Skiing: Griffin rapt with second in giant slalom

Ben Griffin. Photo / Dean Purcell

Ohakune skier Ben Griffin excelled to finish second in the Southern Cup giant slalom race at Coronet Peak, near Queenstown, yesterday.

It was the best placing for a New Zealander in an International Ski Federation world-ranking race since Simon Wi Rutene achieved a similar result in 1990.

American Will Gregorak won the race, with Griffin holding onto second ahead of two more Americans, Warner Nickerson and David Chodounsky.

Griffin's performance is expected to see him edge inside the top 125 on the world's alpine ski racing rankings.

"I'm very stoked with today's result," Griffin said. "I made a few mistakes up the top of the run but I carried a lot of speed into the bottom."

* Americans were in dominant form in the freeski slopestyle events at the junior snowboard and freestyle world championships at Wanaka yesterday.

The men's title was won by Bobby Brown, while compatriot Jamie Crane-Mauzy won the women's crown.

Brown posted a score of 45.6 to leave him comfortably ahead of fellow countryman Gus Kenworthy on 42.1, while Switzerland's Jonas Hunziker broke the North American stranglehold by finishing third on 39.4.

Three New Zealanders finished in the top 10, with Byron Wells fifth on 37.9, Hamish McDougall seventh on 31.9 and Matt Johnson eighth on 31.8.

Crane-Mauzy was pushed before winning the women's final with an overall score of 35, ahead of Canadian Keltie Hansen on 34.6 and American Devin Logan on 26.3.

- NZPA