MCEACHRAN EARNS FIRST WORLD CUP VICTORY WITH AUTHORITY
For the men it was a heavyweight battle at the top, with the best 12 skiers across the two men’s heats all registering scores in the 80s or above.
However, there were only two men who managed to break into the 90s on Thursday, with McEachran and Mac Forehand both dropping in first for their heats and both putting down absolute hammers to set the tone.
McEachran’s opening run of heat two was the gold standard of the day, as he went massive on the jumps with a switch right-side double cork 1800 safety and then a switch left-side double cork 1440 mute, before lacing the rails with a switch left on to bio 810 safety off, then a right on frontside switch up backside switch up to forward, and finally a left on 360 switch up to 270 out to finish things off for a score of 93.00 and his first career World Cup victory.
Forehand would garner a score of 90.50 for his squeaky-clean first run, which included a switch left double cork 1620 cuban and a right double cork 900 mute through the jumps, then a switch left on to cork 810 blunt out, disaster 450 to switch, and finally a switch right-side 270 on to 270 out to end.
Rounding out the men’s podium in third place was Forehand’s USA teammate Alex Hall, as the reigning Olympic champ put together what was inarguably the most creative run of Thursday’s action to grab his 10th career World Cup podium.
Even for the most hardened trick list analyst Hall’s run can be a mind-bending one to see written out, as he lead things off with a right-side double cork 1080 bring-back to 900 safety grab, into a switch left tailbutter 1260 mute, and then went into the rails with a right-side on 360 switch up 270 out, then a right on to switch, to switch tails-over frontside switch up to switch in the second rail section, before wrapping up with a switch right-side 270 on pretzel 270 out for a score of 88.75.
With Stubai now in the books we look ahead to China and a return to the iconic big air venue that served as host to Beijing 2022 Olympic action, where qualifications are taking place on 30 November, followed up by finals on 2 December.
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