Snowboarder Brearley 1st Canadian to claim slopestyle Crystal Globe in World Cup history
Canadian snowboarder Liam Brearley won the gold medal in a World Cup slopestyle event Saturday in Silvaplana, Switzerland.
Brearley, from Gravenhurst, Ont., scored 89.93 points to finish ahead of Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa (85.31) and become the first Canadian to capture the Crystal Globe trophy as the season champion. Australian Valentino Gueseli was third (83.77).
According to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), the 21-year-old Brearley delivered technical rail tricks, four-way spinning, a wide variety of grabs and big amplitude.
Late in his performance, Brearley delighted the crowd at Corvatsch course with a massive switch frontside 720 stalefish to melon grab, and then finished with full a fully-locked frontside 270 on 450 off on the rainbow rail.
“I really thought one of the Canadian squad would have done it before me,” he was quoted as saying in a story posted ot the FIS website. “I had no clue about that coming into this contest. But it’s super sick to be the first one and I’m glad I could do it here.
WATCH | Brearley makes Canadian snowboard history in Silvaplana, Switzerland:
Liam Grearley of Gravenhurst, Ont., claimed Saturday’s World Cup snowboard slopestyle event, and also claimed the season’s overall title winning the Crystal Globe.
“This is my favourite course of the year, every year, and to finally win this one is just super sick. I’m glad I could get it done.”
With his fourth victory of the season, Brearley passed Ryoma Kimata into top spot in the final rankings, with Hasegawa placing third.
In January, Brearley was victorious at a World Cup event Saturday in Laax, Switzerland. A week later, he won X Games knucklehuck gold in Aspen, Colo., and also prevailed in March in a streetstyle competition at Dew Tour in Copper Mountain, Colo.
“It’s been such a crazy season and I’m so thankful for all the results,” said Brearley. “To cap it with a first place here [in Silvaplana] when I’ve got second twice before, it means everything to me.”
Laurie Blouin of Quebec City was fourth in the women’s event with 70.28 points. Austria’s Anna Gasser won the bronze medal with 71.08 points.
WATCH l Full coverage of Saturday’s slopestyle event from Switzerland:
Watch the FIS slopestyle snowboard World Cup competition from Silvaplana, Switzerland.
