In just five years the World Skiing Invitational has evolved from a demonstration of a revolutionary discipline into the cornerstone of an established extreme sport.
The WSI even predates the X-Games and U.S. Open freeskiing competitions, which is why you can almost chart the growing popularity of new school skiing by using the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival as a barometer.
In its first year, 2000, the WSI featured combined big air and quarterpipe contests on Headwall with a crowd of about 2,000 people looking on.
The following year the WSI Big Air was moved downhill to Whistler Village, taking place in the afternoon with a much larger crowd. A Superpipe contest was also added to the lineup.
The year after that, the WSI big air was moved to the evening, drawing massive festival crowds that were on par with the more established snowboard big air events.
In its fifth year the WSI is bigger than ever, drawing an international field of top competitors, thousands of spectators, and hundreds of representatives from the ski industry and ski media. As a result, much more than $50,000 in prize money is at stake, although that’s not a bad bonus for most of the athletes.
The action gets underway today (Friday, April 23) with the Salomon Superpipe Qualifier from 9:30 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. Salomon has invited up to 80 men and 15 women to come out and compete for spots in Saturday’s Superpipe Finals, where they will face the pro riders. There will also be a Salomon Big Air training session from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday the Superpipe Finals will run from 11 a.m. to 1:20 p.m., followed by an athlete-judged Superhit contest until 2 p.m.
That evening the Big Air warm-up will take place at 7 p.m., followed by the main event at 8 p.m.
Although the list is subject to change, the current roster of athletes is as impressive as they come with past winners, up-and-comers, and tested veterans of pro contests like the X-Games, U.S. Open, Red Bull Huckfest and, of course, the WSI.
Superpipe Athletes
Josh Bibby – Bibby hails from Vernon, where he was a star on the Silver Star Freestyle Club. He is 18, aggressive, and is sponsored by Salomon, Smith and Silver Cartel. He was ninth in the WSI Big Air in 2003.
Rory Bushfeld – This 20 year old hails from Calgary, lives in Balzac, B.C. and also has a freestyle background – he was the 2002 FIS International Youth Freestyle Champion as a matter of fact. He has been featured in several videos, has ranked in the top-10 in the U.S. Freeskiing Open, and can land a 1080-to-fakie trick in the pipe. He is skiing for the Rossignol team.
David Crichton – Manotick, Ontario’s Crichton has been coming to the WSI since he won the slopestyle and placed second in the big air four years ago as a 17 year old. At last year’s WSI he was second in the Superpipe, first in the Superhit, and fifth in the Big Air. This year he has already won the World Superpipe Championships and the U.S. Freeskiing Open superpipe. He’s sponsored by Dynastar, DNA, Spy and D-Structure.
Simon Dumont – Dumont, 17, kicked off his season with a win at the King of the Globe big air in Stockholm, Sweden, followed by a win in the X-Games Superpipe. He’s from Bethel, Maine and appears to be fearless when it comes to getting airborne. His sponsors are Salomon, Oakley, Red Bull, Dakine and Giro.
Charles Gagnier – Gagnier of Victoriaville, Quebec is having a good season with a top-10 in the X-Games slopestyle and a win in the Vermont Open slopestyle. His sponsors are Salomon, Spy and D-Structure.
Tanner Hall – At 20 years of age, Montana’s Tanner Hall needs no introduction. He has been winning events since he was 15 and has emerged as one of the most dominant skiers of his generation. He won the X-Games and U.S. Open slopestyle this year, won the U.S. Open superpipe, and placed top-10 in every event he entered. Whistler has also been good to Hall, who finished second in the big air last year, an event he won the year before. He is sponsored by Armada, a company he helped to create.
Scott Hibbert – Hibbert, 20, is Crichton’s friend from Manotick, Ontario. He was third in Whistler at the superpipe last year, top-10 at the X-Games this year, and lands huge corked 900s with ease. He skis for Dynastar.
Phil Larose – Larose is just 23, but is considered one of the pioneers of new school freeskiing. He was seventh in the WSI superpipe last year, then competed in the Global X-Games Championships in Whistler, where he was fifth. He hails from Lac-Beauport, Quebec and skis for Dynastar.
Dan Marion – Dan is a high-schooler from Maine who made his first appearance at the X-Games this year after winning the qualifier. He went on to finish seventh overall. He is also skiing for Dynastar.
Shoya Okazaki – This Japanese freestyle skier came out of nowhere and stole the X-Games Global Championships in Whistler last year, going bigger than the biggest names, spinning corked 900s and 720s and landing absolutely everything. Now he skis for Salomon.
Peter Olenick – This 20 year old jibber from Colorado is emerging as one of the top skiers in the world after finishing third in the X-Games superpipe and second in the big air. He skis for Salomon.
Jon Olsson – Whistler has been good to Sweden’s Olsson over the years. He won the WSI big air last year and finished eighth in the superpipe. The 20 year old didn’t miss a beat this year, finishing third in the X-Games slopestyle and second in the superpipe. He started off his year finishing second to Simon Dumont in the King of the Globe. He skis for Oakley, Head and Red Bull.
Jon Reedy – Reedy is only 20 and won the U.S. Open superpipe in 2003. This year he was seventh in the U.S. Open superpipe. He has been doing a lot of filming, and is known for his big air and stylish moves. He skis for Dynastar, DNA Clothing, Electric, and Go Fast Energy Drink.
TJ Schiller – Schiller, a riding partner of Josh Bibby, is having a great season with a win in the U.S. Open slopestyle and second place in the big air. He is 18 years old and skis for Armada and Orage.
JP Solberg – Solberg is from Norway but lives in the eastern U.S. these days. The 20 year old made a surprise third place finish in the World Superpipe Championships this year after making the switch from snowboarding to skiing, and is a genuine threat to win the WSI. His sponsors are Volkl, Tecnica, The North Face, Noics, Ride NH and Spy.
John Symms – Symms is from Colorado and skis for Salomon, Scott and Orage, and is easily ranked among the top riders in North America with strong results over the last few years in the U.S. Open and X-Games. In the WSI last year he was fourth in the Superpipe after launching and landing some of the biggest straight airs and grabs of the day.
Stefan Thomas – From Park City, Thomas is sponsored by K2, Spy and Sublux and was fifth in the U.S. Open Slopestyle and third in the World Superpipe Championships.
Greg Tuffelmire – Sporting a neon yellow, pink and blue one-piece ski suit, Colorado’s Tuffelmire, 27, took the WSI superpipe last year with a pair of 1260s and a 1080 in the same run. Whatever happens he should be fun to watch. He skis for Volkl, Tecnica, O’Neill, Smith, Copper Mountain and Ally Containment Co.
Henrik Winstedt – Another Swedish skier, Winstedt is relatively new to North American competitions but is already starting to land results. He was sixth in the X-Games superpipe and second in the U.S. Open slopestyle behind Vernon’s TJ Schiller. He skis for Rossignol, Red Bull, Peak Performance and Quik Eyewear.
Andrew Woods – From Vermont originally, Woods is renowned for pushing the limits of new school freeskiing. He landed the first 1260 ever in a big air competition, and was fourth in the WSI big air last year with some incredible switch landings. He skis for Dynastar, Lange, DNA and Electric.
The standy-by list for the men’s Superpipe includes, at press time, Brent Abrams, Andy Mahre, Philou Poirier, Rex Thomas and Oakley White-Allen.
The women’s competition is truly international with five invited women representing four different countries.
Sarah Burke – From Midland, Ontario 22-year-old Burke has won or placed in every contest there is several times as the most dominant athlete in all of freeskiing. She has an arsenal of 720s and 1080s, isn’t afraid to go big, and is constantly adding new tricks to her repertoire. She won last year’s WSI superpipe as well as the X Games Global Championships. She skis for Smith.
Hannah Epps – Hannah Epps is a former ski racer turned freeskier who is based in Mammoth, California. She skis for Salomon and Scott USA and was second in the WSI superpipe last year.
Virginie Faivre – This Swiss skier goes big in the pipe, and finished third in Whistler last year. She skis for Rossignol, Oakley, Rip Curl and 604 Jib Culture.
Marie Martinod – Martinod is from France and finished second to Burke in the X Games Global Championships. She is sponsored by Dynastar.
Jamie Sundberg – Jamie skis out of Jackson Hole and improves with every competition. Her sponsors are Atomic, The North Face and Jackson Hole.
Big Air Athletes
Mark Abma – Based in Whistler, Mark Abma was seventh in the X-Games and fifth in the U.S. Open slopestyle this year. He is a member of the Whistler-Blackcomb RideTribe Pro Team and is also sponsored by K2, Sessions and Smith.
Iannick B. – Whistler’s Iannick B. was 10 th in last year’s WSI Big Air and fifth the year before that. His sponsors are Salomon, Orage, Silver Cartel, Scott USA and D-Structure.
Mikael Deschenaux – Deschenaux of Switzerland is one of the top big air skiers on the circuit, winning the U.S. Open title for the past two years. In the last competition he pulled out a switch 1080 truetail, the first ever landed in competition. He is sponsored by Dynastar.
Tom Dolezel – Ontario’s Dolezel recently earned a spot in the 2005 X-Games slopestyle qualifier after winning a Paul Mitchell Slopestyle at Bear Mountain, California. He’s a true park rider, comfortable on the rails and the tables, and can pull off switch rodeo 900s and 720s. His sponsors are Atomic, Spy, Dakine, NFA, Sporting Life and Blue Mountain.
Shiji Osada – Not much is known about this Japanese skier but you’ve got to be good to get an invite to the WSI.
Tanner Rainville – Tanner is a relative newcomer to the pro freeskiing world, but is already turning heads at events like the World Superpipe Championships and the U.S. Open slopestyle, where he edged out Tanner Hall for third. He lives in Vermont and is sponsored by Dynastar.
Rory Silva – This Mammoth, California skier is never far from the podium in pro contests, finishing 10 th in the X-Games slopestyle and third in the Megastar Big Air competition in Stockholm, Sweden this year. When he’s not competing, he’s making movies with the top production companies. He is sponsored by K2.
Rex Thomas – Whistler’s Rex Thomas, 24, is one of the original new schoolers in B.C., and continues to push himself and his sport. Although injuries have put him on the sidelines in recent years, he always comes back better than ever. He was third in last year’s WSI big air, and is definitely a threat to win. His sponsors are Atomic, DNA, Scott, W Helmets, Jib Culture, Comor and Kuu.
The WSI Salomon Big Air also includes several athletes from the Superpipe, including Josh Bibby, Rory Bushfield, David Crichton, Simon Dumont, Charles Gagnier, Tanner Hall, Peter Olenick, Jon Olsson, TJ Shiller, Stefan Thomas, Henrik Winstedt and Andrew Woods.
The standy-by list includes Michael Olenick, Chris Booth, Shoya Okazaki, Matt Sterbenz, Heath Ordway, Jon Kozody, Andy Mahre and Mauro Nunez.
More information on the World Skiing Invitational can be found at www.whistler2004.com/wsi.html.
