Jindabyne local Josie Baff recently raced to her first snowboard cross global victory in the season opening FIS Snowboard World Cup at the French resort of Les Deux Alpes. Photo: Josie Baff, Instagram.
If you haven’t heard the news – the Aussie snowboarders are literally cutting a swathe through the northern hemisphere slopes with relative youngsters, Josie Baff and Valentino Guseli, clinching World Cup titles in recent weeks.
Jindabyne local Baff, 19, raced to her first snowboard cross global victory in the season opening International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Snowboard World Cup at the French resort of Les Deux Alpes, outpacing her opponents in the 4 December four-racer final for the breakthrough triumph.
The event had been put back a day because of heavy wind and snowfall but Baff took the tough conditions in her stride, fighting off the challenge from 16-year-old French phenomenon Lea Casta before asserting herself at the end of the race to win gold.
She said she was left almost speechless after taking her first World Cup victory in just her eighth race.
“I’m very overwhelmed right now, I still can’t believe it’s happened,” she said.
But last weekend she backed that up with another podium finish and a silver medal in Cervinia, Italy after a hotly-contested final where she led for most of the race and, when challenged, held on to secure the silver medal, finishing just behind Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain, with Chloe Trespeuch of France in third.
“Pretty overwhelmed, I am very happy with how I rode today, and after yesterday it was nice to be back on the podium for the second time,” Josie said.
Heading into the Christmas and new year break, Josie is ranked second in the world on the standings after three events.
Valentino Guseli is the youngest ever male to win World Cup gold for Australia in any discipline. Photo: Daniel Stewart.
Dalmeny’s Valentino Guseli, 17, has created history in Edmonton, Canada, becoming the first Australian to win a World Cup big air event.
The victory also makes him the youngest ever male to win World Cup gold for Australia in any discipline.
“Oh my goodness, I am so hyped right now,” Valentino said after the win.
“I woke up this morning and was just really hoping that I could put my tricks down today, and now I am just so relieved and happy.”
“It’s been a long and very bumpy road the last three years trying to work my way to some podiums and I have finally got a win, and I am so hyped, I am hoping to just keep it rolling to the next comps.”
“Thank you to everyone that’s helped me up to this point.”
After last weekend’s Copper Mountain World Cup in the US state of Colorado, he continues to hold on to the yellow leader’s bib for both ‘big air’ and ‘park and pipe’ overall after finishing 11th.
Valentino will return to action in the new year for the fourth and final big air competition of the 2022/23 World Cup season, coming to you from 13-14 January in Kreischberg, Austria.
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