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U.S. Men sweep New Zealand Open pipe
// U.S. Snowboarding // August 8, 2006
LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand - Olympians Mason Aguirre (Mammoth Lakes, CA) and Kelly Clark (West Dover, VT) continued their dominance of the New Zealand Open Saturday, winning the halfpipe contest less than 24 hours after claiming quarterpipe victories. Mason's huge run led a U.S. sweep of the men's podium with Midwesterners Louie Vito (Bellefontaine, OH) and Danny Davis (Highland, MI) rounding out the top three.
Mason's winning run looked like he was ready for an Olympic rematch (fourth in Torino) after only the second contest of the year, stomping a massive frontside rodeo to backside 540 into back-to-back 1080s, followed by a frontside 900 and capped with a backside 900 to stalefish. Kelly again showed the biggest airs of the day with a huge frontside air to backside tail grab to frontside 720 to cab 360 into a nose grab to method to frontside 540 for the win.
Kelly's first run score of 90 destroyed the competition with French rider Sophie Rodriguez landing second a full 15 points back followed by Soko Yamaoka of Japan. The New Zealand Open also marked the first contest back for Kelly after taking a five-month break following arm surgery.
"I'm so stoked. To come back and do well in two different contests is really encouraging," she said the 2002 Olympic gold medalist after taking home $7,500 in two days.
It was also Mason's first time on snow after a three-month hiatus, but the 18-year-old shook off any rust and credited the other riders for upping the contest anti. "I didn't think it was going to be that high caliber of a contest, so the pressure was on," he said.
Veteran U.S. rider Rob Kingwill (Jackson Hole, WY) nabbed the men's best trick crown with his signature sato flip, while young gun Ellery Hollingsworth (Darien, CT) snagged the women's title with a backside 720 on the perfectly shaped 500 foot pipe at Snow Park.
Next up on the summer contest schedule is a trip down under to the Australian Open set for Aug. 25-27 at Falls Creek.
NEW ZEALAND OPEN
Lake Wanaka, NZ - August 5, 2006
Halfpipe
Men
1. Mason Aguirre, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
2. Louie Vito, Bellefontaine, Ohio
3. Danny Davis, Highland, Mich.
4. Crispin Lipscomb, Canada
5. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, Colo.
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6. Luke Mitrani, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
7. Rob Kingwill, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
8. Tommy Czeschin, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
12. Jeremy Thompson,
16. Michael Goldschmidt, Stratton Mountain, Vt.
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Women
1. Kelly Clark, West Dover, Vt.
2. Sophie Rodriguez, France
3. Soko Yamaoka, Japan
4. Tricia Byrnes, Stratton Mountain, Vt.
5. Ellery Hollingsworth, Darian, Conn.
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7. Clair Bidez, Minturn, Colo.
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