While the slopestyle concept of the Mini Creative Use of Space award has a clear purpose, namely in giving shapers the due they deserve for putting out absolutely sick parks for the Burton Global Open series, the halfpipe award is slightly more dubious. To be fair, there isn’t really much scope for the shapers to get creative in their building of the pipe and the riders would probably feel left out if they didn’t have a chance to pocket the cool $5000 prize.
Anyway, it was Christian Haller and Cilka Sadar who came away with the moneys on this occasion. Following on from the Burton Canadian Open, there is a clear strategy for winning. Just throw an alleyoop, the judges seem to love them. Both riders pulled them in their runs and were rewarded with the cash, probably the easiest way either of them has ever made a buck.