Australian snowboarder Torah Bright leads the world halfpipe rankings after capturing the silver medal in a World Cup event in Whistler, Canada.
Australian snowboarder Torah Bright leads the world halfpipe rankings after capturing the silver medal in a World Cup event in Whistler, Canada.
It is the first time an Australian woman has made a World Cup snowboard podium, and she has done it two weeks shy of her 17th birthday and in only her second event.
Bright led the competition after the first round of the final, but was edged out by .3 of a point in the final round by Swiss rider Manuela Pesko.
After finishing fourth in the opening event of the season in Valle Nevado, Chile, Bright sits on 1300 points, 10 clear of British rider Lesley McKenna.
Bright, formerly from Cooma, NSW, but now resident in Utah, is the younger sister of Salt Lake 2002 Australian Olympic team member Rowena Bright.
Australia’s other competitors in the women’s event in Whistler did not fare so well. Holly Crawford fell in her first qualifying run and did not make the final, finishing in 16th place, while Frances Miller was ruled out of competition after tearing arm ligaments in training.
Bright will miss the next World Cup event in Stoneham, Canada, electing to compete in a Grand Prix pro contest in the United States, then the circuit takes a break until late January.
In the men’s event, rookie Olympic Winter Institute team member Mitchell Allan was the best of the Australians, placing 30th in his maiden World Cup event. Ben Mates was 32nd and Andrew Burton 36th.
Torah Bright quotes:
“I’m just over the moon. When I got the fourth in Chile I was determined to get that little bit better and make the podium. But I plan to do a whole lot more work and get a few more tricks.”
“Training was really mellow. I hadn’t ridden pipe at all since Chile, so it was a matter of getting my pipe legs back once we got here.”
Bright’s best trick is the McTwist, an inverted 540 rotation manoeuvre:
“It’s a difficult trick and a lot of the girls turn it into a front roll, but the way I do it is sort of text book.”
It is the first time an Australian woman has made a World Cup snowboard podium, and she has done it two weeks shy of her 17th birthday and in only her second event.
Bright led the competition after the first round of the final, but was edged out by .3 of a point in the final round by Swiss rider Manuela Pesko.
After finishing fourth in the opening event of the season in Valle Nevado, Chile, Bright sits on 1300 points, 10 clear of British rider Lesley McKenna.
Bright, formerly from Cooma, NSW, but now resident in Utah, is the younger sister of Salt Lake 2002 Australian Olympic team member Rowena Bright.
Australia’s other competitors in the women’s event in Whistler did not fare so well. Holly Crawford fell in her first qualifying run and did not make the final, finishing in 16th place, while Frances Miller was ruled out of competition after tearing arm ligaments in training.
Bright will miss the next World Cup event in Stoneham, Canada, electing to compete in a Grand Prix pro contest in the United States, then the circuit takes a break until late January.
In the men’s event, rookie Olympic Winter Institute team member Mitchell Allan was the best of the Australians, placing 30th in his maiden World Cup event. Ben Mates was 32nd and Andrew Burton 36th.
Torah Bright quotes:
“I’m just over the moon. When I got the fourth in Chile I was determined to get that little bit better and make the podium. But I plan to do a whole lot more work and get a few more tricks.”
“Training was really mellow. I hadn’t ridden pipe at all since Chile, so it was a matter of getting my pipe legs back once we got here.”
Bright’s best trick is the McTwist, an inverted 540 rotation manoeuvre:
“It’s a difficult trick and a lot of the girls turn it into a front roll, but the way I do it is sort of text book.”
