Huckfest on final day of freeskiing competition

Tom Runcie takes second, Gabe Robbins wins Sick Bird, Preston wins Masters

With eight to 12 inches of fresh snow blanketing the venue, athletes shot the lock off on the final day of the Subaru U.S. Freeskiing Championships Sunday, February 20.
The finals venue was spectacular, with lines from the rocky outcropping of East L.A. all the way over to High Life open to the athletes.
Gone are the days of billy-goating through the technical terrain. The athletes made the most of it and proceeded to flash technical lines in Toilet Bowl and High Life and sent themselves off everything in sight throwing 20 to 40-foot lawn darts, 720s, back flips and front flips, sticking the landings and flying through the upper portions of Spellbound Bowl.
As is often the case, the local adults defended their home hill through the first two days with eight making the final cut for the men and two locals reaching the final among the women.
Due to weather conditions on Sunday, event organizers were forced to switch things up. Typically, all finalists are given one run before one final cut is made for a super final. But with the weather in and out all day, they switched to a one and done format, giving all finalists one run to determine their fate.
While Crested Butte skier Tom Runcie had the top finish among the local contingent in the premier event taking second place overall, longtime competitor and local skier Gabe Robbins stole the show.
Robbins has competed in the local event since the mid-1990s and has tallied a second and third place over the course of his career, as well as numerous top 20 finishes.
He thought he was done competing and was on the fence this year, but got the green light from home.
“My wife talked me into doing this comp,” says Robbins.
Robbins came into the finals in 16th place and decided to finish his career with a bang.
“It snowed so I looked up at it and I discussed it with my wife and she told me to go for it,” says Robbins.
Blessed with fresh snow, Robbins decided it was time to send it big. He cruised out above High Life and dropped in making two turns before sending an estimated 60-foot front flip, dubbed Full Frontal Lobotomy air by yours truly, off of the upper cliff in the “Cleavage” area, sticking the landing and skiing to the finish line to the roar of the crowd.
“I was planning on doing a littler one but it snowed and it all lined up,” says Robbins. “I didn’t have much of a chance at winning so I thought I’d give the crowd something.”
It was a fitting close to Robbins’s competitive career as judges awarded Robbins the coveted Tobais Baka Lee Backcountry.com Sickbird Award.
“Now I’ve got a Sickbird award in tele and alpine,” says Robbins. “I think I’m done. Unless someone wants to pay me a bunch of money, which ain’t gonna happen. I thank my wife and kids for being so supportive.”
Runcie’s strength lay in his line choice and fluidity throughout all three days.
“Something happens when you tip into a comp line,” explains Runcie. “Something in the back of my head kept saying, ‘Don’t stop, keep moving.’ I skied all three of my lines faster and smoother than I ever have.”
Runcie started the competition off strong on Headwall, hitting a 20-foot air and cruising to an eighth-place finish to qualify for the rest of the competition.
With pre-qualifiers thrown into the mix, 55 men and 24 women were lined up to ski one run in the Staircase/Body Bag area.
Runcie was 38th on the start list and got to see some of his peers ski their runs. While some stumbled through, others flashed it and he was determined to do the latter, skiing a line through Body Bag fast and smooth.
“I was trying to avoid the drop and stop,” explains Runcie. “I tipped in and gave ‘er hell.”
Runcie made quick work of Body Bag, hitting an exit air and was rewarded for his effort with the second top score of the day.
The stage was then set for Runcie in the finals.
“The sun was in and out, it was just beautiful out and people were throwing down,” says Runcie. “It was fun being at the top hanging out with the top guys.”
Runcie had his line in mind but when fifth, fourth and third place all fell on their runs, he changed it up a bit.
Runcie intended to drop off a rock higher up on his line but when the skier before him took the same air and fell, Runcie opted out.
“I decided to play it a bit more conservative,” says Runcie. “I made a point of skiing what I wanted to ski fast and smooth. I knew I had a check in my hand if I stayed on my feet.”
Runcie flew through the upper part of Toilet Bowl sending a good-sized air farther down before rocketing to the finish line for second place and a $3,000 payday.
“I’ve never gotten paid to ski,” says Runcie.
Runcie is now qualified automatically for the final two stops of the tour and will use his winnings to cover costs as he heads to Kirkwood to compete this weekend. He hopes to finish the season in Snowbird at the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour Championships March 8-13.
Caleb Mullen was the only other local skier to finish in the money, moving up from seventh place to finish in fifth overall. Lars Chickering-Ayers, hailing originally from Mad River Glen, took first.
Angel Collinson of Snowbird, Utah won the women’s competition. Local woman Francesca Pavillard came into the finals in fifth and stayed there for a piece of the cash prize. The only other local woman in the finals, Alex Riedman, finished the competition in seventh pace.
Local skiers dominated the Masters division. Mike Preston came into the finals in second place behind ’90s ski film star Scott Kennett from Telluride. Preston stomped his final run to take over the top spot, winning by more than six points. Crested Butte resident Aaron Lypps, who is reported to have competed in all 20 Crested Butte events, came in second and Kennett finished the day in third.
The juniors opened the entire freeskiing event with the Headwall on Tuesday and finished on Wednesday skiing the tight lines in the Phoenix Chutes.
Brittany Barefield was the lone local girl in the 12-14 age group on the last day and finished fourth.
Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team telemark skier Klara Wohlers led the local charge among the older juniors taking fourth in the 15-17 age group, with Natalie Barefield two spots behind finishing in sixth place.
Matt Evans had the top finish among local boys ages 15-17 with a fifth-place finish.
The Subaru freeskiing tour continues in Kirkwood, Calif. this weekend and closes at Snowbird March 8-13.