TSG rider Iouri Podladtchikov got 2nd at the O’Neill Evolution Halfpipe finals in a spectacular day of snowboarding action.
It was a close fought final in the 6Star TTR Men’s competition with the top three on the podium – an all Swiss affair of Christian Haller, Iouri Podladtchikov and Jan Scherrer – exchanging the lead after each heat.
It was Christian however who took the final victory and the $15,000 prize money after his third heat run with a score of 87.45 for a run of a Backside 540 Melon, Frontside 1080 Tail, Cab 1080 Nose and Frontside 900 Mute.
Last year’s winner Iouri Podladtchikov had been leading after his second run of a Cab 720, Frontside Crippler, Backside Double McTwist 1260 and a Frontside 1080 Tail.
“I was thinking that I could have made it two wins in two years after landing my trick. But it feels great to have Christian in front of me. Of course it hurts a bit. But it’s Christian. If it was someone else I would probably be more pissed right now.”