ASPEN — It was the usual suspects atop the women’s superpipe qualifier Thursday night as Kelly Clark, Gretchen Bleiler and Hannah Teter advanced to Saturday’s X Games final.
Colorado’s Clair Bidez was perhaps one trick away from advancing to the final. Bidez had a solid run going on her second time down, but on the last trick, a straight air, she got over the front of the board on the landing and fell.
“I think I got a little excited and popped the landing,” said Bidez, who will go to the final stop on the Dew Tour next week before the season ends.
Five of the six women who are in the finals also are on their national teams for the Vancouver Games, including Japan’s Soko Yamaoka. She secured her spot in Saturday’s X Games final when Bidez fell.
Clark led the qualifier with a 96-point run. Bleiler was second and Elena Hight third. Bleiler got around on a front- side 900 on her second run and scored a 95.66.
“It feels really, really good to do the jump, grab the board and get all the way around,” the Aspen resident said.
Also, Maddy Schaffrick of Steamboat Springs fell on both of her runs. Lizzy Beerman of Vermont was taken out of the bottom of the pipe on a stretcher, but there were no updates on her condition.
Moving up.
After winning silver in 2009 in snowmobile freestyle, Justin Hoyer moved to the top of the podium this year, winning the event Thursday night.
The Wisconsin rider struggled earlier in the day, but as the qualifying went on, he moved up the ranks and was the top qualifier for the finals. The event gives riders 75 seconds to do a combination of their best tricks off a series of jumps and ramps.
“It’s been a dream of mine for a long time,” Hoyer said. “This is it for our sport, and to win the X Games feels awesome.”
Hoyer’s winning run included a no-handed backflip no- hander to a backflip heel-clicker and was graded at 88.33.
Caleb and Colten Moore, brothers from Krum, Texas, advanced to the second round, but only Caleb made it to the finals, where he earned third. The Moores have been ATV riders for years and just started the crossover to snowsports last month.
Footnote.
Rapper 50 Cent is scheduled to have a free 30-minute concert at Buttermilk on Saturday afternoon. The concert is at 1 p.m. at the main stage at the base of the venue. Also, Snoop Dogg is scheduled to play at the Belly Up club in Aspen tonight and Saturday.
