Winter sports fans, grab your hot cocoa! 🍵 China's snowboarding sensation Su Yiming and Canada's teenage phenom Eli Bouchard just turned up the heat at the FIS Big Air World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou – and the trick innovation is next-level! 🌟
Su, the Beijing 2022 Olympic champion, stuck a monster 1980 spin (that's 5.5 rotations!) to top his qualifying group. 🌀 'I've got enough tricks prepared,' warned the 21-year-old, flexing the confidence that made him a Gen-Z sports icon. His teammate Ge Chunyu also advanced with matching aerial wizardry.
But the real jaw-dropper came from 17-year-old Bouchard, who debuted a never-before-seen 'BouchBomb' – an off-axis 1440 with style points that left judges shook. 🤯 'We decided to reward the innovation,' admitted one official, despite the landing being slightly sketchy.
Four Japanese riders upped the ante with 1980s of their own, proving this Saturday's final will be a spinning showdown of Olympic proportions. 🏔️ With only the top 5 from each heat advancing, every trick counts in this simplified format where athletes get just two runs to impress.
