On March XNUMX, XNUMX, at Takasu Snow Park located in Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture, top riders, including the Pyeongchang Olympics Japan National Team, who recently wrapped the world in a whirlpool of excitement, gathered at "Takasu". "Super Pipe Session" was held.
A huge super pipe boasting world-class specifications that can hold one of the few international competitions in Japan.
The perfectly beautifully shaped Super Pipe feels the extraordinary enthusiasm of the makers.
That should be the case. It is no exaggeration to say that the super pipes that Takasu Snow Park is proud of are the best pipe digger teams in Japan.All of the global crew are skiers with expert-level skills, and Ryo Aoki (YONEX), the boss who unites this super digger group, himself participated in the world tournament as a national team member in the past, and in XNUMX Is an undisputed half-pipe specialist who has won all the domestic Pro Tour half-pipe battles, and is now at Takasu Snow Park, which is far from snowboarding as a competitor, and is proud to add half-pipes to the world. He is passionate about training young riders.
In addition, this tournament was also a tournament that had great significance for rookie players, as it also serves as a selection for participation in the World Rookie Fest Kaprun Tournament to be held in Austria.
Sena Tomita, who participated in the World Rookie Fest on behalf of Japan last year and became the champion, won a prize at the Pyeongchang Olympics after that, and it is also new to remember that she sprinkled a smile all over Japan, which is exactly for the rookie. It has become a dream-like tournament with endless possibilities, which can raise the name to the national level and the world level at once, and can be a bridge with the world.
World-class players, world-class digger crews, world-class superpipes, large troops leading to the world, and the most positive situation for hosting a tournament ... should have been ...Except for the weather ...
It was raining badly on this day.Isn't it even difficult to hold a tournament?Was whispered, but ...The tournament was set up with passion as a group of people involved in the tournament, and the tournament was held as scheduled.
The weather was so bad that it wouldn't be strange if the tournament couldn't be held at any time, but I couldn't hear any voice from the players in front of the perfectly shaped halfpipe to cancel the tournament.
From public practice to girls to boys, players appeared in the pipe, and the qualifying round started much earlier than planned.
Qualifying started at a good tempo in the constant rain, but occasionally the area around the start area was covered with thick white fog, which sometimes caused waiting, but both men and women were able to finish the two runs as planned. ..
It seemed that many athletes were showing the gesture of wiping the water droplets of the goggles at the end of the run, probably because of the rain that poured from beginning to end.
In such a difficult situation, the finalists of XNUMX boys and XNUMX girls who decided to advance to the final are as follows.
For girls, FXNUMX, BXNUMX, FXNUMX, CABXNUMX, Rodeo XNUMX, etc. can be put in the routine to connect the heights, but for boys, tricks such as FXNUMX, BXNUMX, FXNUMX, FXNUMX, BXNUMX, FXNUMX are greatly connected. However, the player has been named as a finalist.
Among the players who are active in Japan and overseas, the players who won the prize
Mizonoki Ono (SNOVA246) showed the routine of cab XNUMX from the switch entry, which is the only player from the first qualifying round to show the strength of the heart of a boy.Even after the first hit, he made a series of clean tricks such as FXNUMX, Method Air, and FXNUMX to break into XNUMXrd place.
The second place for girls is Rina Kazama (YONEX), a high school girl professional rider who also has a face as an official writer for 109 news. After deciding on a clean front side grab for the first shot and grasping the rhythm, I steadily decided on BXNUMX, FXNUMX, Gate Twist (Cabaret Real Mute Grab), and FXNUMX and got on the podium.
And the women's championship is Roxy Girl Junna Asaya (ROXY), who has been leading the Japanese snowboarding scene with her sister Tamarin for many years.
Asaya won the championship by deciding FXNUMX, BXNUMX, F Rodeo XNUMX, and Gate Twist from the tall Method Air.
When asked in an interview after the competition, "What was the cause of the victory?", Asaya said, "I enjoyed skiing."Rain conditions that make everyone want to frown on the day.In spite of such a situation, the goddess of victory would have smiled with her who enjoyed snowboarding purely.
Among the men's players, Shin Negishi, who was aiming to become a professional player along with Kikuchihara Komiya as the same amateur player, entered from the big rodeo XNUMX, connected to BXNUMX, front rodeo XNUMX, backside method air and won the XNUMXth place. I played.
The final top batter, Ko Aota who appeared in the first run.While many players scored the best in the first run of the final, Aota made a clean make-up of FXNUMX, cab XNUMX, FXNUMX, BXNUMX and FXNUMX in the second run to move up to XNUMXth place and win the prize. I did.
In 246th place, Ryota Yabu (SNOVAXNUMX), who showed a difficult connection of XNUMXtoXNUMX in the run, such as Indie Air, FXNUMX, BXNUMX, FXNUMX, and backside tail grab, was one step closer to the podium.
The players on the podium showed a taller run than the other players, but among them, the height and the dynamic feeling of the bottom were conspicuous, showing the high skill even in the slope style and straight jump battle. Hironori Nagata (SIDECAR).From the big big front side grab nosebone to BXNUMX, FXNUMX, cab XNUMX, and the last hit front side cradle, I got the height firmly and got in XNUMXrd place.
Top Two has become a battle between two riders with height, style and even high rev tricks.
Naito Ando, who had passed the second place in the qualifying, decided FXNUMX for the huge BXNUMX backside grab nosebone, F double cork XNUMX, cab XNUMX, and last hit from the first shot.When this run is decided, Ando will win the championship?There must have been a lot of audiences thinking about that.
Immediately after that, however, Kazumitsu Anai (NOVEMBER), who passed the qualifying in XNUMXst place and was the last to start in the final, launched an ultra run waiting for Ando to win the miracle run. rice field.
Anai decided a big FXNUMX, a cab double cork XNUMX, FXNUMX, and a big and stylish BXNUMX from the first shot, and even if both men and women combined, he was the only player to hit a high score of over XNUMX points, and this Takasu Halfpipe Pro Battle XNUMX Achieved consecutive victories.When I asked Anai, who won the championship, for comments after the award ceremony, he laughed and answered, "I will buy a present for my mother who had a birthday on this day with motivation, guts, and prize money."
With this, all 15 rounds of the XNUMX-XNUMX season Pro Tour have ended.I'm looking forward to the Pro Tour next season, as I can enjoy watching world-class battles at such a high level for free.
Thank you to all the players.I am looking forward to the day when I can see the hot skiing of the players who have achieved further power-ups in the spring season, off-season and domestic and overseas.Thank you very much.
ALL PHOTO by DAISUKE SHIBATA Photography
