GAGNIER UNSEATS HALL IN SLOPESTYLE

Earns first Winter X medal; Hall settles for silver

While many were setting the stage for Tanner Hall to become the first Winter X Games athlete to win golds in the same discipline four times in a row, Charles Gagnier was simply staring down the course wondering what could be.

Coming off a victory at the Rip Curl Freeski Slopestyle (the first major competition of the season), Gagnier was certainly on the top of his game. And he, along with the rest of the Slopestyle community, knew it would take at least that to knock Hall – the sport’s king. “I had envisioned the run I wanted in my mind and I just killed it,” said Gagnier, who landed a Big Switch 210 on the rail, a Double Cab 720 and a Cab 1080 off the final kicker en route to a final-run score of 92.66. “I was really excited.

“The judges have been stoked on Tanner’s style for two years and now the judges are finally getting into my style. The past two years I feel like I have established myself and I feel like I have arrived.”

Despite falling short of the four-peat, Hall (Kalispell, Mont.) was still able to add another medal to his Winter X Games collection (four gold, two silver) with a 450 on and 270 off a rail and a big 1080 off the final kicker. With wins in three of the biggest contests in 2004 (U.S. Open, World Skiing Invitational and World Superpipe Championships), Hall is ready for a big 2005.

“Charles really killed it today,” Hall said after his score of 91.00 came up just short. “I had a good run and I really need to get ready for my next competition.”

Jon Olsson (Are, Sweden) was in a familiar spot for the fourth year in a row – the bronze medal position, to improve his overall medal count to seven (one gold, one bronze, five bronze).

“I would really like to see some bigger jumps and a lot more air,” Olsson remarked. “Seeing all of the guys here doing tricks really pushes me to get better.”

SKI SLOPESTYLE
Final Results from Aspen/Snowmass on Sunday, January 30, 2005

1. Charles Gagnier 502 Victoriaville, BC, Canada 92.66
2. Tanner Hall 503 Kalispell, Mont. 91.00
3. Jon Olsson 507 Are, Sweden 87.00
4. Simon Dumont 501 Bethel, Maine 86.00
5. Henrick Windstedt 515 Are, Sweden 84.00
6. T.J. Schiller 509 Vernon, BC, Canada 83.66
7. C.R. Johnson 504 Truckee, Calif. 80.66
8. Corey Vanular 513 Niagare-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada 76.33
9. Laurent Favre 522 La Clusaz, France 74.33
10. Peter Olenick 506 Carbondale, Colo. 44.00