns here and finding some nice snow which is tough at this end of the venue.
04:04 Coming into a more technical zone, you can see her scoping where she's going to entrance into this zone.
04:10 We've seen some great riding from the women before.
04:13 Yeah, this zone really delivering for the ski women and Estelle now keeping it pointed in the fall line, turning it into a double.
04:19 And now zooming out on the long powder apron.
04:23 Very interesting riding and strong faultless style.
04:30 Anna Orlova is up there at the top, 32 years old.
04:34 This is season one but she's been around and Anna Orlova is on course.
04:39 So over on this rider's left side now, Anna Orlova passing that judging line and making her way into this steep couloir.
04:47 Some decent snow in there, she's throwing it up as she makes her way down linking turns.
04:53 Looking for her first feature.
04:58 And you can see a little bit of a push there. I think that one might have had a bit more kick on it than she was expecting.
05:04 This is the mystery right now with some of these features.
05:07 She's popped another little one there, trying to find some bigger features.
05:12 Airing into the couloir, which looked difficult but she's got it under control, no tumbles.
05:18 Yeah, so solid there, three features in the couloir.
05:22 A bold move there for Anna Orlova and rewarded.
05:25 She was clean top to bottom.
05:28 And this is where that journey begins for Katie Anderson as she gets set to represent the population of Jaffrey, BC.
05:36 Katie Anderson on the Vilti loader now in that golden bib.
05:40 Slashing her way down this upper section.
05:49 Getting up and over the roll here into a pristine pow field. Katie Anderson getting things going.
05:55 Finding her first bigger feature there and moving pretty fluidly through the face.
06:00 Yeah, it's become the hallmark of Katie Anderson's riding.
06:03 She goes fast coming from that World Cup/Border Cross career.
06:08 She's not afraid of speed, she's not afraid to open up the throttle.
06:12 And we're seeing it here as Katie Anderson in this totally untapped section of the face.
06:17 Absolutely pristine powder and coming into a closeout section as she points it into the fall line.
06:23 And stomps it, riding up really strong.
06:26 And now coming into an area that we saw get a lot of play from the snowboard men's field.
06:36 You know, we got a couple tracks in here for Katie to follow, so landmarking pretty easy as she catches that heel side edge.
06:42 And a little bit of a pause there, maybe too much pressure on the heel side.
06:47 But still clean, not going down there for Katie Anderson.
06:50 It would be a bit of a fluidity dock, but otherwise a really strong run.
06:54 Freeride World Champion, Katie Anderson!
07:00 [Cheering]
07:03 [Applause]
07:07 [Music]
07:10 (dramatic music)
07:12 (logo whooshes)