The 2018/19 and 2019/20 big air crystal globe winner and a five-time big air World Cup winner before Saturday’s competition, Reira Iwabuchi is no stranger to the top of the BA podium. However, she had struggled somewhat in her previous two big air World Cups, with a fourth-place last season in Kreischberg (AUT) and a seventh at the season opener this year in Chur (SUI).

On Saturday in Steamboat she was back on top of her game, stomping a frontside double cork 1080 Indy on her first hit, and then rising to the occasion on her third and final run to stomp a backside 1260 melon to leapfrog Anna Gasser into the top spot with a two-jump combined score of 178.25.

“I was super nervous before I dropped for my third run,”. ”I couldn’t breathe before I started. But I’m so happy to land the double 10 and the back 12. I haven’t landed those two runs together in finals before so I’m so stoked. The women are getting to another level before the next Olympics, so I’m just doing my best.”

The backside 1260 would also earn Iwabuchi women’s “Best Trick” honors and an extra $2500 for her efforts.

As mentioned, Anna Gasser would have to settle for second behind Reira Iwabuchi, after opting for what is considered by her lofty standards to be something of a safety combo, with a backside double cork 1080 melon and her patented cab double Underflip 900 Weddle grab giving her a score of 148.00.

Third place on the women’s side was Annika Morgan (GER), who made a bit of history both for herself, with her first career World Cup podium, and for German snowboarding, by earning the first-ever women’s big air World Cup podium for her nation. Stomping a super stylish cab double Underflip 900 and a backside 1080 melon, Morgan finished with a score of 132.25 and a place in the record books for her efforts.