Wānaka snowboarder Rocco Jamieson has claimed his career-best finish at a world cup event.
The 18-year-old boarder placed second in big air at the Swiss round of the world cup circuit at the Chur resort.
After qualifying through to the finals in second position from his heat earlier in the day, Jamieson dropped into the night finals under floodlights with thousands of fans gathered around the landing of the big air and enjoying the festival scene.
Despite being relatively new to world cup competition, Jamieson took it in his stride and not only claimed his career-best result but put down a "never been done" trick in competition, the Rubix Flip, Snow Sports NZ reported.
Big air results are taken from each athlete’s two highest-scoring tricks, from three attempts, that must be performed in two different directions of rotation.
Jamieson combined his debut Rubix Flip with a switch backside 1620 Japan grab to finish in second place.
Reigning snowboard big air world champion Taiga Hasegawa, of Japan, claimed victory, and French boarder Romain Allemand claimed his maiden world cup podium with third.
Another New Zealand boarder, Lyon Farrell, also qualified through to the finals, finishing ninth.
Jamieson has started his 2024-25 season and Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic campaign with a bang.
With his second placing in Switzerland and third at Winter Games NZ in August, Jamieson is leading the overall FIS park and pipe world cup standings.
The snowboard big air world cup circuit continues in early December with the Beijing round. — APL
