Ursina Haller wins the O’neill Evolution
Swiss snowboarder Ursina Haller won the halfpipe final at the O’Neill Evolution in Davos, taking home the title and a sweet $8,000 check. Ursina pulled a Frontside 5 into a Backside 5, a Stalefish, a Backside air, and a Frontside 7 at the bottom for her winning run, totaling a score of 84.5.
“I didn’t expect to win,” said Ursina. “I was hoping for top five or top three – so I am even more stoked with the win!”
The sun came out for this first day of competition at the O’Neill Evolution 2010 to highlight the impressive halfpipe riding from the women. “The pipe was really good and the weather worked for us too today. We had a good time,” said Ursina. The halfpipe was constructed by the Davos crew, which aimed to reflect the concept of the O’Neill Evolution as showcasing weightlessness and the floating sensation normally associated with a lack of gravitational force in Space. In order to do so, the crew built a longer and more challenging halfpipe.
It was the first time the women were invited to the TTR six-star O’Neill Evolution in three years. “When I saw that women were back at Evolution on the TRR page I was really stoked,” said the winner Ursina, one of fifty women that were invited to compete in the event. “It’s not far from my home, and I always thought it was a great event – with the halfpipe and having it in the village. Hopefully they have it again here next year – that would be great!”
“These changes are all part of what the event is about – ‘Evolution’,” says O’Neill Global Event manager, Bernhard Ritzer. “We wanted to take any steps in evolving this competition in conjunction with the rider’s thoughts and requests. In doing this we expect that 2010 is going to be one of the most spectacular years for the O’Neill Evolution.”
The snowboarders took full advantage of the opportunity to compete; having fun while helping progress the sport. “The whole vibe of the competition was not to put too much pressure on the riders,” Ursina said. “We had so much fun in the qualifications, which was a jam session, so it felt like you were riding with your friends. Then in the finals we had three runs too, so we just continued to have fun!”
18-year-old Slovakian snowboarder Cilka Sadar – the youngest rider in the final – was surprised but delighted with her second place finish – after coming from fifth on her final run. “I wasn’t nervous because I got fifth in the qualifiers and then before the final run I was also fifth. So I didn’t really expect to do that good,” said Cilka. “I am clearly better when I am not that nervous!”
Finishing off the top three was another Swiss rider, Manuela Peska, who finished in first place in the qualification round, and with her consistent runs ended the competition in third place.
Although finishing 6th, Sarka Pancochova was the one partying the hardest at the award ceremony – with each of the top eight finalists receiving a bottle of champagne – as she maintains her Swatch TTR World Tour lead.
FINALS RESULTS O’NEILL EVOLUTION
HALFPIPE
1. Ursina Haller (SUI) $8,000
2. Cilka Sadar (SLO) $6,000
3. Manuela Pesko (SUI) $4,000
4. Kjersti Ostgaard Buaas (NOR) $4,000
5. Caroline Beliard (FRA) $2,000
6. Sarka Pancochova (CZE) $1,000
7. Nadja Purtschert (SUI) $500
8. Akiko Miwa (JPN) $500
Swatch TTR World Standings
Sarka Pancochova (CZE)
Cheryl Maas (NED)
Cilka Sadar (SLO)
Lisa Wiik (NOR)
