2012 Winter Dew Tour: Sebastien Toutant and Spencer O'Brien win Snowboard Slopestyle and Dew Cup

By Tyler Tate

For the Deseret News

Published: Sunday, Feb. 12 2012 8:07 p.m. MST

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Sebastien Toutant performs a trick during the Men's Snowboard Slopestyle at the 2012 Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championships

Joey Ferguson, Deseret News

Summary

Sebastien Toutant used his victory lap to raise his score and win the 2012 Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championships.

SNOWBASIN RESORT — Sebastien Toutant used his victory lap to raise his score and win the 2012 Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championships.

Coming into the Toyota Championships, Toutant had placed second in the first two stops at Breckenridge, Colorado and Killington, Vermont. With the win, Toutant claimed his first Men's Snowboard Slopestyle Dew Cup Championship.

Toutant led after his first run and used his second run to celebrate his win and raise his score from a 90.25 to 94.50.

"I am always looking for a way to improve," Toutant said. "The best way to snowboard is to have fun. I haven't been to Utah in awhile, so to come here and win, it feels amazing."

Park City native Sage Kotsenburg crashed in both of his runs, landing him in sixth. "I hadn't tried my run I was attempting in practice, so that made things tough," Kotsenburg said. "I just sent my jumps to hard and pushed it. It makes things difficult, especially being out in Utah in front of family and friends. I don't feel any added pressure to perform for the family, its just go time, but it's harder when I have an off day."

Spencer o'Brien of Canada used her last run to win the Toyota Championships Women's Snowboard Slopestyle as well as winning her second Dew Cup. O'Brien needed her second and final run to claim the top spot after struggling through her first run.

"It feels amazing to get the cup back," O'Brien said. "I haven't had it since 2009, so to win here, I'm ecstatic. In my mind I knew what I needed to do after my first run and I just had to correct myself.

O'Brien completed a sweep of the three stops on the Dew Tour with the win.

The 2014 Winter Olympics will feature for the first time, men's and women's snowboard slopestyle, Toutant and O'Brien, both from north of the border, were excited for the opportunity to represent Team Cananda in the Olympic games.

"I am thrilled to have slopestyle be a part of the Olympics," O'Brien said. "To have the chance to represent my country and be with my teammates is a thrill."

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