January 19, 2002

Click here for Quicktime video from the X Games Halfpipe Finals.

It was a bit of d�j� vu at the X Games Superpipe contest at Aspen Mountain. For the second week in a row, JJ Thomas and Kelly Clark won a pipe contest in Colorado. Both took the Chevy Truck U.S. Grand Prix in Breckenridge last weekend, which put them on the U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team.

JJ tailgrabs over the crowd. Photo: Stouffer

But this week, the gold they were going for was all about the X. �The field was stacked,� said Thomas at the bottom of the pipe. �I just wanted to win. Everyone was so good. I didn�t know what was going to happen, but I just wanted to be up in the mix.�

White flew high, but not high enough this week. Photo: Stouffer

He was definitely up in the mix, and up above the pipe all day long as well. Dropping in 14th in the field of 23 riders, his first run was the highest score all day, with a monster McTwist on the first hit, a seven, and some more huge airs. He posted a score of 93.3. Despite the stacked field with loads of great riders such as Keir Dillon, Gian Simmen, Daniel Franck, Tommy Czeschin, Ross Powers, and Danny Kass, the showdown never materialized as the best-of-three-run format gave everyone two more chances to beat Thomas.

Tommy Czeschin pushed the limit, but couldn't get the win. Photo: Stouffer

The one rider who took a shot was Shaun White, who on his second run came up with a score of 93 from huge airs and a frontside 900, but it was just off Thomas�s score. Several riders also threw 1080s, including Kass and Franck, but the amplitude of the rest of their runs wasn�t up to par.

The women�s event was as one-sided as the men�s, with Clark posting the high score on her first run, including airs that were bigger than a couple of the guys�, and a huge McTwist. For Clark, it was her fourth in a row in three weeks. The girl has won more 40,000 dollars in that time period. �It�s nice to come here and relax after the whole Olympic qualifying deal,� she says. �I did the run I wanted today and I�m really glad.�

Natasza Zurek and Stine Brun Kjeldass were tied for second until the last run when Kjeldass threw a 720 and a handplanted McTwist. It was enough to boost her into solid second place, with Zurek in third.

Transworldsnowboarding.com will report on tomorrow�s X Games Slopestyle event, and log back on for video from the pipe contest coming later in the week.

Men's Snowboard Superpipe Final Results

RANK - BIB # - NAME - HOMETOWN - - SCORE
1 - 263 - J.J. Thomas - Golden, Colorado - 93.33
2 - 269 - Shaun White - Carlsbad, California - 93.00
3 - 213 - Keir Dillon - Shawnee on the Delaware, Pennsylvania - 86.33
4 - 223 - Daniel Franck - Oslo, Norway - 84.67
5 - 235 - Dan Kass - Mammoth Lakes, California - 84.33
6 - 210 - Tommy Czeschin - Mammoth Lakes, California - 82.33
7 - 274 - Andy Finch - Fresno, California - 81.67
8 - 251 - Ross Powers - S. Londonderry, Vermont - 81.67
9 - 201 - Luke Wynen - Reading, Pennsylvania - 81.00
10 - 209 - Dani Costandache Klosters, Switzerland - 79.67
11 - 237 - Rob Kingwill - Jackson, Wyoming - 79.00
12 - 207 - Kim Christiansen - Drammen, Norway - 78.33
13 - 243 - Mike Michalchuk - Pemberton, B.C., Canada - 76.33
14 - 239 - Giacomo Kratter - Sappada, Italy - 76.00
15 - 229 - Xaver Hoffman - Murnau, Bavaria, Germany - 75.67
16 - 245 - Guillaume Morisset Stoneham, Quebec, Canada - 75.33
17 - 275 - Terje Haakonsen - Oslo, Norway - 74.67
18 - 273 - Christopher Nelson Mammoth Lakes, California - 72.33
19 - 259 - Gian Simmen - Arosa, Switzerland - 67.67
20 - 217 - Erik Leines - Sandy, Utah - 64.33
21 - 262 - Abe Teter - South Lake Tahoe, California - 55.67
22 - 226 - Marko Grilc - Ljubljana, Slovenia - 52.00
23 - 205 - Therry Brunner - Davos, Graubunden, Switzerland - 51.00

Women's Snowboard Superpipe Final Results

RANK - BIB # - NAME - HOMETOWN - SCORE

1 - 292 - Kelly Clark - Mount Snow, Vermont - 94.00
2 - 287 - Stine Brun KjeldaasKongsberg, Norway - 82.00
3 - 340 - Natasza Zurek - Vancouver, B.C., Canada - 77.33
4 - 290 - Barrett Christy - Vail, Colorado - - 77.00
5 - 297 - Shannon Dunn - Tahoe Vista, California - 76.33
6 - 325 - Fabienne Reuteler - Zurich, Switzerland - 74.33
7 - 326 - Pauline Richon - Verbier, Switzerland - 74.00
8 - 283 - Gretchen Bleiler - Snowmass Village, Colorado - 73.67
9 - 289 - Tricia Byrnes - New Canaan, Connecticut - 73.00
10 - 313 - Tara Zwink - Government Camp, Oregon - 69.67
11 - 314 - Anne Molin Kongsgaard - Kongsberg, Norway - 67.67
12 - 343 - Autumn Rose - North Lake Tahoe, California - 65.33
13 - 317 - Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas - Trondheim, Norway - 63.67
14 - 329 - Daniela Roth - Winterthur, Switzerland - 63.67
15 - 341 - Manuela Pesko - Lenzerheide, Switzerland - 63.33
16 - 330 - Michele Taggart - Truckee, California - 59.33
17 - 335 - Jana Manfredi - Santa Fe, New Mexico - 56.67
18 - 344 - Alisa Mokler - Mammoth Lakes, California - 55.00
19 - 334 - Christel Thoresen - Oslo, Norway - 53.33
20 - 319 - Leslee Olson - Bend, Oregon - 36.33

Click here for Quicktime video from the finals.