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88 at home of the ’88: Symbolic score nets Canadian Darcy Sharpe first World Cup victory

The Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup wrapped up with a made for the headlines finish on Sunday, as snowboarder Darcy Sharpe took his first ever gold.

At the home of the ’88 Olympics, Sharpe seized the men’s slopestyle World Cup win with a ride that netted him 88.85.

Speaking to LWC after the podium, he said that he hadn’t even thought about how special the score was for his top finish.

“I hadn’t thought about that that and is pretty special. Happy it held held through because those guys are all really talented,” he said.

Sharpe’s score came in the second of three runs on Sunday afternoon, which saw strong Chinook winds warming up the course and making the finals a difficult one for competitors.

By the time Sharpe’s third run of the day came, a series of mistakes by other riders brought on by those conditions clinched him the top finish.

As for the secret of his success, he said he slayed the rails.

Calgary a top spot for snowboard World Cups

Canada has held the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup a record five times, and Calgary, three of those.

Sharpe called competing in the city special beyond just getting the gold.

“Bad my birthday here this week, and I’ve been coming here since I was a young kid, going to Nationals here,” he said.

Sharpe was joined on the podium by the US’s Dusty Henricksen in second, and Canadian Cameron Spalding in third.

On the women’s side, Julia Marino took the gold for slopestyle, followed by Canadians Laurie Blouin and Jasmine Baird in second and third.

In the halfpipe competition finals on Friday, Elizabeth Hosking was the only Canadian to podium, with a silver finish.

Calgary’s Brook D’Hondt took a fourth place finish in the halfpipe competition.

Photos from the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup

Valentino Guseli, silver finisher at the Snow Rodeo FIS Snowboard World Cup Halfpipe finals at Winsport on Friday, February 10, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Calgary’s Brook D’Hondt, fourth place finisher at the Snow Rodeo FIS Snowboard World Cup Halfpipe finals at Winsport on Friday, February 10, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Ruka Hirano, gold medal winner at the Snow Rodeo FIS Snowboard World Cup Halfpipe finals at Winsport on Friday, February 10, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Mitsuki Ono, gold winner at the Snow Rodeo FIS Snowboard World Cup Halfpipe finals at Winsport on Friday, February 10, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Elizabeth Hosking, second place finisher at the Snow Rodeo FIS Snowboard World Cup Halfpipe finals at Winsport on Friday, February 10, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
The winners of the women’s competition spray champagne at the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Julia Marino, gold winner at the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Darcy Sharpe, gold winner at the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Valentino Guseli at the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
A rider crashes during practice as the wind and warming snow makes riding conditions difficult during the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Competitors ride the lift back up to the top of the slopestyle course during the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Dusty Henricksen at the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Miyabi Onitsuka at the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Cameron Spalding at the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Dusty Henricksen at the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
A “fan” of Darcy Sharpe holds up a humorous cardboard sign at the Snow Rodeo FIS World Cup Slopestyle Finals at WinSport in Calgary on Sunday, February 12, 2023. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY

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