VAIL, Colo. – Olympic bronze medallist Mark McMorris won gold in men’s slopestyle at the U.S. Open on Friday.
McMorris, Canada’s first medallist at the 2014 Sochi Games last month, took first place with a best score of 87.50 on his second of three runs.
Olympic silver medallist Stale Sandbech of Norway was second at 87.20 and Maxence Parrot, from Bromont, Que., was third at 84.30. Sebastien Toutant of Montreal was fourth at 83.35.
Heavy snow conditions didn’t bother McMorris.
“I’ve always been one to have success in bad weather,” said the Regina native, who executed a cab 1260, double-cork 1080 and a triple-cork.
“I was going to do that run if it was the best weather in the world. To do that in really tough conditions meant more to me.”
Parrot saved his best for last, falling on his first two runs.
“I really wanted to end the season on the podium,” said Parrot, who took gold at the X Games before finishing fifth in Sochi. “I was a little nervous.”
Darcy Sharpe of Comox, B.C., was sixth and Tyler Nicholson of North Bay, Ont., seventh.
In women’s slopestyle, Olympic champion Jamie Anderson of the U.S. was the winner with 87.55.
Spencer O’Brien of Courtenay, B.C., the defending champion, displayed some impressive 720’s and a switch 540 to place second at 80.00. Isabel Derungs of Switzerland was third at 71.90.
Along with the X Games and Dew Tour, the U.S. Open is one of the major events on the snowboard season.
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