BEIJING — Winds at the Genting Snow Park whipped in from Mongolia, chilling temperatures to a feel of minus-12 degrees Fahrenheit and causing havoc across the board at the men’s freeski halfpipe final. Artistry was a secondary consideration behind mere survival, and when it was all done, New Zealand’s Nico Porteous won gold, and the Team USA duo of David Wise and Alex Fereirra won silver and bronze, respectively.
The conditions were brutal, with wind causing havoc on every run. Gus Kenworthy, now skiing for Great Britain, mis-aligned a jump and hit the halfpipe wall so hard he shattered the cornice. Switzerland’s Robin Briguet fell on a windblown trick and raised his hands to the heavens in frustration. Porteous slammed the base of the halfpipe hard enough to dislodge a ski; a few runs later, Wise lost both of his at once. Brendan Mackay ended up sliding on his backside, lifted his hands to show he was all right, and then looked back up the halfpipe with disgust on his face.
Porteous held the first-round lead after a brilliant run that earned a 93.00 score, with Wise’s strong 90.75 holding down second place and Ferreira in third at 86.75. The second round proved a struggle, and eight of the 12 skiers, including four of the top five, recorded worse scores than their first round.
The wind steadily increased over the course of the 90-minute event, making every run more challenging than the one before. In his final run, Wise lost momentum halfway through his trick set and couldn’t secure enough height to dislodge Porteous. Ferreira turned in a respectable but unspectacular final run, and Aaron Blunck endured a scary crash in his third turn down the halfpipe.
