Wise wins Ski SuperPipe for Aspen 3-peat

ByCOLIN BANE
January 25, 2014, 3:21 AM

— -- ASPEN, Colo. -- David Wise won his third consecutive gold medal in the men's Ski SuperPipe final Friday, the first three-peat in men's Ski SuperPipe since Tanner Hall's streak from 2006 to 2008.

French skier Kevin Rolland got silver, and Aspen local Alex Ferreira took bronze.

"The field was super strong," Wise said. "I can't say enough good things about pipe skiing right now; it was amazing."

Wise led after the first of three runs, taking the top spot with a score of 90, thanks to huge amplitude and big spins like a switch rightside 900 and switch double cork rightside 1260.

Rolland answered with a double cork 1260 mute grab in his second run, bumping into silver-medal position, but fell on the last hit of his third run.

In his third run, Ferreira wowed his local fans by soaring as high as 18 feet above the pipe with a 1080, switch down-the-pipe 720, double cork 1260, double down-the-pipe flatspin 900 and 1080, bumping into third place.

Falls from most of the rest of the field left Wise to take a victory lap. Instead, he stepped it up even more, improving to 92.

"I wasn't completely satisfied with my first run so I wanted to up it, do a little bit better," Wise said.

Wise, the 2013 FIS World Cup champion, will be the favorite heading into the Sochi Olympics.