Kuzma Kicks Butt at Kirkwood in the NA Freeskiing Champs

March 10th, 2010

 

Skiers scoping their line. Image – Ben Meester-MSI

Janina Kuzma (New Zealand) and Dylan Crossman (Vermont, USA) have won the 13th annual Subaru North American Freeskiing Championships, the fifth event on the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour, at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, California – famous for its steep, technical slopes.

Kuzma was also honoured with the contest’s Backcountry.com Sickbird Award for the skier who most represents the sport’s heart and soul while ‘going big’. This is one of the few times a female has won the coveted trophy.

The razor-sharp rock spires of Kirkwood’s Cirque was the site for the 3 to 7 March event. A 1,500 vertical foot wall of rock which resembles some of Alaska’s most aesthetic peaks, the Cirque has ski lines that get upwards of 60 degrees, which means that if you could stand still on it, your extended elbow would touch the mountain, It is permanently closed to the public.

Janina Kuzma. Image – Julie Weinberger

As the competition got going Kirkwood received two feet of powder and event organisers saved the most challenging section of the Cirque for Sunday’s final, which guaranteed perfect conditions.

Men’s winner, Dylan Crossman attacked the Cirque with a smooth style and creative line choice. Combining guts with finesse, he threw a 360 spin in the middle of his run.

“After having stormy weather on day one, I woke up in the morning and it was blue bird,” said Crossman of the final day of competition. “I knew I had to make a impressive and smooth run to make my way up from the third position to the first.”

Second went to Aaron Schmidt of Fernie, British Columbia who also skied with the aggression and fluidity that the judges love to see. In third was Marc Welgos of Aspen, Colorado, who skied an impressive and technical line.

AJanina Kuzma with her Sickbird Award. Image – Ben Meester-MSI

Bad weather moved in during the final heats and women’s winner Janina Kuzma from Treble Cone, New Zealand, considered altering her gameplan.

“I was going to change my line but I stuck with my guns, stayed on my feet and I’m really happy,” said Janina. She did an airplane turn into a tight choke in one of the steepest sections of the Cirque called the ‘Hidden Chute’.

Behind Kuzma, was Angel Collinson, of Snowbird, Utah, a rookie on the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour and in third place was Crystal-Rose Lee, of Whistler, British Columbia.

Aaron Schmidt, Dylan Crossman and Marc Welgos. Image – Ben Meester-MSI

The Freeskiing World Tour also presents The North Face Young Gun Award to a young competitor who shows promise and performs well. This weekend’s winner was Caleb Brown from Fernie, British Columbia, who qualified in second position and finished fifth in the final.

Hundreds of spectators gathered at the bottom of the natural amphitheatre, which afforded awesome views of the incredible skiing taking place up above. Between heats, long time tour competitor Ted Davenport thrilled the crowd by ski-parasailing from the peak and sliding to a stop in the finish area.

After the famed Cirque at Kirkwood, California, the Subaru FWT continues to the legendary steeps of Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. Long known as the premier venue on the Subaru FWT, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort will host the 2010 Subaru Freeskiing World Championships, with the tour leaders battling for top positions in the final runs of the year down the infamous North Baldy.

For full results, photos, videos, athlete profiles and more, visit the Suburu Freeskiing World Tour website