The 20 years of Dew Tour celebration hit full swing on Saturday afternoon at Copper Mountain. The 2024 edition of Women’s Ski Streetstyle took center stage with DJ performances bookending the event, drawing massive midday crowds.
Near perfect conditions blessed the four jib sections that made up the course. With an endless offering of combinations between the Dew Tour, Woodward, U.S. Army and Mountain Dew Baja Blast jib zones, women on course kept the crowd on their toes.
The Streetstyle format was made up of three rounds, each different than the last. Round 1 broke the field of 12 into 4-person heats with only the top two from each advancing after being allotted three runs. Then, with six skiers remaining, Round 2 saw three head-to-head matchups and two runs per rider. The advancing three made up the final Round 3 and took two runs each. The judging was be based on overall impressions and scored from 1-100.
Round 1, Heat 1 included last year’s champion Lisa Zimmerman, who proved to still be in form. Lisa left the heat with top score and the pass into the next round. On the last feature she front swap to front swap on the last Mountain Dew Baja Blast rail. Drew Hooker also advanced and impressed the judges with a back swap 270 out on a Mountain Dew Baja Blast rail in Round 1 Heat 1 Run 3.
Marion Balsomo also pulled a back swap 270 out on a Mountain Dew Baja Blast rail in Heat 2 on her first run. Marion’s rail choice was ever so slightly more difficult and helped her to advance. The second rider to advance from Heat 2 was Finley Good. Finley went great right out of the gate when she took it to the top of the Dew Tour wallride and sent a huge backside 270 off. It was the standout trick of the round.
Heat 3 started off with Eileen Gu, the only competitor at Dew Tour 2024 pulling double Dew-ty set to ski in both Streetstyle while also on the roster to defend her Superpipe title. Eileen’s opening run wasn’t perfect but it was technical with three 270s on and a 270 off in her run. She cleaned it up on her second run to leave her heat in the lead with a 93.00
Into the head-to-head matchups in Round 2, Lisa came out spinning and looking dominant. Lisa spun a right 270 pretzel 270 on the Woodward down rail, to help her advance to the third and final round. Meeting her would be Marion and Eileen, a stacked group fitting for podium.
In Marion’s first run in the final round she went huge off the Woodward out rail and gapped to down rail to backside 270 out. The combo was quickly dubbed the best trick of the entire event.
Ultimately it was Eileen’s technical prowess that took her to the top of the podium. Eileen’s best run began with a right 270 to forward, then lipslide to front 270, which set her up for switch leftside lipslide 270 to forward, a shifty to slide and then a leftside 270 continuing 270 on the final rail. A clearly dominant run.
“Honestly, this feels better than any contest I’ve had this season,” said Eileen after receiving her first Dew Tour Streetstyle trophy. “I’ve just had so much fun skiing the rails, and I think that is what skiing is all about—it is bringing me back to my core and my love for skiing. There was never a dull moment on this course. It has really inspired me… and I’m really excited for the next few seasons.”
Next up, Eileen needs to rest and then rise again to compete in Superpipe tomorrow.
“I’m going to go have a good dinner and go to sleep early,” responded Eileen when asked how she planned to prepare for her next event. “I turned in a bunch of school assignments in early, so thankfully I’m good on that. I’m excited for halfpipe tomorrow. A totally different type of skiing but one I love nonetheless.”
Dew Tour 2024 Women’s Ski Streetstyle Final Results
- Eileen Gu (CHN) Run 2: 91.66
- Lisa Zimmermann (GER) Run 2: 90.00
- Marion Balsamo (USA) Run 2: 73.33
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