Where to Ski And Snowboard - James ‘Woodsy’ Woods crowned Big Air World Champion

James ‘Woodsy’ Woods crowned Big Air World Champion

7th February 2019, by Abi Butcher

James 'Woodsy' Woods has beeb crowned Big Air World Champion in Park City, Utah

Britain’s top skier James “Woodsy” Woods has won the Big Air World Championships in Park City, Utah.

Woodsy took the ski slopestyle 10-man final on Wednesday after taking the lead in the second run with a score of 86.68, despite tricky wind conditions that has forced the cancellation of a number of other events.

During the third and final run, conditions continued to play havoc with just two competitors able to improve their scores, leaving James Woods in the podium-topping position ahead of Norway’s Birk Ruud (85.40) and USA’s two-time Olympic medallist Nick Goepper (85.18).

It is the first time Woods has been crowned slopestyle World Championship — he last stood on a podium when posting a third in a World Championship in 2017 at Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Woods’ long-time coach Pat Sharples paid tribute to event organisers for managing to complete the ski slopestyle event in the face of weather which has hampered the overall World Championships programme. The weather forced the cancellation of the snowboard big air competition, and the ladies ski slopestyle has not yet reached qualification stage and is waiting for a window in which to run the event.

“The last couple of days have been incredibly tough,” said Sharples. “The conditions have been really difficult due to heavy snowfall and high winds, but all the athletes, support staff, coaches and event staff have done their best to make the event happen.”