24 Jan 2016

Prior on the podium in Switzerland

1:31 pm on 24 January 2016

Kaukapakapa snowboarder Christy Prior has finished second in slopestyle at the Laax Open in Switzerland.

Prior made a strong comeback from injury against a finals field stacked with the biggest names in slopestyle.

Christy Prior (L) on the podium in Switzerland

Christy Prior (L) on the podium in Switzerland Photo: Snow Sports NZ

The six female finalists had three runs to give it their best shot, and Prior struggled with speed on her first run, misjudging the first jump, coming up short and not making enough speed for the second jump.

Keeping the nerves in check, she pulled out all the stops on her second run - a cab board slide to regular, nollie back 180 over the wave, cab under flip five, frontside rodeo 720, backside 540, a pop tart (switch to regular) on the quarter pipe and front board on the last rail.

Her score of 71.80 saw her finish second to Olympic gold medallist Jamie Anderson, who had a first run score of 81.10.

Anderson showed everyone why she was recently named Snowboarder Magazine's 2016 Women's Rider of the Year, landing the cleanest run of the day, complete with a backside blunt 270, backside 540 and a frontside 720 mute.

On Saturday, Wanaka freeskiier Janina Kuzma finished on the podium at the Halfpipe World Cup in California.

Kuzma battled difficult conditions to finish third at Mammoth Mountain.