2013 O’Neill Evolution Full Recap
\\ 23 years with legend Gian Simmen
This year’s O’Neill Evolution kicked off again the annual major contest circus (5 Star Event in Halfpipe, 6 Star Event for Big Air) in Davos, Switzerland and had some nice surprises prepared for us, who could enjoy the event live, thanks to the webcast they had again. During the week things got started with the Halfpipe competition, that also featured a different kind of -but still though quite important- news, which is pipe icon and long time pro Swiss rider Gian Simmen, who announced earlier before his retirement from professional snowboarding after 23 years. For Gian things started with snowboarding in Davos and there is the place to end it. 23 years is a hell of a time in which he could look back at several victories and career highlights weither it is national victories or the first ever Olympic Gold in the pipe and more attendances on world class level. No matter how old Gian might feel or not (he is 35), that dawg still has got it and could finish his career by ending up on this last contest at 6th place, between all the youngsters. We wish him all the best and say thank you for 23 years of Halfpipe Extravaganza Gian, take care!
\\ Halfpipe (5 Stars)
These youngsters, is where we’re going now to. On the women’s side it was up to Verena Rohrer (SUI) to throw down solid and technically diversed tricks, that put her on the first podium spot in front of Clémence Grimal (FRA) and Akiko Miwa (JPN). On the men’s side in the pipe it was again Switzerland to make 1st podium with their 18-year old Jan Scherrer, who was more than stoked, especially after laying behind in Qualifies with a 4th place before. Second and third podium went to Kyle Mack (USA) and Hiroki Suwa (JPN).
\\ Big Air (6 Stars)
When the Big Air competition started, we already were expecting some heavy shit to go down, as you obviously can’t win anything anywhere barely, without being able to do Doubles and Triples, but hell ..this was ill. When you read the Tricklist down you seriously could wonder if this was another Nitro Circus sort of show, or a real snowboarding competition as the guys started already in round #1 with Double Corks in any damn possible way. In the beginning it was especially heads like last year’s Superpark standout Dash Kamp (USA) for example, to go into lead and put down some serious tricks with mad style -just until he wanted to transfer from that Elbow rail (which he also was the only one during the event to ripp) onto another handrail and knocked him self out by that, cause he bailed. The obvious favorites like 20-year old Seb Toots (CAN), Antoine Truchon (CAN) or Torgeir Bergrem (NOR) to name a few, where surprisingly not able to make it into the finals, which doesn’t mean that these were not as good as expected, hell no. In the Superfinal it was Maxence Parrot (CAN), who took the title home with a massive BS Triple Cork 1440, in front of second podium stepper Kyle Mack (USA), who had nothing better to do than throwing down the first ever Triple Frontside Rodeo. 3rd and 4th podium spot went to Emil Ulsletten (NOR) and Kalle Järvilehto (FIN).
On the women’s side of the Big Air event, things were way more attractive to watch from the beginning, as the girls had a super different trick level to show and were more interesting to see how this competition developed. In the end it was Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN) to take the Big Air title home, in front of Christine Szumovski (2nd – AUT), Celia Miller (3rd – USA) and Katie Blundell (4th – GBR).
