Archive for Saturday, December 21, 2002
Bumps & Jumps
Seven of the world's top freeriders dazzle crowd at Paul Mitchell Ultimate Bumps and Jumps contest
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Steamboat Springs Here's to putting the free back into freestyle skiing. There were judges, but there were no rules, as seven of the world's top freeriders dazzled the crowd and each other in the second day of the Paul Mitchell Ultimate Bumps and Jumps contest Saturday.
After Tanner Hall and C.R. Johnson, both 19, won payouts of $10,000 for their first-place finishes in the Superpipe and Big Air competitions, respectively, on Friday, veterans Chris Hernandez and Toby Dawson skied to the front Saturday.
Hernandez and Dawson, both 24, are current members of the U.S. Freestyle ski team and no doubt used some of their racing experience to gain an edge in Saturday's Free Moguls and Dual Free Moguls contests.
In fact, Dawson, fresh off a World Cup win in Italy, took a break from the tour to visit snowy Steamboat Springs for the "made for TV" spectacle otherwise known as Bumps and Jumps.
"I had an opportunity to bring my name out to the rest of the world," Dawson said. "This event is so much more fun. My freestyle training has been so structured."
Dawson capitalized in the Bumps and Jumps by taking home a lump of cash totaling $10,000 for his narrow victory over Hall in the Dual Free Moguls final by a score of 85 to 84.
Dawson's speed through the course may have given him the title, but Hall's ability to soar -- he did a 900 off the bottom kicker -- made the score close. Hall didn't leave the Voo Doo course too upset because he picked up his own $10,000.
"The (dual moguls) pushes you more," Hall said. "You go a little bit faster and a little bit higher."
But Hall isn't a mogul skier by trade. Hitting big air is where his strength lies. Last year the freestyle skier picked up two gold medals in the Winter X Games and the Core Xtreme Games.
This season, Hall won the Slopestyle competition and took second in Big Air at the U.S. Freeskiing Open.
In freeskiing, unlike the freestyle competitions at the Olympics, there are no standards or preset course descriptions.
The judges have no idea what the competitors are doing until they hit the snow, or, in the case of Saturday's free moguls competitions -- an 18-foot rail at the top of the course.
Park Smalley, the first U.S. National Freestyle coach, provided on-snow interviews for CBS Sports this weekend, and the return of no-holds-barred skiing brought a smile to his face.
"I kind of compare it to the circle of life," Smalley said. "When it started we were renegades, hot-doggers and did whatever we wanted. This made-for-TV event took free and put it back in. It brings back memories."
Hernandez, the champion of Saturday's Free Moguls competition, said freeskiing is what he likes to do when he isn't doing top-to-bottom freestyle training runs.
The Heavenly, Calif., resident made the most of his first run down the Voo Doo course Saturday morning, mixing good rail work with good air and turns to win the title and $10,000.
"That's the easiest money I've ever won," he said. "Ten G's for doing what I like. That's sweet."
Dawson finished second and Hall came in third.
Hernandez said familiarity with the moguls likely gave him an advantage on Saturday, especially coming in and out of the jumps, but his baggy pants may have cost him an additional $10,000 in the duals competition.
Heading into the final air, Hernandez reached down to pull his pants up, lost momentum and took a spill on the landing, but he left the mountain pleased to have heavier pockets.
"I'm going to buy some Christmas presents," he said.
For both competitions, the judges, including Jonny Moseley, who opted out of Saturday's moguls runs, broke down the final scores as follows: 10 percent for rail, 20 percent for top air, 30 percent on turns, 30 percent on bottom air and 10 percent on speed.
For those who were unable to get up -- or down -- Voo Doo on Saturday or out to the Bashor Bowl or the Mavericks Superpipe on Friday, CBS will be airing the Paul Mitchell Ultimate Bumps and Jumps show Dec. 29 following football.

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