AFO 10 ROOKIES & LADIES

It‘s on! After many weeks of anticipation the Austrian Freeski Open 2010 finally started today with the Rookies and Ladies competitions. Due to the sporadic heavy winds there were some interruptions. It was Anna Segal (AUS) who impressed the judges with her amazing skills. She won the competition in front of Eva Patscheider (AUT) and Arianna Tricomi (ITA). The Rookies showed mind-blowing tricks which highlights the huge progression of the last few years. Antti Ollila (FIN) was on fire and won todays competition. Second place went to Jonas Hunziker (SUI) and Antti-jussi Heikkinnen (FIN) rounded up the podium.

Anna Segal, the X-Games gold medalist from 2009, threw down with an easy and clean style clearing the straight box, a switch up on the picknick table and a 540 saftey and a switch 540 mute on the two kickers. Austria’s best, Eva Patscheider did a similar run on the rails as Anna, but on the kickers she showed an amazing rodeo 540 on to a huge switch 720, however she unfortunately missed the grab. Third place was the Italian Arianna Tricomi. She was smooth on the boxes and stomped a switch 540 and a switch 720 on the kickers. Lena Stoffel came in 4th showing a switch 540 and misty 720. Unfortunately she lacked the speed and landed a little backwards during the competition.

The Rookies did themselves proud. Some riders were only 13 years old, and already throwing safe and solid 900s. We can really be excited about what we may see from them  in some years. But let‘s get back to the winners. First place, Antti Ollila, went switch on, switch-up 270 of from the first box, continued with a 270 switch-up on the picknick table and rounded up his run with a rightside 900 tailgrab and a switch leftside 900 mute on the kickers. The runner up Jonas Hunziker showed stylish switch-ups on the rails and did a switch leftside 720 tail to switch rightside 540 saftey on the jumps. Antti-Jussi Heikkinen rounded up the podim showing a technical run including switch on the box, switch up at the picknick table, cork 900 tail and a switch 720.

Tomorrow the show goes on with the men‘s qualification. What we can already see now is, that it‘s gonna be massive. We already saw some astonishing tricks at the practice session.

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