Beneath the clear, blue Utah sky, spectators sift into cordoned-off viewing areas like so much sand through a sociomorphic hourglass. The DJ's speakers ionize the air with an intoxicating mix of electronica, hip hop, and indie electronica.
Engines growl in the distance. And as a fleet of snowmobiles shuttles the world's best pipe skiers to the start area, you know that what you are about to see will be described as the most impressive display in superpipe competition history by every sports writer looking for a good way to kick off an article.
Rhetorical convenience aside, the standing-room-only Snowbasin crowd hollered in sincere awe as twelve world class athletes from five first world countries aggressively rode pipe.
Kiwi Jossi Wells reiterated the statement that he made in Breckenridge at the first WDT stop and then did himself one better to put a tick in the "W" column at the second major contest of his season. Finishing just behind Wells was the American Simon Dumont, who as usual took special care on the podium to let his face show his disappointment.
"Jossi's skiing today was like watching The Basketball Diaries," said friend and fellow Atomic team rider Chris Benchetler of Wells's gold medal performance. "That's that Spike Lee movie about Kobe, right?"
American Life Of The Party Peter Olenick breathed new life into superpipe competition with his double alley-oop flatspina new trick that Olenick has just added to his competition arsenal. His daring run characterized by massive something, consistent something, precise something, and outstanding Overall Impression reminded the judges that the pipe veteran means business. Olenick crossed the finish line a mere three seconds behind the leader Wells to claim the third spot.
"Olenick has had a lot of trouble bagging complete runs over the years," commented Utah superpipe analyst Jack Nelson. "But he has also been the sport's foremost trick inventor, which makes him a practical lock for the podium whenever he makes through his run."
"And that's what we saw today."