Snowboarder Luke Winkelmann Grabs A Slopestyle Podium
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by Chrös McDougall
Luke Winkelmann goes over a rail before the men's snowboard slopestyle finals at the 2020 U.S. Grand Prix on Feb. 1, 2020 in Mammoth, Calif.
Luke Winkelmann continued his breakout season with his second career world cup podium, this time finishing third in slopestyle snowboarding Saturday at the Audi SnowJam in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic.
On a day when weather conditions forced a delayed start, the 21-year-old from Blowing Rock, North Carolina, posted the third best run in the first round, and when others stepped it up in the second, he did too. Ending with 85.50 points, Winkelmann trailed only winner Tiarn Collins of New Zealand, with 90.25, and William Mathisen of Sweden, who had 86.75.
Fellow American Dusty Henricksen, who made his Olympic debut in Beijing last month, ended in ninth with a top score of 59.50.
With the finish Winkelmann finds himself ranked fourth in the slopestyle standings, with Collins on top. The snowboard world cup season wraps up next weekend with another slopestyle competition in Silvaplana, Switzerland.
Winkelmann previously finished third at the FIS Snow Rodeo on New Year’s Day in Calgary Alberta. Prior to this season his top world cup finish was sixth back in 2020 in Laax, Switzerland, and his highest season finish was 15th that same year.
Winkelmann and Henricksen placed 1-2 in Friday’s qualifying round. Olympian Courtney Rummel was the top U.S. woman in Spindleruv Mlyn, placing 12th.
A 2018 silver medalist in big air snowboarding at the world junior championships, Winkelmann fell just short of making the 2022 Olympic team.
Chrös McDougall #
Chrös McDougall has covered the Olympic and Paralympic Movement for TeamUSA.org since 2009 on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc. He is based in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
