The Wanaka teenager soared to victory in the freeski halfpipe at the Aspen round of the world cup yesterday.
He had some company, too, as Canadian-born Kiwi Dane Menzies claimed bronze in the snowboard slopestyle, marking his first world cup podium.
A delighted Melville Ives said he felt good in training and was determined to show what he could do in Aspen.
"I said to my coach, I am going to go hammers for my first run, and I was stoked. I can’t believe it held."
Melville Ives was the top qualifier into the finals and immediately showed why when he dropped into his first of two runs.
Putting down another technical run with consistently massive amplitude, he went straight to the top of the leaderboard with his first run scoring a 95.
Despite the best efforts from the star-studded start list, Melville Ives’s run one score remained untouchable, and his second run was a victory lap all the way to the top of the podium for the third time in his remarkable career.
"I am just trying to have as much fun as possible when I’m skiing, and skiing is my happy place," Melville Ives said.
"The halfpipe is like a blank canvas and you’re just like an artist with a paint brush."
Melville Ives was joined on the podium by two American athletes, Hunter Hess in second place and three-time Winter Olympian Nick Goepper third.
The New Zealander’s victory means he is leading the world cup standings for the 2025-26 season and has been presented the yellow bib.
Fellow Wanaka freeskier Gustav Legnavsky was ninth.
Earlier, 20-year-old snowboarder Menzies made an important breakthrough with his third place in slopestyle.
Menzies only qualified for the finals in 10th position but put down a clutch performance on the first of his two finals runs, stomping back-to-back 1620s on the jumps and executing near flawless technical rail tricks to impress the judges.
Sitting in top spot after run one and looking to up the ante, Menzies unfortunately had a bobble on the second rail feature, resulting in a throwaway score.
With nine athletes still to drop in, it was a nerve-racking wait to see if his score would hold for a podium position.
Only two riders were able to better Menzies’ run one score with Jake Canter (USA) leapfrogging into the top spot for a career-first world cup win. Su Yiming (China) put down a solid second run to finish in second place.
"It means a lot to make it on the podium after getting fourth here last year and consistently making finals but not getting on the box," Menzies said.
"I have been working super hard for this one, really trying to get more consistent and dialled in on my rails and cleanliness on the jumps, so I am happy it paid off."
Mischa Thomas (Auckland) had a career-best fifth placing in the women’s freeski halfpipe.
The park and pipe competition continues over the next couple of weeks with both the LAAX slopestyle and halfpipe world cups and the prestigious X Games at Aspen.
— Allied Media
