Shaun White, the United States teen redhead known as ”The Flying Tomato”, is the man to beat for the Turin Olympic halfpipe title, but top rivals are set to unleash a new trick that could grab the gold.
Sunday’s snowboard showdown promises high-flying excitement measured in thrills and cheers just as the riders’ tricks are measured in rotation degrees and frontside or backside spins.
White (19) won the Winter X Games in January with a dazzling run — back-to-back 900s (two-and-a-half full spins), back-to-back 1080s (three spins) and a finishing backside 1080, a trick far tougher than the frontside version.
”Any medal would be good — a big gold one even better,” said White, who began at age six and turned pro at 13. ”Halfpipe is going to be watched by more people in the Olympics. It will be a great success. It’s going to be awesome.”
But halfpipe world champion Antti Autti of Finland, Italy’s Giacomo Kratter and reigning World Cup champion Matthew Crepel, have practiced the seldom-seen 1280, three-and-a-half frontside revolutions in hopes of topping the ”Tomato”.
”It’s a great trick if people can land it smooth and clean,” said American Danny Kass, the 2002 Olympic halfpipe runner-up. ”But you have got to have some style. It’s not figure skating.”
Crepel warned that the flamboyant 1280 will not bring gold unless the other tricks are strong as well.
”There’s not one trick to win a medal. It’s one run,” Crepel said. ”And from the first to the last jump it’s going to be tight.”
Kratter said he will probably try the 1280 in the final but added, ”I’ve got other good tricks in my pocket as well.”
France’s Gary Zebrowski left no doubts as to his strategy. ”I believe the 1260 is the one,” he said. ”I’ll do it like Mathieu, Kratter and Antti Autti.”
The risky move might be necessary to deny a podium sweep to a US squad that also includes Andy Finch and Mason Aquirre, second to White at the X Games. The team is so good that 2002 champion Ross Powers could not qualify for Turin.
”We’re pretty aggressive. We have most of the best riders in the world,” Kass said. ”The whole US team is looking really good. Mason and Shaun are just killing it.”
Japanese 17-year-old Kazuhiro Kokubo, who won back-to-back World Cup events, could claim his nation’s first snowboard medal. – AFP
