Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Desmarais, Pischke throw down at Showdown

Not a lot of mountain resorts can boast a snowboard event as late as May 19, or even scrape together enough snow to built a four-metre quarterpipe, but with an alpine snow base hovering at more than two metres, conditions were perfect for this year&#

Not a lot of mountain resorts can boast a snowboard event as late as May 19, or even scrape together enough snow to built a four-metre quarterpipe, but with an alpine snow base hovering at more than two metres, conditions were perfect for this year’s Showcase Showdown.

Feeding off the energy of the crowd, and looking for a share of the cash and prizes available, a lot of competitors were easily boosting higher than the 12-foot marker on the top of the quarterpipe.

While the loudest cheers of the day went to a guy on a GT SnowRacer knockoff who was lining up the pipe from the top of Headwall, there was a warm reception for the athletes from the hardcore spectators that came out to watch, and stuck around even after it started to drizzle.

Pitted against some serious heavyweights, newcomer Sebastien Desmarais won the men’s pro division and $4,000 in mad money. Ride Snowboards pro David Aubry took second place and $1,500 in cash after finally nailing his jump. Third and $800 went to Doug Smith.

The women’s pro division went to Colorado snowboarder Megan Pischke, who went a little bigger with her corked spins than the other riders to earn $2,000. Yukiko Hotta and Chiyoko Iwabuchi of Japan were second and third, earning $800 and $250 respectively.

In total more than $10,000 in cash and prizes was given out on Sunday. In the qualifier on Saturday, Dennis Bannock won the $500 men’s big hit award while Yukiko Hotta won the $250 the women’s award.

Showcase Showdown Results:

Pro Men Finals

1. Sebastein Desmarais – 23.9 points

2. David Aubry – 22.0

3. Doug Smith – 21.7

4. Jesse Fulton – 20.7

5. Josh Duncan – 14.1

Pro Women Finals

1. Megan Pischke – 24.9

2. Yukiko Hotta – 22.5

3. Chiyoko Iwabuchi – 21.5

4. Molly Purnell – 18.1

5. Dominique Vallee – 14.4

Amateur Men 19 and Over Finals

1. Petter Hesso – 23.8

2. Chase Conway – 22.5

3. Joey Han – 18.6

4. Yong soo An – 16.9

5. Etienne Chartier – 15.0

Amateur Women Finals

1. Sarah Kopinya – 16.8

2. Julie Alach – 10.7

3. Stephanie Just – 8.3

4. Ashli Norheim – 7.9

5. Laura Berdette – 6.6

Amateur Men 18 and Under

1. Vinnie Ligeti – 21.7

2. Lucas Debari – 21.1

3. Aaron Shapiro – 20.7

4. Marc Mains – 20.4

5. Johnny Lyall – 19.1