Darcy performing a Method Grab during the jam session
Juuso Laivisto, second-place finisher in the men’s division of the 11th Red Bull Nanshan Open
“Most riders go for more difficulty on the first jump than the second, because after landing one trick, they slow down when approaching the next, making it hard to pull off anything over 900 degrees. But Jeremy managed a 1080,” said Steve, one of the event founders, after the competition. Although the finals were canceled due to weather, the American’s performance in the preliminaries was truly well-deserved. “Such a combination of tricks is extremely rare internationally, and Jeremy absolutely earned this championship!”
Jeremy Thompson, men’s champion of the 11th Red Bull Nanshan Open, in action
Kristiina Nisula, first-place winner in the women’s division of the 11th Red Bull Nanshan Open
The top 12 male riders from the preliminaries on the 19th began the semifinals early on the 20th. Competing in the snow, the riders were significantly affected—not only did the snow slow their speed, but visibility was also reduced. Finnish rider Ville Eerik Uotila stated before the event, “The snow on the course today is very soft, which will slow us down and make takeoffs much harder.” On-site host Eric also remarked, “Snowy conditions really test a rider’s experience and speed control.” The first ten riders didn’t perform up to expectations in either trick quality or execution, and when defending champion Juuso came up tenth to last, he severely injured his leg upon landing on the first big jump and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Subsequently, head judge Sandy MacDonald announced a temporary halt to the competition and led other judges and organizing committee members to carefully inspect the course. Amidst the anxious wait, the head judge declared, “According to the rules, due to weather conditions preventing the competition from continuing, we regret to announce the cancellation of the event after discussion. The final results will be based solely on the preliminary scores from the 19th.” According to TTR regulations, if riders collectively indicate they can no longer continue due to adverse weather, the competition must be terminated. “This is also out of consideration for rider safety,” Sandy added.
Defending champion Juuso Laivisto in competition
During the post-event awards ceremony, a rescue vehicle drove a rider toward the podium. Clad in blue snow pants and a yellow jacket, someone suddenly shouted, “Juuso’s back!” It turned out that after receiving basic treatment in the mountain clinic, Juuso insisted on coming up to receive his award in person. Walking slowly up the stage on crutches, with his left leg heavily bandaged, he was immediately surrounded by fellow riders before he could even steady himself. “My knee’s fine, but I might have fractured my ankle. I’m heading into Beijing tonight to get a cast and X-rays. We’ll know more after the doctor’s diagnosis,” Juuso explained about his injury. “Getting hurt is part of the game, it’s bound to happen — or rather, it’s part of snowboarding life, and part of my life.”
Juuso Laivisto sustaining an unexpected injury during the first run of the finals
Injured runner-up Juuso Laivisto arrives at the podium on crutches
In addition to the men’s division, which concluded on the 20th, the women’s division — introduced for the first time this year — also wrapped up its competition on the 19th. Finland’s Kristiina Nisula became the first female champion of the Red Bull Nanshan Open. Swede Cecilia Larsen took second place, while Chinese rider Zhu Hong stunned everyone by clinching third place in the finals’ third round under immense pressure. At 24, she not only became the first Chinese female rider to earn TTR points but also the first Chinese rider to stand on the podium of a WST World Snowboard Tour 5-star event.