Finch to fly at Vans Cup

Andy Finch’s shoulder is “a little banged up” from dropping a 60-foot cliff in the Tahoe backcountry Tuesday. Not to worry, he said — the body part is not vital enough to stop him from challenging gravity to the best of his ability at the fourth annual Vans Cup.

“No predictions yet, but I definitely plan to put on a show for the crowd,” the 26-year-old Truckee snowboarder said of Sunday’s superpipe contest at Northstar.

Finch, a halfpipe specialist and 2006 Olympian who’s made a name for himself by way of sheer amplitude, said he also plans to compete in Saturday’s slopestyle competition.

He’ll do so on limited pipe- and park-specific training of late after filming with Nation Foundation the past several days.

In fact, Finch said he has not been to a resort since placing second to Louie Vito at the 48Straight superpipe contest at Squaw Valley on Feb. 11.

Finch is not concerned, as the Northstar-sponsored rider will be competing on his home turf, and those bumps and bruises like the one he’s nursing go hand-in-hand with the sport. Especially for Finch, who missed most of last season with a badly dislocated wrist, and has struggled through many injuries during his career.

“I’ve got to make sure I’m healthy. I’m not going to chuck my body unless I’m feeling strong. But (going big) is always my goal, and I try to stick with it,” Finch said, alluding to the high-flying display he has planned for Sunday.

With an impressive list of top-tier riders confirmed — including Vito, Danny Kass, Mason Aguirre, and Truckee’s Chas Guldemond, to name only a few — Finch knows he’ll have his work cut out for him. He also knows that judging, like every contest, will play a major role in deciding the outcome.

For example, in 2005, the last year Finch competed in the Vans Cup, he placed second to Kass. Upon the announcement, a few boos rang out from the crowd gathered at the base of the pipe. On his best run, Finch had boosted higher than Kass, as well as everyone else in the competition. But Kass also put together a fine run worthy of a top score.

Same thing at the 48Straight contest, when Finch again went all out only to place second to Vito. He didn’t complain, though, conceding that the judges’ decision was hard to argue.

“We just have two different styles,” he said of Vito and himself. “Judging could go either way. Sometimes it’s in my favor and sometimes it’s not. I think (Vito) had a cleaner run than I did.”

While Finch has narrowly missed first place in a number of competitions over the years, he also has more than his share of top finishes. Most recently, he earned one of the biggest wins of his career in the halfpipe at the O'Neill Evolution in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 5. The event was part of the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour, in which Finch is currently ranked fourth.

“This year I’ve been focused on the TTR events,” Finch said. “Ever year I set a new goal.”

Competing against the world’s best snowboarders, Finch also is accustomed to disappointment. In the X Games last month, he crashed in the qualifier and did not advance to the finals. His frustration was evident as he cruised down the middle of the pipe to the bottom.

“I was definitely bummed,” he said. “Just being injured the past two years before, I wanted to come back strong. Plus it was the first halfpipe comp I didn’t qualify for in like eight years. I just wasn’t mentally focused.”

When it comes to competitions, Finch said he prefers more laid-back contests such as the Vans Cup, although the grand stage of the X Games has its draw.

“The Vans Cup is way more fun, but the X Games is good for my career,” he said, adding that he enjoys the sunny weather and soft snow conditions typical of his home mountain range.

According to the National Weather Service, Sunday should feature a little freshly fallen snow from the previous morning and sunny skies. Just as Finch likes it.

Check it out

Finch will be signing autographs at a Clif Bar booth at the Vans Cup on Saturday.

Vans Cup schedule

Friday:
5-6:45 p.m., rail jam 
Saturday:
8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., men’s and women’s slopestyle qualifying
11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., men’s and women’s slopestyle finals
Sunday:
9 a.m.-noon, men’s and women’s superpipe qualifying                
12:30 p.m.-4 p.m., men’s and Women’s superpipe finals