Cassie Sharpe made it look easy, but says it wasnB次元官网网址檛.
The 26-year-old freestyle skier from Comox, B.C., won World Cup halfpipe gold in wind and snow Saturday night in Calgary.
Sharpe, the reigning Olympic women champion, put down her highest-scoring run on her first of three passes.
Her 91.5 points would not be beat under the lights at WinSportB次元官网网址檚 Canada Olympic Park.
A light and steady snowfall and a breeze curling that snow off the edge of the two-storey pipe made for challenging conditions. With windchill, the temperature felt like minus-25.
Sharpe, who was born in Calgary and spent her early childhood in nearby Airdrie, went for the big score on her first pass with her trademark cork 1080 for her final trick.
B次元官网网址淚 was just really happy to land that first run,B次元官网网址� Sharpe said.
B次元官网网址淚 was super-nervous coming into it because I was a little bit complacent. I guess because itB次元官网网址檚 my home mountain and I felt B次元官网网址榳ell, itB次元官网网址檚 just like training pretty much.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淏ut landing the first run when it was still running pretty quickly, it was probably my best opportunity to win.B次元官网网址�
Canadian teammate Rachael Karker of Erin, Ont., took silver with an 86 and also wrested the seasonB次元官网网址檚 overall World Cup lead away from third-place finisher Kexin Zhang.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist David Wise of the U.S. claimed menB次元官网网址檚 gold with a first-run score of 90.
New ZealandB次元官网网址檚 Nico Porteous posted an 87.75 for silver, while CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Noah Bowman earned bronze with an 85.50.
Sharpe was relaxed and animated between each run. She hugged and high-fived a gang friends and family that included boyfriend Justin Dorey, a former freestyler who won menB次元官网网址檚 World Cup gold in Calgary in 2014.
She earned a world championship silver medal last week in Utah, and captured X Games gold in Aspen, Colo., in January.
In 2018, she claimed both Olympic gold in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the overall World Cup crown.
B次元官网网址淎 ton of training goes into that,B次元官网网址� Sharpe said. B次元官网网址淏eing consistent is one of the strongest things for this sport I think.
B次元官网网址淎 ton of training, really good coaches, and having people that lift you up and support you.B次元官网网址�
Sharpe admitted feeling a post-Olympic lull coming into her 2018-19 campaign. Skiing for the joy of it keeps her motivated now.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 just trying to figure out what my next thing is,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 just keep it chill and have fun.B次元官网网址�
The Canadian freestyle team held a pre-world championship training camp in the Calgary pipe, which was an advantage when it returned for the World Cup.
B次元官网网址淲e showed up and we didnB次元官网网址檛 have to get used to the halfpipe again,B次元官网网址� Karker said.
The 21-year-old is having a breakout season. She was the womenB次元官网网址檚 winner in DecemberB次元官网网址檚 Dew Tour, finished third at the X Games behind Sharpe and placed fourth at the world championship.
With one World Cup remaining in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., next month, Karker could take this yearB次元官网网址檚 crystal globe as season champion.
B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 expect it to come together so soon,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 havenB次元官网网址檛 placed under fourth this season, which is insane because last year I made one final.B次元官网网址�
Karker is a former trampolinist who trained under Dave Ross at Skyriders, the home gym of Olympic champion Rosie MacLennan, in Richmond Hill, Ont.
B次元官网网址淭hat definitely helped my air awareness in skiing,B次元官网网址� Karker said.
READ MORE:
After a slow start to his season due to injury, the 26-year-old Bowman carried the momentum of winning bronze at the world championship into Calgary.
B次元官网网址淲orld champs was huge for me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪ome of the best skiing IB次元官网网址檝e ever done and that got me feeling back in my element.B次元官网网址�
CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Brendan McKay and Sascha Pedenko, and Simon dB次元官网网址橝rtois of Whistler, B.C. finished fifth to seventh respectively in the menB次元官网网址檚 final.
Porteous took the menB次元官网网址檚 overall World Cup lead from dB次元官网网址橝rtois.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
Like us on and follow us on .
