Closing the curtain on a competitive career that has been more than two decades in the making, the 35-year-old Swiss style master fittingly chose the O’Neill Evolution and the Swiss resort of Davos, located just a few miles as the crow flies from his home resort of Arosa, to say goodbye. “Finishing my 23-year contest career here is a dream come true,” said Gian, a three-time Olympian. “It’s the closing of a circle. I rode a board for the first time here in Davos; won my first major contest here; won my two World Championship titles right here too. So to finish off my contest career in Davos – it’s the icing on the cake.”

Having officially closed out his competitive career the day before with a very respectable 6th place in the Halfpipe Finals, and a typically enormous Backside Air on the last hit of his last run, Saturday afternoon’s ‘Legends Session’ presented fans and fellow riders – both past and present – with an opportunity to honor Gian’s remarkable contribution to the sport.

Gian Simmen (SUI) boosting airs sporting a 1980′s-inspired day glow one-piece O’Neill snowsuit.

The laid-back, fun-filled jam session saw a veritable who’s who of European snowboarding royalty gracing the Halfpipe to doff their caps to one of snowboarding’s greatest ambassadors. Among others, Xaver Hoffman, Michi Albin, Reto Lamm, Pascal Imhof and Johnny Eisenhut all rolled back the years and reminded the young guns how it’s done. Not surprisingly, Gian was the standout rider, boosting double-overhead airs while sporting a 1980s-inspired dayglow one-piece O’Neill snowsuit. Style by the mile from the retiring hero.

Reflecting on his career at the end of an emotional day, Gian said: “Snowboarding has given me so much: the friends, the experiences, the chance to live a very special lifestyle – it gave me a place to clear my mind. As the first rider to win Olympic Gold almost 15 years ago, I understood very quickly there would be certain expectations of me. I just hope people remember me for the work I’ve done for snowboarding, the work I still plan to do, and hope they enjoyed my riding and riding with me over the years. I can’t thank everyone enough for this amazing journey.”

We’re sure we speak for the whole snowboarding community when we say: “Thanks for the memories Gian; it’s been one hell of a ride, and long may it continue!”

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Gian Simmen and friends – a legendary session to celebrate the end of Gian’s careers

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What do you do when superlatives just aren’t enough? The final day here at the O’Neill Evolution 2013 exploded into something that will go down as a watershed moment in snowboarding history.

O’Neill Team rider – Maxence Parrot (CAN)

Maxence Parrot (CAN) stomped the first ever contest-landed Triple Cork on European snow to take out the Big Air Finals just ahead of 15-year-old Kyle Mack (USA), who scored a world first by putting down the first contest-landed Triple Frontside Rodeo.

It was never a question of simple progression; this was the physical statement reflecting the quantum leap in the level of snowboarding heading into 2013. Tonight’s results also saw Antoine Truchon (CAN) take the lead in the World Snowboard Tour Big Air rankings, and Kyle Mack (USA) move into second in the Overall rankings.

Podium O’Neill Evolution Big Air 2013

In a day that was always expected to build towards a climax, the first official action came in the form of the Women’s Big Air Finals. While not a points-earning event for the Women, it was Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN) who impressed all week and took out the O’Neill Evolution Women’s title with a huge Backside 360 to Lipslide to Front board, edging out an improving Christine Szumovski (AUT). It was left to the ever-stylish Celia Miller (USA) to complete the podium.

Miyabi Onitsuka (JPN) wins the O’Neill Evolution Women’s Big Air.

After the Women’s Final and in anticipation of the men’s spectacle, Gian Simmen and the ‘Legends Session’, rolled back the years as some of the sport’s greatest European icons tore up the Halfpipe in honor of Simmen’s final competitive curtain call. 

Among the invited riders were Xaver Hoffman (GER), Nici Pederzolli (AUT), Anita Schwaller (SUI), Michi Albin (SUI), Johnny Eisenhut (SUI), Martina Tscharner (SUI), World Snowboard Tour judges Guillaume Morriset (CAN) and Pascal Imhof (SUI), and no less than World Snowboard Tour President, Reto Lamm (SUI). It proved to be a fitting tribute and a final hurrah to Simmen: the man, the myth, the legend. 

Firing up the spectators, event speaker, Henry Jackson, summed it up best when he announced, ‘’We need to organize a Legends World Snowboard Tour. Every single person riding in this session has influenced snowboarding in some major way and the riding has been off the hook.”

That said, today’s 6 Star World Snowboard Tour Big Air climax was always going to be the highlight – and it delivered big time. And with the rider field whittled down to the Semifinals, only eight riders were left to battle it out for the World Snowboard Tour Big Air points and the lion’s share of the US$ 80,000 prize purse.

Sebastien Toutant (CAN), with a Cab 1260 Double Cork Melon to Backside 270 Gap to Out, was unlucky to go out against Kalle Järvilehto (FIN) in the closest of knockout battles to decide the 4-rider Super Final. With only four riders still standing, the level went up yet another notch, reducing the field to just two riders. 

In the last bout of the evening, Maxence Parrot clinically and unconditionally stomped the first ever European contest Triple Cork, scoring a seemingly insurmountable 93.40 – the highest score of the event. If you haven’t heard the name Kyle Mack before, hear it here, and hear it now. The 15-year-old uber-ripper-in-waiting dropped into his second of three runs only to suffer the worst slam of the contest following a failed attempt at the unprecedented Frontside Triple Rodeo.

15 year old Kyle Mack (USA) stomping the first contest landed Triple Frontside Rodeo.

Having witnesses the slam and leading in the scores, Parrot was obliged to drop in first and decided to go for it, nailing his sickest Triple Cork yet before putting down a smooth Boardslide to Backside Lipslide combo in the rail section. Not surprisingly, the crowd went nuts, and the judges delivered him another highest score of the event with a fully-deserved 96.80. 

With the contest all but wrapped up by Parrot, Mack picked himself up from his horror slam and dropped into this third and final run. Stomping a never-seen-before-in-contest Triple Rodeo 1440 Indy, the North American went on to Backside Lipslide to Frontside Noseslide to Fakie the rail section. Nervous moments ensued before the judges returned a 95.00 points score, thus awarding Parrot his biggest contest title to date. 

If there was ever a time that the Boom met the Bang, it was here in Davos tonight. A new standard has yet again been set at another world-class edition of the O’Neill Evolution 2013 – the World Snowboard Tour at its very best!

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