Competitors during the event
Rider No. 48, the “suit guy,” became a highlight with his unique outfit
After the midday break, in the second round in the afternoon, Bao Xiaoguo (Xiaoguo) and Zhang Wei gradually found their rhythm, scoring high points with a frontside 720 into a frontside 540 and a frontside 720 into a frontside 360, respectively.
In the final run, He Wei (Xiaohu), a Red Bull-sponsored rider who achieved eighth place in the 9th Red Bull Nanshan Open — the best result by a Chinese rider in this event — started to show his strength. His impressive performance on two jumps with a backside 720 and a frontside 720 reignited the atmosphere, followed by two smooth 50-50s on the rail section. This marked Xiaohu’s first competition since recovering from an injury sustained during training in New Zealand in 2011. Prior to today, he had only resumed training for a month and a half. Reflecting on his performance in the qualifiers, Xiaohu mentioned that he attempted a 1080 spin but didn’t land it successfully. He plans to train with Wang Longsheng to improve the stability of the 1080 spin and hopes to land it in the finals. He also aims to surpass his previous best performance when competing against the world’s top riders in the finals.
Xiaohu makes a strong comeback this year after missing last year due to injury
Champion Wang Longsheng and runner-up Xiaohu pose for a photo
Among the 39 riders today, the newly introduced women’s division attracted six female participants. Zhu Hong, the pre-event favorite, lived up to expectations by winning the women’s division championship in the third round with a combination run including a frontside 360, backside 360, 50-50, and gap boardslide. She secured a wildcard entry into the women’s main event and, at 24 years old, became the first Chinese female snowboarder to appear on a WST 5-star stage. Still riding the high of her win, Zhu Hong said, “I’m super excited to have won today. I was pretty nervous at the start with a lot of pressure, so my first two runs weren’t great. I calmed down in the third round and performed at my normal level.” When asked if female riders perform differently compared to males, she felt there wasn’t much difference: “It’s just that spins are a bit harder.”
After the event, event founder Steve commented on the riders’ performances, saying that Wang Longsheng performed exceptionally well in the first round and, having already secured a high ranking, relaxed in the next two rounds without attempting more difficult tricks. On the other hand, Xiaohu, who was more nervous in the first round and hadn’t fully regained his snow feel due to his previous injury, could have easily secured a finals spot with his two 720s. However, he played it too safe on the rails and didn’t reach his full potential.
“I felt I rode well today, but I’d only give myself a 50 or 60 out of 100 because I relaxed a bit in the last two runs. But riders like me and Xiaohu, who often train and compete abroad, rely on experience when facing unfamiliar courses,” said Wang Longsheng. Steve also noted that the new course was only fully completed three days ago, giving riders limited time to adapt: “The fact that Xiaohu and Andrew performed so well shows their experience and skill — they’re really impressive. Actually, their abilities are quite similar; whoever performs at their best could easily take the title.”
Wang Longsheng successfully defends his title with outstanding performance
11th Red Bull Nanshan Open Qualifiers Champion Wang Longsheng
From right to left: Men’s division champion Wang Longsheng, runner-up Xiaohu, third-place Bao Xiaoguo, Nate Jones, Zhang Wei, Zhang Ke, and women’s division champion Zhu Hong — all will advance to the Red Bull Nanshan Open finals
Zhu Hong claims women’s division championship with outstanding performance
11th Red Bull Nanshan Open Qualifiers rankings and highest-scoring tricks of finalists:
Women’s division (first place advances to finals)
