Bowman defends Ski SuperPipe title

— -- ASPEN, Colo. -- The women's Ski SuperPipe gold on Friday night at X Games Aspen 2014 belonged to American Maddie Bowman, the defending X Games Aspen champion. Canadian skier Roz Groenewoud won silver, and French skier Marie Martinod took bronze.

"X Games is huge, so I think I'm on top of the world right now," Bowman said. "I think the biggest thing was just coming out here and having fun, kind of just focusing on the skiing and having a good time."

All eight of the women's Ski SuperPipe competitors in Friday's final also are headed next month to Sochi, where the first Olympic freeskiing medals will be up for grabs.

Groenewoud, the X Games Aspen 2012 gold medalist, led after the first of three runs Friday, just ahead of Bowman in her first contest of the season after a knee surgery in December.

Bowman bumped ahead in her second run with a score of 88.66, thanks to tricks like a rightside 900 and switch 720, enough to hold up for the win.

Japan's Ayana Onozuka brought big airs on her way to a fourth-place finish.

"The biggest thing about this group of girls is we're just friends," Bowman said. "We travel together, we ski together all the time, and there's such good camaraderie. I'm so excited to go to Russia with them. We're going to have a great time."