Canadian freestyle skier Evan McEachran wins X Games slopestyle bronze

ASPEN, Colo. — Canadian freestyle skier Evan McEachran reached the X Games podium a second straight year taking bronze in men’s slopestyle Sunday.

The 23-year-old from Oakville, Ont., placed third behind winner Nick Goepper of the U.S., and silver medallist Ferdinand Dahl of Norway.

McEachern took silver in the event in 2020. The Canadian has competed in one slopestyle World Cup this season back in November. 

The COVID-19 pandemic that has decimated the international competition calendar also had McEachran competing in front of zero fans Sunday at Buttermilk Mountain’s terrain park.

“It feels really good to be on the podium here two years in a row and add another one to the start of the collection,” McEachran said.

“Obviously we didn’t have too many contests since last year’s X Games. Kind of came here not knowing what to think or what to expect, but just got here and kind of put that out of my mind, skied the best I could and manage the course.

“It’s definitely a different vibe from last years without a crowd down here. I miss the fans at the bottom. It’s kind of a nice pump of energy. We kind of just had a good vibe. We were just cheering each other and watching each other lace up and it felt good.”

McEachern’s Canadian teammate Alex Beaulieu-Marchand of Quebec City was fourth Sunday.

Deteriorating conditions on the mountain Saturday forced the postponement of men’s snowboard slopestyle and women’s snowboard big air to Sunday.

Canadians won two silver medals and four bronze in Aspen this year.

Freestyle skier Megan Oldham of Parry Sound, Ont., took silver in big air and bronze in slopestyle. 

Cassie Sharpe of Comox, B.C., and Rachael Karker of Erin, Ont., won silver and bronze respectively in halfpipe. 

Snowboarder Laurie Blouin of Stoneham, Que., was a bronze medallist in women’s slopestyle.

She finished just off the podium in fourth in the delayed women’s big air Sunday.

Jamie Anderson of the U.S. won her second gold of this year’s X Games and the eighth of her career. 

Japan’s Miyabi Onitsuka was second and New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott placed third.

American Dusty Henricksen claimed snowboard slopestyle gold ahead of runner-up Mons Roisland of Norway and bronze medallist Rene Rinnekangas of Finland. 

Sebastien Toutant of Repentigny, Que., was 10th.

Snowboard stars Mark McMorris of Regina and Max Parrot of Bromont, Que., didn’t compete in Aspen because they tested positive for COVID-19.

American snowboard star Shaun White withdrew from Sunday night’s halfpipe because of a knee injury sustained in training.

The three-time Olympic gold medallist was going to compete in the X Games for the first time since 2017. 

Japan’s Yuto Totsuka won Sunday night’s snowboard halfpipe event while Norwegian snowboarder Marcus Kleveland was the winner of the men’s snowboard big air event.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2021.

The Canadian Press