2024 Halfpipe World Cup at Secret Garden, China RECAP

by YoMamaRice

As you know, I’m a snowmom and I like rice, and part of the thrill of snowboarding for me is not just watching my kid on the pipe but also diving into the world of competitive snowboarding.

The World Cup competition season has just kicked off, with the first event held at Secret Garden Resort in China, and the next stop is in Copper, Colorado, where my son, Tristam Henkels (USA), will be debuting in his first World Cup.

Standing at the bottom of the pipe, there’s something so exciting about watching these athletes push the limits of the sport, and I’m looking forward to sharing my snowboarding experiences with you all.

The 2024 World Cup Halfpipe Snowboarding event took place at Secret Garden Resort in China on December 8, 2024 (China Time). The Japanese dominance in men’s halfpipe snowboarding continues, with Yuto Totsuka (Japan) taking gold with a clean run and Japanese athletes sweeping the top five out of six spots.

Men's Competition

The men’s competition was exciting to watch, with most athletes falling on their first two runs, making the third run crucial to determine the final standings. Yuto Totsuka, however, was like a cat, always landing on his feet and standing tall through all three runs and made me scream "How?!". Cheun Lee (South Korea), 2023 World Champion, gave it his all with a powerful triple but couldn't land a clean run and slightly brushed his butt on the pipe giving him a lower score. Scotty James (Australia), on his third attempt, laid down a solid, clean run, standing out with his impressive presence.

Ryusei Yamada (Japan) earned bronze with a creative and technical run, while the goat, Ayumu Hirano (Japan), placed 4th. The only non-Japanese rider in the top positions was Australia’s Scotty James, who finished 2nd. American atheltes, Chase Joey (USA) came in 9th, followed by Alessandro Barbieri (USA) in 13th, and Lucas Foster (USA) in 15th. Levko Fedorowycz (USA) did not attend the competition due to injury.

Women's Competition

In the women’s competition, the USA had a stronger presence on the podium. Maddie Mastro laid down a double crippler to win gold, and Madeline Schaffrick (USA), a 30 year old who had been in and out of competitions due to injuries came back strong and took bronze with her stylish run.

Rise Kudo (JAPAN), her first world cup at the age of 15, decked hard on her second run, ultimately not finishing her third run. Last year’s World Champion, Ono Mitsuki, placed 4th, and another Japanese hopeful, Sara Shimizu, took 5th. Gaon Choi (S. KOREA), who won gold at the 2023 X-Games and 2023 Copper World Cup did not attend the competition, nor did Chloe Kim (USA).

Future of Snowboarding

The future of halfpipe snowboarding looks exciting, especially with the Olympics on the horizon. The World Cup opener marked the start of the qualifying process for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics. The near-total dominance of Japanese men in the event presents a challenge for the rest of the world, with only a few strong competitors like Cheun Lee, Scotty James, and Valentino Guseli (currently out with injury) standing in the way.

Snowboarding could be more inviting to general audiences if advertising were clearer with timezones and there were no paywalls to watch. There was no clearly stated timezones of the competition times, leading to confusion. I mistakenly thought the event was on Sunday, when it was actually on Saturday in America and Sunday in China. Additionally, the event was behind a paywall, which is a barrier for the general public.

I hope to offer more insights, highlights, and the moments in snowboarding. The next World Cup competition is in Copper, Colorado on December 20, and I can’t wait to share the experience with you.

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