Sun Journal

Despite all the twists, turns and aerial acrobatics, the final results of Saturday’s Dumont Cup was a simple flip in the standings.  Nick Goepper took the top spot for the second time in three years. Gus Kenworthy, last year’s winner, finished second. Josh Christensen took third for the second year in a row.

An Indiana native, Nick won the day with a final score of 95, giving him two of the best scores of the afternoon. He posted a 93 in his first of three runs.

“It’s awesome to win,” said Goepper, who was fourth in 2010 and has been in the top two every year since. “It’s more of a mellow and relaxed vibe than all the other ones. It’s springtime. It’s usually pretty sunny. You have soft, slushy snow. The New England crowd comes out. So that makes it a little more mellow than some of the bigger contests, but it’s still a platinum event. It still carries a lot of weight. It’s still great to have these grassroots events on the East Coast.”

Goepper is coming off a strong rookie season in 2012. He won a silver in the Winter X Games and won a slopestyle event on the Winter Dew Tour in Utah. He was an amateur when he won the event in 2011. (read more)

By all measures the Austrian Freeski Open has outshone previous years with an unreal slopestyle course, great organisation, pristine weather and possibly the best competitive freeskiing witnessed on Austrian soil.

Nick Goepper skied incredibly well taking first place with a k-fed on the down rail, a 360 switch up from the up rail to the rainbow, switch 900 mute over the small gap jump, a misty 450 off the flat rail, a switch double rodeo 1080 tail grab on the first big jump and finished off with a massive switch double misty 1260 mute grab. A perfect run with no error whatsoever. (read more)

USSA (US Freeskiing)

ASPEN, CO (Jan. 27) – Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, IN) was huge on the jumps and smooth and clean technically as he soared to X Games gold in slopestyle skiing Sunday. Goepper nailed a 94 on his second of three runs to take the victory. Norway’s Tiril Sjåstad Christiansen won the women’s title with Ashley Battersby (Park City, UT) the top American in fourth.

HIGHLIGHTS

Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, IN) soared to X Games gold winning slopestyle on Sunday.
Goepper’s second of three runs was a 94 featuring a switched double 1080 Japan and a switch right double misty 1260 mute grab.
He was the only American to medal. Bobby Brown (Breckenridge, CO) was sixth and Alex Schlopy (Park City, UT) seventh.

QUOTES
Nick Goepper
It feels absolute amazing, I’ve been dreaming of this moment from when I was a little kid. I just got off the phone with my mom and she reminded me of when I said that I wanted to win the X Games when I was small. It’s great to be here with these rad guys.

Anyone could have won this contest, watching everyone drop in was nerve wracking, i swear i almost peed my pants several times! I felt super good, my skis were running fast and I was visualizing my runs with smooth grabs and clean landings. It was one of the best courses I have ever hit, the staff did such a good job keeping everything clean and smooth. This was a great contest.

I’m really looking forward to the Olympic test event in Russia next. It’ll be cool to check out the Olympic venue. (read more)

ESPN

ASPEN, Colo. — Nick Goepper earned the biggest win of his young career Sunday at X Games Aspen, taking gold in Ski Slopestyle a year after being relegated to silver on the final run of the day.

Goepper, 18, who grew up skiing a 400-foot hill in rural Indiana, held off four other skiers who broke 90 points. His third-run score of 94.00 was the winner, and it prolonged one of the quirkiest streaks in recent X Games history: nine skiers have now won Slopestyle gold in the past nine years.

“It was nerve racking,” Goepper said of waiting to see if his score would hold up. “I was wiping the sweat off my brow every time. I think I almost peed my pants, I was so nervous.”

Later, he added: “I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was a little kid. I just got off the phone with my mom and she said, ‘Remember when you were really young and you said I want to win the X Games?’ And she said, ‘I never thought it would happen. And now you’re here.’ It’s the best day of my life.” (read more)