2021 Winter Dew Tour lookback Day 5

The final day of Dew Tour was a big one. Snowboard Superpipe finals were going down, and with big names like Shaun White and Chloe Kim looking to cement their spot on the U.S. Olympic team, more people were there than previously. The women’s event was still sparse in comparison, but the crowd was very enthusiastic. The side of the pipe I stood on was in the shade, and several riders seemed to have visibility issues. Maddie Mastro hit the deck in one of the problematic areas and got hurt. Thankfully she was able to walk away, but she did not take her second and third runs. Queralt Castellet, however, had no issues. She threw down the gauntlet with her high-scoring first run that included immaculate back-to-back 900s. Her early lead pushed everyone to bust out their biggest tricks.

Queralt held onto the lead for most of the comp.

Xuetong Cai was another rider who seemed to get better with age. Her opening method was so stylish. Chloe Kim struggled in her first two runs. Just as the pressure mounted, she changed her run to avoid hitting the wall near me, which helped her land bolts and secure the win. Her relief at the result showed how much pressure she felt as the reigning Olympic champ.

The Superpipe became even more crowded, as this was going to be Shaun White’s last Dew Tour. Despite being away from the contest scene, he still had the tricks and height to give a chance at the podium. The big story, however, was which of the Japanese riders was going to bust out the first triple cork in halfpipe competition? Ayumu Hirano delivered! Unfortunately that run didn’t result in a full pull so it was his teammate Yuto Totsuka who took the win with double corks down the pipe.

Yuto regained his momentum from the previous season to show that he’s still one of the best.

Taylor Gold was another stand-out snowboarder, landing the run of his life. He had such a unique run that included a flatspin 1260 and a double Michaelchuk. I’m glad the judges rewarded style as well as big trick.

And like that, Dew Tour came to an epic close. I hung around for a bit to try to catch Chris Grenier, who was doing in-person announcing (surprising everyone since he did not do his discipline, Streetstyle), and Todd Richards, one of the voices on NBC. Chris revealed to me and a couple of other fans that he found halfpipe more exciting to call, and I was stoked to finally meet Todd in person.

Next time I’ll have my Monday M.A.S.S. beanie.

I hit the Dew Tour Village one last time. Most of the booths were packing up so my parents must have found the magical time when everyone was unloading all their merch. Since we weren’t departing until the next day, I got to show them more of Copper. I know some people like leaving as soon as an event is over, but I think having some time to soak it all in and decompress was nice.

For all of my Dew Tour pics, check out my Flickr album. If you missed previous posts, here they are: Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.