Brookes and Hasegawa take Crystal Globe

Brookes and Hasegawa take Crystal Globe as Bouchard and Sadowski-Synnott win big air season finale

British teenager Mia Brookes has won her second consecutive big air Crystal Globe despite not competing in the last big air event of the 2024/25 FIS Snowboard World Cup tour. 

Eighteen-year-old Brookes watched from the sidelines as New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott won a second World Cup in Aspen in as many days with a big air victory on Thursday. 

In the men’s big air event, Canadian teenager Eli Bouchard won the judges over with never-before-seen tricks as runner-up Taiga Hasegawa (JPN) took the Crystal Globe.

Days after winning the slopestyle World Cup in Aspen on 2 February, Sadowski-Synnott on Thursday topped the women’s big air final with a total score of 172.25 after taking an early lead with her run one score of 89.00 for her switch backside double cork 1260 Weddle. 

For her second run, the judges awarded Sadowski-Synnott 83.25 for her backside double 1080 drunk driver.  

“I actually can’t believe it, given the conditions were kind of challenging today with the really firm, shady landing and it was pretty bumpy, and contrasted with the run-in being soft and bumpy. 

“To put down those two tricks in these conditions, I’m pretty stoked,” said Sadowski-Synnott. 

Second place went to Japan’s Kokomo Murase and her combined score of 170.25, while compatriot Momo Suzuki claimed the third podium spot on 150.00. 

Finishing just outside the podium but showing great promise was 15-year-old Lily Dhawornvej (USA) and her score of 145.50. 

Despite not competing in the fifth and last big air competition of the 2024/25 FIS Snowboard World Cup season, Brookes won the big air Crystal Globe with 305 points thanks to her two victories from Beijing and Klagenfurt and her third place finish at Kreischberg. 

Japan’s Mari Fukada, who finished seventh in Thursday’s final, also has 305 points and three podium finishes, but only one win. 

“I thought maybe (I’d finish) second if I was lucky, but definitely not a win,” said Brookes. 

“It’s really special when you’ve worked so hard over the season.” 

In the men’s final, 17-year-old Eli Bouchard walked away with the win after posting a combined score of 189.00 ahead of reigning World Champion and current overall Park & Pipe leader Taiga Hasegawa (JPN). 

Nineteen-year-old Hasegawa looked set to take first place after posting a third run score of 95.00 for his frontside 1980 indy until Bouchard responded with a backside 1980 nosegrab that netted him 96.00 from the judges. 

Before his winning run, the Canadian teenager had already impressed judges with his original second run trick, a triple moose flip, which earned him 93.00. 

“I just won with my trick that I invented. Also I’ve never done a back 19 in my life, and to put it down in a comp – f***, so stoked,” said Bouchard. 

Bouchard went on to explain the moose flip, a trick which is uniquely his own. 

“Basically it’s like a double sloth roll or gator roll, and a frontside 180, and then a switch crippler,” said Bouchard. 

Before Thursday’s result, Bouchard’s best World Cup result was 12th in slopestyle at the Laax Open in January.