Snowboarding

Nathan Johnstone, of Australia, the competition favourtie, failed to retain his world No 1 ranking at yesterday's LG Snowboard FIS World Cup halfpipe finals, as Janne Korpi, of Finland, scored 93 points out of 100 to take the gold.

The world's top-ranked freestyle snowboarders battled it out under picture-perfect blue skies at Snow Park yesterday for the second of four snowboarding events, the snowboard slopestyle.

The Americans have reigned supreme in the Winter Games freeski events, but yesterday it was the Australians' turn to shine in the snowboard cross, with current world champion and X Games competitor Alex Pullin taking the honours in the men's competition and Belle Brockhof the surprise winner in the women's competition.

He may be one of the oldest competitors at the Winter Games, but age does not faze 65-year-old American snowboarder and grandfather Dick Schulze when he lines up at the starting gates alongside athletes more than 40 years his junior.

The Winter Games featured its first WSF para snowboard world cup at Cardrona Alpine Resort yesterday, with a strong international field.

Adaptive snowboarder Amy Purdy (31) has been undressed by Madonna and hung from the ceiling by Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, but all she really wants to do is compete at the 2014 Paralympics.

Ryo Aono, of Japan, and Kelly Clark, of the United States, emerged victorious in the New Zealand Snowboard Open halfpipe on Saturday afternoon, to join slopestylers Mark McMorris, of Canada, and Jamie Anderson, of the United States, as the top competitors.

She came, she soared and she conquered hearts - but top New Zealand female snowboarder Shelly Gotlieb (31), of Wanaka, could not land a double back flip yesterday at the New Zealand Snowboard Open slopestyle final at Cardrona Alpine Resort.

More than 80 snowboarders competed in the New Zealand Snow Board Open yesterday at Cardrona Alpine Resort's half pipe, hoping to advance to tomorrow's and Saturday's semifinals and finals.

If he was not one of the world's best rookie snowboarders, Garrett Warnick would still be in the classroom with his high school buddies back in California.