Oliver Martin, a 16-year-old snowboarder from Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, has made history by securing his first World Cup victory in slopestyle at the Snow Rodeo World Cup in Calgary. Martin, known for his impressive big air skills, has always identified as a slopestyle rider due to his love for rails and courses.
“I’ve performed better in big air,” Martin said after the Aspen Grand Prix, where he placed fourth. “But I think of myself as more of a slopestyle rider because I love rails. I love the course.”
On Saturday, Martin backed up his claim by winning the slopestyle event at Winsport Calgary Olympic Park. He scored 80.60 points to top an 18-man final, with U.S. teammate Red Gerard finishing second with 78.63 points. Five Americans placed in the top eight, showcasing the team’s strength in the competition.
“It feels amazing — I couldn’t be more happy,” Martin expressed. “I didn’t think I was going to do this well today in such a stacked field, but I’m so happy and proud of my riding.”
Martin qualified sixth and began his winning run with a back 450 boardslide to fakie, followed by a half cab to back boardslide 270 and a back boardslide cork 630 weddle on the rails.
He then executed a switch back double cork 1260 melon and a back double cork 1440 gorilla on the jumps. Finally, he lifted off the shark fin feature into a front double cork 1440 indy to secure the top spot. Norwegian Marcus Kleveland took third place, while Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa, the overall World Cup leader, finished fourth.
“Waiting for the other riders to drop was super stressful, especially because of how good everyone is,” Martin noted. “So I’m just stoked to be on the podium and it makes it even better that it’s a win. So cool being up there with Red, too.”
This victory marks a significant improvement for Martin, who had struggled in his previous World Cup appearance in Aspen, finishing 53rd after suffering a concussion in January. His strategic approach to the competition paid off, as he focused on executing a safe and effective run under challenging conditions.
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