It all kicks off tomorrow (Saturday 5 Feb) with female slopestyle qualifications going down. Click here to check the full games snowboard schedule. Course setup for slopestyle looks insane. There’s a huge field of riders, we’ve hit the whiteboard, done our calculations are these are our top 10 snowboarders to keep your eye on these Olympic Games.
Zoi is coming in hot, after an incredibly successful World Cup comp season pre-Olympics. She put down what a lot of people are claiming the most progressive female slopestyle run ever to win the X Games Gold…plus she won another gold in the big air with a stunning backside 1260.
She is currently unstoppable and Transfer’s favourite rider heading into the games. Exciting, progressive, consistent and she’s a Kiwi. A definite contender for gold in both slopestyle and big air. Go Zoi.
Jamie’s the most decorated female slopestyle snowboarder and is looking to add some more to the tally. The only female snowboarder to have won two Olympic gold medals. There’s no doubt she’s looking to make that three golds. Which is an incredible feat.
She’s got the most Olympic experience out of the field, and that will definitely work to her advantage. Plus she dominates in a pressure cooker situation.
The Aussie Powerhouse Tess is looking solid to land on the podium and we’re backing her 100%. Tess has been consistently moving up the ranks each World Cup event, winning the recent Laax Open with a frontside double ten on her last hit. Tess is ready to rumble, and we cant wait to see what she’s going to put down.
Off the back off a heartbreaking 2018 Winter Olympics, she’s coming in not only better on the board but mentally prepped.
Mark has pretty much done it all in his career except bag the Olympic gold medal. He’s been on a campaign in the lead up to the games. Not sitting at the top spot at the World Cup events, however we think this is a straight up strategy and he’s coming out guns blazing come game time to take out the top spot.
A source on the ground, said if the there’s a little bit of wind on competition day, Mark is a sure pick to take out the gold. You heard it here first.
Red is on a mission to go for back to back gold medals. Winning the gold in slopestyle at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, he’s been on fire ever since. New sponsors, a couple more World Cup podiums and a Dew Tour win. Red is ready to rip shit up. Plus he is looking incredibly comfortable on the course setup…other riders, not so much.
The chatter amongst riders is, it’s an insane course, but difficult to manage and all features are critical. Just how we like it.
This is Shaun’s fifth Olympic games. What do you call someone who is beyond a season veteran? Because that’s Shaun. Historically, he pulls some crazy magic out of the bag when it’s pressure time.
We have an inkling that Shaun is going to blow minds and pull some new magic out. A not so breezy qualifying season, Shaun has overcome some hurdles and we know he’s going all in. Boasting three gold medals in pipe. He’s looking to cement his legacy in snowboarding with a fourth.
It’s no secret Scotty James wants gold and nothing else. Taking out bronze at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, he’s been on a global domination tear ever since.
Scotty does have some secrets though, and we can’t wait to see what his Olympic run is. His approach this winter has been all geared to this moment, and we think there’s some new tricks Scotty is going to show the world. Australia’s golden boy and one of the best halfpipe riders to ever do it…we are backing Scotty to bring home the gold.
Ayumu. He’s going to stir things up and make this Olympic showdown all the more interesting. The only snowboarder to ever do a triple cork in competition, he is going in with an advantage over other riders. He has been ticking all the boxes for an Olympic gold medal so far this season and if he’s in the right zone come final run, the gold can easily be his.
Ayumu has won two silver Olympic medals. It might not seem like it, but he’s a seasoned veteran and is only looking upward to gold medal status.
Chloe is the undisputed Queen of the pipe. The youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal at 17 years old at Pyeongchang. She is heading into these games strong off the back of her World Cup season. Double gold Olympic medal? We reckon’ she has a hot chance of taking it out and we’re excited to see the run she puts down on the world stage!
As the video below states…Chloe Kim is still hungry for more gold.