Team Europe blasts Team Americas in the first day of the Swatch Skiers Cup at Valle Nevado, Chile.

Swatch skiers cup: 5th – 12th September 2011, Valle Nevado, Chile
Sixteen of the world’s top freeskiers took to the 3,900m high slopes of the wilderness near Valle Nevado yesterday (5th September 2011) to battle it out.

When the powder settled, Team Europe had overwhelmed Team Americas six wins to two in a series of eight man-to-man ski offs on the Big Mountain course – accessed only by helicopters.

Team Americas took the lead first off, with Chilean Chop Diaz (28) bringing down the house with an enormous air towards the top of the venue, much to the dismay of France’s Seb Michaud. Next up, Oakley White-Allen stepped up to the slope for Team Americas, and also emerged victorious from his duel against Australian Chris Booth.

By the third of the eight rounds, Team Europe were having none of it and proceeded to blast each of the remaining six heats.

Seasoned Big Mountain powerhouse Henrik Windstedt (Sweden) whose solid skill shone throughout the 400m descent, dropping several cliffs and ousting Canada’s James Heim.
 
Team Europe would send no better into the fray than Italy’s Markus Eder (20 years old) who took opponent Josh Bibby to the cleaners by heading to skier’s left for a line only visible from the helicopter that took him to the start gate. Eder would drop a series of couloirs and 10 to 15m cliffs in a high-speed charge to the finish. A strong Team Americas contender, Dana Flahr (Canada) was expected to deliver but instead fell attempting a 360 off a 15m drop. His rival, Kaj Zackrisson, would give it his all in this high altitude event, storming to victory for the last run of the SWATCH SKIERS CUP Big Mountain.
 
Time restrictions on Monday limited competition to a single round of 8 heats however, as skiers were given time to inspect the features of the 30-35-degree face. Results from today’s single round will stand as the Big Mountain results and will now be carried-over to the Backcountry Slopestyle event.
 
Backcountry Slopestyle Yet To Come
Legendary features shaper David Ny has been hard at work sculpting the Backcountry Slopestyle course for the final day of competition at the Swatch Skiers Cup is scheduled for Friday, 9th September.

Team Americas, bristling with high-powered freestylers, must now step up to the challenge presented today by Team Europe. Which team has what it takes to hold aloft the Swatch Skiers Cup?