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With a 30-strong field containing the very best pipe riders on the planet, the Dew Tour semi-final was always going to be a hard one to call. Still, it was a surprise for many to see Shaun White qualifiy for Saturday’s final in first place, after landing a familiar run that no-one – including Iouri Podlatchikov, Ayumu Hirano, Arthur Longo, Taylor Gold and Ben Ferguson – could touch.
This marked Shaun’s first comp since last year’s X Games, where he finished out of the medals on what was supposed to be his comeback after a disappointing Olympics. Now, almost a year later, he’s proven that on his day, he’s still the man to beat.
Meanwhile it was a stinker of a day for Danny Davis, who crashed on both his runs as well as his Last Chance Qualifier run. It was the same for Taku Hiraoka, meaning the reigning X Games gold and silver medallists won’t be dropping in tomorrow’s final.