Dirksen's Method

We knew that the big air was a force to be reckoned with after almost a half dozen injuries Friday didn't slow the onslaught of technical diversity being tossed over this fat kicker. It's refreshing when even the best of the best (who are all here) have trouble upping the ante.

Point determination is always a difficult job and a freaky factor when it comes to Big Air. Josh "Dirk Diggler" Dirksen filed his first final jump with a tender backside 9 — some say the cleanest one they've ever seen. This left him with a three-point lead and the confidence to bust a textbook method–hanging on forever, motionless. The crowd roared, understanding the prowess it took to bust a simple method when it's all on the line for his final launch. It was a thing of beauty. All the men here were tossing out some hectic inversions and spins. And considering the bulletproof landing here today, they all deserved a piece of the booty.

"The crowd roared, understanding the prowess it took to bust a simple method when it's all on the line for his final launch. It was a thing of beauty...."

Josh stole the whole $10,000 with that endless method. Yee-freakin'-haw! Local boy Nic Drago touched down a rodeo five for Breckenridge and 2nd place. Jussi Oksanen stuck the switch backside 7 and landed in 3rd. Canadians Nicolas Matt and Josh Smith both rodeoed too, for 7th and 8th, respectively. JF Pelchat had trouble on the white masonite landing ramp.

The young fearless Marc-Andre Tarte was one of the first guinea pigs to negotiate the sharp angle off the jump before the preliminary rounds. He spun 5 but landed 9. On landing he ripped out of his bindings but survived, only to march back up and do it again. In his final jump he didn't remember what happened, but woke up with a concussion and a few new facial features. Like a good Canuck, he staggered and smiled and ate his free bag lunch.

	Poetzl

The ladies were no less fearless than the men. Tara Dakides rodeoed comfortably and with stability for the cash and the win. Kim Bohnsack stomped a high, slow 180 clean for 2nd. Barrett Christy had trouble with the landings, as did Star of Peace who left with a broken nose but a not a broken spirit. Erin McManus held her double grab for third. Not many of the women looked comfortable going off this kicker andn considering the cement landing, it's not surprising.

The real winner was some local skier who stomped 1080 in the preliminary huck fest. It was sick. It was second to none. Stay tuned for Halfpipe finals under the sun and perrrrrrrrrrrrrfect pipe. My money's on Xaver!

— Hans Prosl, trying to scam a free bag lunch MountainZone.com