The Nissan Tram Face in Squaw Valley USA, the second stage of the Freeride World Tour 2009, ended with a cancellation of the second day. After a fantastic first day of competition on the Silverado Face (Friday, February 27), a winter storm hit the local mountains thus the organizers were obliged to regretfully cancel the much-awaited second day focusing on the quality of the competition and riders’ security. The mythical Tram Face is still to be conquered.
The American riders dominated the Silverado face comp on the first day. The snowboarders Jeremy Jones and Susan Moll won the first day of competition with an excited crowd cheering on all the athletes and their amazing runs. Jeremy Jones, the emblematic rider from Squaw Valley, mastered the terrain with a fluid line and great jumps. Jonas Emery from Switzerland took second with one of the most original lines of the day coming down the center. Third placer Xavier de Le Rue from France, Freeride World Champion 2008, opened up the one of the toughest lines of the day with complete control in his jumps.
For the women, Susan Moll, winner of the Freeride World Qualifier in Crested Butte, won ahead of the favorite from Germany, Aline Bock, winner of the Nissan Russian Adventure – Sochi, and Charlotte Hagen from Norway. The women truly impressed the spectators present at the bottom of the face, especially the Freeride World Champion 2008, Elyse Saugstad. She won the women’s ski competition hands down with a fast run that could have competed with the men. Marja Persson from Sweden took second taking a similar line as Elyse. She was followed by Jen Ashton from Canada who went for the steepest area of the face taking third.
With the most original and risky line of the day topped off with an incredible jump, the Swede Reine Barkered surprised everyone taking first ahead of the favorites Henrik Windstedt also from Sweden, Freeride World Champion 2008, and Aurelien Ducroz from France, second at the Nissan Russian Adventure, who took the same line. Cody Townsend, the rider from Squaw Valley and a local favorite, took fourth with just a few points from the podium. Impatient to take on the Tram Face, Cody proclaimed, ‘The Tram Face will separate the men from the boys!’ Unfortunately he never got a chance to be proven right.
After having admired the slopes and thinking about possible lines, the Freeride World Tour riders left the United States for Europe for the third stage and a new challenge: the Nissan Freeride de Tignes, France, which at Moonshine Ink press time, was scheduled to start on March 10. Unlike the unfortunate TramFace comp, snow conditions in the French Alps were expected to be prime.
After France, the Tour heads to Switzerland for the Nissan Xtreme, March 20 to 29.
~See more at freerideworldtour.com.
