Wednesday’s finals of the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour 2012 on Revelstoke’s Mount Mackenzie were a spectacular display of big mountain freeskiing. After a two-day weather delay, competitors and fans woke up to perfect blue skies for the culmination of this global competition.
Topping the field of 25 male competitors was 21-year-old Kye Petersen of Whistler/Blackcomb. With the cumulative scoring format used, Kye used his winning score from Day 1 to head into the finals with the lead. Stomping his landings with his trademark compact style, Kye made this difficult venue look effortless earning the top score of 83.03.
“I just wanted to get to the bottom and stay on my feet,” he said later. “This is the best a competition can be, with the best skiers from North America and Europe, I’m excited to come out on top.”
In second with a score of 79.00 was Oakley White-Allen of Snowbird, Utah, who impressed the judges with his confident and fluid skiing.
“I followed my same approach from day one and that was to ski a line that is fun to ski, I think that comes out in your body language so that’s what I did today,” he said.
Rounding out the top three was Drew Tabke, scoring 78.83 thanks to his consistent landings and technical line choice.
Continuing her winning streak win in the Women’s Category was Snowbird’s Angel Collinson, Subaru FWT Champion of 2011, with a winning cumulative score of 72.40.
“My day was already made when I woke up to bluebird skies this morning,” she said. “I was really excited to ski that awesome face with tons of options and I felt I had a strong run today.”
In close second out of Jackson Hole was Crystal Wright. Hitting one of the biggest drops of the day for the ladies, Wright skied fluid and strong scoring a 71.73. In third with a score of 69.67 was tour veteran Jess McMillan who ripped the face of Mount Mackenzie with her fast, dynamic turns.
Mac Daddy, a new competition venue for the Finals, was a leg-burning 2,500 vertical feet, loaded with features and steep lines. With patrollers from Revelstoke Mountain Resort performing avalanche control on the venue for the past few days, snow conditions were a bit variable for the competitors.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to have a day like this work out,” said MSI Event Director Bryan Barlow. “All of the pieces of the puzzle fit today and we were able to showcase the world’s elite skiers on what truly is the Mac Daddy of all Freeskiing venues.”
The winners were presented with Howitzer Shell trophies, courtesy of Swatch.
This wraps up the 2012 stop in Revelstoke co-organized between the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour and the Swatch Freeride World tour. President and CEO of MSI, Adam Comey, had this to say about the event and it’s Finals Day: “Everything came together today. We had a spectacular venue, amazing support from Revelstoke Mountain Resort, the partnership with the Swatch Freeride World tour and the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour came together in a celebration of big mountain skiing and showed the world why this is such an amazing sport.”
