The Wanaka snowboarder was in sensational form in Aspen yet again when she won the final stop of the FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup Tour yesterday.
It marked the 23-year-old’s first Big Air World Cup victory since 2023, after an ankle injury sidelined her for much of the 2024 season.
She was in good company on Aspen podiums, after young Wanaka skier Luca Harrington won silver in the FIS Freeski Big Air World Cup yesterday too.
"I actually can’t believe it," Sadowski-Synnott said.
"The conditions were kind of challenging today with the firm, shady landing in contrast with the run-in being soft and bumpy.
"To put down those two tricks in these conditions, I am pretty stoked."
Warm and windy conditions required Sadowski-Synnott to be at her tactical best as the course became softer and windier throughout.
She put her two winning tricks down on her first two runs, which was a crucial move in taking the win.
"To put those first two [tricks] down was kind of playing tactics, but I am stoked."
Sadowski-Synnott stomped a switch backside double corked 1260 with a weddle grab for her first run, scoring the highest single jump score of the day with an 89.00 to take an early lead.
She paired that with a backside double 1080 drunk driver grab (both hands on the board) to take the lead after run two, two points ahead of her nearest competitor Kokomo Murase, of Japan.
Murase did not improve on her final run and Sadowski-Synnott dropped into a victory lap as she once again rode her way to the top of the women’s snowboarding big air podium.
Japan’s Momo Suzuki rounded out the podium in third.
Harrington was ecstatic to secure another podium finish in what has been a breakthrough season for him.
"I am unbelievably excited," Harrington said.
"This season has been incredible for me and to walk away with another medal today is just a dream."
Harrington, 20, qualified in the top spot to finals, and made quick work of getting a score in the 90s on the board, putting down a right triple corked 1800 safety grab for his first of three finals runs.
Against tough competition, with athletes throwing down their best tricks, Harrington quickly responded with a precision-perfect switch right triple corked 1620 esco grab.
The judges rewarded him with a huge 94.25 for his second run, which had him sitting comfortably in second position with just one run to go.
Harrington dropped into his final run and was guaranteed a silver medal as the second to last athlete to drop.
He threw down a massive right triple corked 1980 safety grab which improved his score but was not enough to bump Austria’s Matej Svancer off the top spot.
Konnor Ralph, of the United States, rounded out the podium in third with first big air world cup podium of his career.
Harrington, who is presently in second place in the 2025 men’s freeski big air World Cup standings, only secured his first Big Air World Cup podium a little over a month ago and has gone from strength to strength.
Aspen marked his fifth major podium.
“I am not coming into these competitions to win, but to do my absolute best and push myself and push the sport," Harrington said.
"I am really just proud of my skiing — I do it because I love it, but the results are a nice bonus."
— APL
