Total Fight News

The podium is completed by American Colby Stevenson,  Spanish Javi Lliso and New Zealander Finn Bilous

Saturday, April 6, 2019. El Tarter snowpark has been the scene of one of the most exciting freeski finals in the fifteen-year history of Grandvalira Total Fight. The rivalry between the participating riders has demanded a higher level in the tricks performed in the slopestyle circuit and, among them, has highlighted Fabian Boesch. The Big Air 2019 FIS World Champion and gold medal in the XGames has confirmed his status as favorite after leading Friday’s qualifying session and has achieved a better round in the final consisting of a right 2 in pretzl 2, left 4 safety cork and switch left to pretzl 4 out in the jibbing features and left double cork 16 japan, switch left double cork double 12 safety and right double cork 12 tail in the jump area.

Boesch declared after winning the fifteenth edition of the Grandvalira Total Fight: “I am very happy with this victory since I have improved my last years in slopestyle, apart from the big air. Last week I won a podium in the World Cup in Switzerland and this victory is incredible. The course was very good, impeccable; the weather was somewhat adverse in the classifications but today the weather has been perfect “.

But the Swiss has not had anything easy, since the scores have been very tight. The 12 riders who passed to the final on Saturday have made three rounds in order to get to the top of the podium.

American Colby Stevenson fulfilled his mission and executed perfectly the round he had in mind; the rider of Utah was close to victory after realizing a round composed by a right D2 – Backslide left 2, switch left in – right rodeo 4 japan out, Backswap – back 6 in the zone of jibbing and switch left double cork 14 safety, Switch right double cork 9 high safety and Left double cork 12 reverse japan in the jumps.

Stevenson, after finishing second, commented: “I am happy with this second place. I gave the best of me, going from less to more from the free practice session, yesterday also second in the qualifying session. The snowpark, the organization in general has been all incredible, they have treated us very well. I’m sure I’ll be back next year. An incredible job has been done in the park despite the weather conditions. Everything has been great. “

The third box of the podium deserves a prominent mention, the Spanish Javi Lliso touched the sky to get the best result of his career in a competition of this international level. The Spaniard did not complete his round in the first two attempts, but in the third and last opportunity he fulfilled his mission in an extraordinary way. Lliso made a perfect round that earned him to finish third to get a round composed of a left 450 in, switch in right FS 630 out and switch left 2 in a back 6 out in jibbing and left double cork 12 tail, switch tail double cork 12 mute and right double cork 12 safety in the jumping area.

Lliso, exultant after achieving this historic result, commented: “I had a difficult season in terms of results, so taking me to third place in my first Total Fight with a World Cup level gives me the confidence to face the season that comes with more desire. I want to thank the people of El Tarter Park for the incredible work they have done and the organization”.

Being usual, the renowned après-ski local L’Abarset has celebrated the podium and end of the party of the memorable 15th Grandvalira Total Fight.

Rank     BIB     Last Name          First Name     Country        Round     Score

1       3     BOESCH       Fabian     SUI      F     91.00

2       22     STEVENSON     Colby        USA          F     88.33

3       11     LLISO            Javier      ESP          F     86.66

4       17     BILOUS          Finn          NZL          F     85.33

5       7     STEVENSON     Ryan          USA          F     83.33

6       9     MAHARAVO          Vincent     FRA          F     80.00

7       6     PATJA       Aleksi      FIN      F     78.33

8       8     WOLFERMAN     Quinn          USA          F     71.33

9       4     BROWN          John          USA          F     69.66

10          10     AGUARELES     Carles     AND          F     67.66

11          5     RAICH       Peter        USA          F     62.33

12          23     MAGNIN       Thibault     ESP          F     59.66

13          1     WILLIAMS          Mcrae          USA       Q     59.33

14          13     MCELMON       Ryan       USA       Q     53.00

15          20     KURAY          Ivan          ARG          Q     50.00

16          12     FERNANDES     Guilleaume     AND          Q     46.33

17          16     MICELI          Nathan     USA       Q     36.33

18          24     BROCART          Nil          AND          Q     33.66

19          21     ROCCA       Ian          ITA          Q     24.66

20          14     MEDRANO       Nahuel     ARG          Q     20.66

25     FOURCADE       Leo          FRA          Q     DNS

18     VIRKKI      Miika       FIN      Q     DNS

Swiss Michael Schaerer gives the surprise to beat favorite Mark McMorris

American Julia Marino surpasses Japanese Yuka Fujimori, winner of the last edition

Saturday, March 30, 2019

The fifteenth edition of the Grandvalira Total Fight in snowboarding will be remembered for the immense level of the riders and that would make enjoy the spectators in the stands of the El Tarter snowpark and the fans who could live in the online media.

After the exciting qualifying session yesterday, where the American Judd Henkes and the Japanese Yuka Fujimori got the best score of the day, the best eight men and the four best women would go to the final on Saturday. The great rivalry between the riders would pause in an exciting final and in which each snowboarder would have three attempts to get the best score.

The riders would face a very technical circuit that would force to chain the features very smoothly if they did not want to be stopped in the attempt; determining factor to rise to the podium. The four women finalists would be the first of the day to go out to compete, the duel between Julia Marino and Yuka Fujimori would be served. The American would come to Grandvalira as the favorite and the Japanese wanted to climb back to the top of the podium after the victory last year at El Tarter. After a very fluid first attempt, Marino would make a winning second round by chaining a Lipslide 270, 50/50 / FS 360 and Lipslide in the jibbing zones, as well as a BS 720 melon, followed by an FS 540 and a 540 underflip in the kickers area. Fujimori would try to snatch the victory in the last attempt but would not achieve its purpose. Finally, the third box of the podium would be for the Canadian Brooke Voigt.

Julia Marino, after winning for the first time in the El Tarter snowpark, would comment: “It has been a very fun competition, for me it is one of the best events I’ve been to. In super fun spring conditions, I had a great time and at the same time it has been a great challenge since the first trainings; but, step by step, I was gaining confidence until today. I want to thank the organization for the good work they have done in the slopestyle circuit”.

The winner of the XGames of Aspen 2017 would culminate a spectacular month of March, with victory in the FIS World Cup in Canada and 2nd in the Burton US Open in the USA.

The excitement would extend with the arrival in competition of men. All eyes would be placed on the world number one in slopestyle discipline, Mark McMorris; but the Canadian would not have his best day having problems to overcome the jibbing zone on his first and third attempts; being his second round which would give him the second final position. In contrast, the Swiss Michael Schaerer would gave the surprise to get the best victory of his career after making a great third round composed of a Cab 270 BS lipslide switch boardslide underflip 450 tuck knee and a FS 270/450 in the jibbing area, followed by a BS 1260 mute, switch BS 1260 mute and FS 1080 nose in jumps.

Schaerer would be exultant after being able to overcome all his rivals and comment at the end of the competition: “It was unexpected, I did not think it would happen, I still do not believe it. It is the best result of my sports career, I was injured a while ago and I could not compete much. After my first and second attempts it was difficult to reach the podium but the third and final round was a huge surprise, the best thing that ever happened to me. This slopestyle circuit is amazing, the jumps were super well done, the rails area was very smooth, everything went great”. The Norwegian Bendik Gjerdalen would finish in third position, beating the Americans Lyon Farrell, Luke Winkelmann and Judd Henkes.

L’Abarset Après-ski in El Tarter would be the place where the awards ceremony would be held to the top four finishers and culminate with the Total Fight party and the performance of the renowned band Nasty Mondays. An edition of the Grandvalira Total Fight in snowboard that will be remembered for the story.

FINAL RESULTS

GRANDVALIRA TOTAL FIGHT 2019

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Mark McMorris is currently world’s number one in the ranking. Watch his profile at 2019’s Grandvalira Total Fight

This is the snowboard teaser of the 2019 Grandvalira Total Fight with Mark McMorris as ambassador of the event. Don’t miss it!