With Olympic gold, a Crystal Globe and a Dew Tour title on her mantle, Cassie Sharpe had won nearly everything a high-level freestyler could win.
But before Jan. 24, she hadn't won X Games gold at its winter epicentre in Aspen, Colo. (Sharpe did win at Oslo in 2016.)
In the ski superpipe event, Sharpe fended off challenges from runner-up Kelly Sildaru of Estonia (92.33) and fellow Canadian Rachael Karker (86.33), throwing down a 94.00 on her third and final run to claim gold.
"I wanted it, I needed it, and I went out and got it," the Whistler resident via Comox said in a release. "This is the big show, this is it, this is Aspen extreme, so I'm just so hyped about this."
In the men's ski superpipe, Canadians Noah Bowman and Whistler's Simon d'Artois were sixth and seventh, in order, as American Alex Ferreira nicked fellow Yankee David Wise and New Zealand's Nico Porteous for the win.
As for the other male skiers, Canada's Alex Beaulieu-Marchand earned a silver in the slopestyle behind American Alex Hall and ahead of Norway's Ferdinand Dahl. Phil Langevin was ninth. Beaulieu-Marchand was also second in the big air, sandwiched between champion Birk Ruud of Norway and James Woods of Great Britain. Evan McEachran, meanwhile, was a point off the podium in fourth.
In the other ski events, Canadian Elena Gaskell took seventh in the big air, in which France's Mathilde Gremaud topped Norway's Johanne Killi and Sildaru, while in the slopestyle, Sildaru bested Switzerland's Sarah Hoefflin and American Maggie Voisin.
Snowboarder Laurie Blouin won gold in the big air with a 77.00, nicking New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and American Jamie Anderson.
In the slopestyle, Spencer O'Brien and Blouin took fourth and seventh, respectively, with Sadowski-Synnott earning the win over American Hailey Langland and Finland's Enni Rukajarvi.
Meanwhile, in the superpipe, American Chloe Kim topped Spain's Queralt Castellet and China's Cai Xuetong.
As for the men, Canadian Mark McMorris won a hotly contested slopestyle event with an eye-popping 96.00 to top Finland's Rene Rinnekangas and Norway's Mons Roisland. Sebastian Toutant was just off the podium in fourth, Whistler resident Darcy Sharpe was sixth and Mikey Ciccarelli placed ninth.
McMorris then took second in the big air behind only Japan's Takeru Otsuka and ahead of Sweden's Sven Thorgren. Toutant was again fourth while Sharpe placed seventh.
In the superpipe, meanwhile, Australia's Scotty James bested Japan's Yuto Totsuka and American Danny Davis.
Full results are available online at www.xgames.com.
Whistlerites named to Canada Winter Games team
A number of local athletes were named to Team B.C. for next month's Canada Winter Games.
All of the slopestyle athletes hail from Whistler as Finn Finestone and Jadyn Chomlack will compete on the men's side while Maggie Crompton and Juliette Pelchat will go on the women's side. As well, Truth Smith is the province's men's halfpipe rep.
Chomlack and Finestone are fresh off strong Air Nation/NorAm Cup performances at Big White, as they were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Jan. 23 slopestyle. Finestone also placed 14th in the next day's big air while Smith placed 19th.
Fellow Whistlerite Jackie Carlson showed well in the women's event, taking third in the slopestyle and fifth in the big air.
In provincial series action at Big White the weekend prior, Smith hit the top 10 with fourth- and sixth-place slopestyle finishes. Locals cleaned up in the women's event, with Carlson, Crompton and Pelchat sweeping the podium in order on Jan. 19 and Carlson, Pelchat and Crompton taking first, third and fourth, respectively, the next day.
Freestylers star at Canadian Open
Numerous Freestyle Whistler athletes put up strong results in Canada Cup action at Silver Star on the weekend.
Locals took four of the top five spots on the men's side, with Nick Suchy earning the victory to catapult him into second place in the overall standings while Luke Smart also hit the podium in third. Anders Ujejski took fourth and Kai Smart fifth, with Chase Ujejski also hitting the top 10 in eighth.
On the women's side, alumnus Skye Clarke scored the win while Josephine Howell and Caoimhe Heavey were second and fourth, respectively.
Full results are available at freestylecanada.ski.
In Timber Tour action the weekend prior, slopestylers: Heavey (first in women's U16); Evan Bush (second in men's U16); and Liam Tennock (second in men's U18) took home provincial hardware from Big White. As well, moguls athletes: Chase Capicik (first in women's U16); Brooke Armstrong (third in women's U16 singles and first in doubles); Jessica Dawson (second in women's U14); Emilia Oziewicz (third in women's U14 single and second in doubles); Malica Malherbe (second in women's U16 doubles); Mattheus Heslop (first in men's U14 singles and doubles); Philip Kang (second in men's U16 singles and doubles); Owen Scarth (third in men's U16 singles and doubles); and Landon Owen-Mold (third in men's U14 doubles) all starred in Timber Tour action at Apex.
Meanwhile, in Super Youth action, Armaan Asrar Haghighi was third in the men's U12 slopestyle and first in moguls.
Full results are available online at www.freestylebc.ski.
