While Hirano was unsuccessful in his attempt to up the ante with a triple cork 1440 on the final hit of his second run, his first run effort had given him more than enough to earn his eighth World Cup victory in his 17th start.
Even though he wasn’t able to win the Secret Garden competition on Friday, runner-up Yuto Totsuka (JPN) still made history by surpassing Ross Powers (USA) for the most podiums in FIS Snowboard Park & Pipe history with 22. Earning a score of 90.25 for his first run, Totsuka would put himself alone atop the men’s all-time top-3s list with a superb effort in the tough conditions.
Keeping himself just one podium behind Totsuka on that all-time list was three-time reigning Crystal Globe winner Ruka Hirano, who stepped things up with the pressure on in his final run to earn a score of 89.00 and a third-place finish.
Ruka Hirano’s score relegated Brazil’s Patrick Burgener to fourth place on 81.25. Burgener’s performance on Friday also marked the first time a Brazilian has featured in a men’s Halfpipe final.
Four-time World Champion Scotty James uncharacteristically finished 10th in the 14-man final after going down in the all-important second run following a first run score of 50.00.
James was among several riders in the men’s field who pulled back on their fifth tricks during their first run after running out of room in the pipe.
Japan’s podium sweep on Friday extends the nation’s podium streak to 29 events, with Japanese men reaching the podium in every Halfpipe World Cup event in the last seven years. The last time a men’s Halfpipe World Cup podium did not feature a Japanese rider dates back to 8 December 2018.
This week’s World Cup marks the first of seven Halfpipe events in the 2025/26 Snowboard Park & Pipe World Cup season. The next Halfpipe World Cup takes place in Copper (USA) between 17 and 19 December.
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