Snowboard Superpipe OQ’s Kick Off The Winter Dew Tour

Frederik Austbo took the top spot in the Winter Dew Tour’s Open Qualifier. The Open Qualifier is the only way for athletes not yet qualified for the Dew Tour to get in. Sometimes referred to as a Local Qualifier, this Qualifier had a very strong international presence. The level ranged from world class riders like Peetu Piiroinen to young kids you probably have never heard of yet, but certainly will.

Fredrik Austbo spins through a frontside 10 on his way to the top qualifying position

Out of 42 male competitors only the top 10 got coveted Dew Tour spots. This is the only qualifying stop of the Winter Dew Tour so those that got in are stoked since they are on the Dew Tour for the entire season. On the women’s side, six should be moving on to get Dew Tour qualification.

Peetu Piironen showed up with some fine Finnish style but did not make the cut to be in the Dew Tour

For the women, Spain’s Queralt Castellet got third, Steamboat Colorado’s Madeline Schaffrick got second and Canada’s Sarah Conrad took the 1st place qualifier spot.

Breckenridge’s own Zachary Black has enough sick tricks in his repertoire to have gotten 3rd in the Grand Prix last week, he follows that up by qualifying second

It seemed that the top men were holding back; really only doing what they had to to get on to the tour. Peetu Piiroinen did throw down the first double cork in Dew Tour history however, but that did not get him through qualifying. The qualifiers today depended on more traditional tricks, like 10’s and 9’s. Dylan Bidez took third.

While people came from all over the world to enter the Dew Tour, third place qualifier Dylan Bidez only came from nearby Minturn, Colorado

Breckenridge local Zachary Black proved last week at the Grand Prix to have a deep bag of tricks including switch 10’s and swooped into second. Frederick Austbo pretty much killed it, winning it on his first run and holding the lead until the end. It will be cool to see the new guys and gals qualified today mix it up with the Dew Tour vets and wild-card entrants.

To check the complete results from the Winter Dew Tour’s Totino’s Open, CLICK HERE

Staale Sandbech is the younger brother of Transworld Senior Photographer Frode Sandbech, talk about a talented family