Corning Second At Modena Big Air World Cup
U.S. Snowboard Team member Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) kicked off the FIS Snowboard World Cup big air in Modena, Italy, with a second-place finish in front of a huge crowd Saturday. Takeru Otsuka (Japan) won the event, as Kalle Jarvilehto (Finland) was third.
On the women’s side, the podium mimicked an impressive Japanese performance at the first Big Air World Cup of the season in Cardrona, New Zealand with Reira Iwabuchi (Japan) and Miyabi Onitsuka (Japan) taking the top two spots, followed by PyeongChang big air gold medalist Anna Gasser (Austria) in third.
Corning was the lone American in the top 10 for finals and he came out firing with a flat spin frontside 1440 melon. As Corning’s U.S. Freeski Teammates Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.) and Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.) were cheering relentlessly from the crowd, he watched as he posted the highest score in the first round. Many riders took a relatively safe run on their second jump, but Corning took a very different approach, performing a backside triple cork 1440 melon landing almost at the flat bottom. His perfect landing matched his first run score of a 92.50 putting him in second place. Heading into the third and final round, Corning hinted at the fact he may go for the quad cork 1800 if it was necessary to claim the top spot.
After qualifying first overall moving into finals, Corning had the chance to watch the entire field before dropping in on his third and final jump. Trying to overtake Otsuka and holding nothing back, Corning went absolutely massive going for his signature quad cork 1800 which won him the opening World Cup big air of the season in Cardrona, but he simply ran out of real estate on the landing and settled for his is his second-consecutive World Cup big air podium.
U.S. Freeski athletes Claire, Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah), Alex Hall (Park City, Utah) and Forehand, the 2018 Freeski Big Air Junior World Champion, will battle for podium positions Sunday as the SkiPass Modena big air continues. Other American athletes competing include Quinn Wolferman (Missoula, Mont.) and Ryan Stevenson (Washington, N.J.).
HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST
FREESKI
SUNDAY, NOV. 4
11:00 a.m. - World Cup big air, Modena, ITA - The Olympic Channel
World Cup leader Chris Corning was a popular interview with members of the media Saturday in Modena, Italy. (SkiPass - Facebook)
Chris Corning
Chris Corning is an athlete from Arvada, Colorado. Chris was part of the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club prior to joining the U.S. Team. He started snowboarding at the age of 7 and has excelled in the sport ever since. Soon after his beginning he won his first world cup at the young age of 15.