Kim, Mastro Make History with Double Cork 1080s at Laax Open

LAAX, Switzerland — Chloe Kim and Maddie Mastro made snowboarding history Saturday at the Laax Open, becoming the first women to land double cork 1080s in competition during a U.S. one-two finish in the halfpipe event.

Kim, 24, secured her fifth Laax Open title with a dominant first run that scored 96.50, featuring a cab double cork 1080. Mastro, also 24, followed with a 94.50 in her second run, landing a frontside double cork 1080 to claim silver. South Korea’s Choi Gaon took bronze with a 93.25.

“I really wanted to show you guys my cab double, and I’m so happy I was able to put it down,” Kim said. “It’s rewarding to just ride for fun.”

In the men’s event, Australia’s Scotty James captured his fourth Laax Open title with a 95.75, edging out Japan’s Ruka Hirano (93.75) and Olympic champion Hirano Ayumu (87.00). James’ winning run included a cab triple cork 1440 and a switch backside 1260.

Kim’s victory marks her first major win since landing the first-ever 1260 in women’s halfpipe competition at the 2023 Winter X Games. The Laax Open also marked the first U.S. one-two finish in a World Cup snowboard halfpipe since Kim and Mastro achieved the feat at the 2018 Copper Mountain Grand Prix.

Kim, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, became the youngest woman to win Olympic snowboarding gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and repeated the feat at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Mastro, a two-time Olympian, is known for her innovative riding style and was the first woman to land the double crippler in competition.

Sixteen-year-old Choi Gaon, who cited Kim as her inspiration to begin snowboarding, rounded out the women’s podium. Japanese riders Mitsuki Ono, Rise Kudo, Sena Tomita, and Sara Shimizu finished fourth through seventh, while Spain’s Queralt Castellet placed eighth.

As the road to the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics begins, Kim and Mastro are ranked fourth and second in the world, respectively, earning valuable quota points for the U.S. team. The duo will carry their momentum into next week’s X Games Aspen, continuing to push the boundaries of women’s snowboarding.