Jake Hopfinger was the first athlete to stomp a double backflip at Corbet’s Couloir in the Kings and Queens of Corbets. It was February of 2020, just a matter of weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic would shut down most of the world for the remainder of the year. It’s fair to say the world really hasn’t felt the same since that historic year. And in a way, skiing and snowboarding haven’t been the same since Hopfinger’s double was followed up by one from Parkin Costain. It was a historic day for the sport and for the event.
Doubles are so 2020 now. The Inertia’s Will Sileo was talking about triples by 2023, and even Costain and Hopfinger are onto talking about that next benchmark when they reflect on the event from five years ago.
“I think you could triple backy,” they say standing at the top of a dry Courbet’s.
Looking at the world-famous couloir without snow gives the whole thing some new perspective, which is what the pair did on a recent trip to Jackson Hole.
“It’s been crazy to see the progression and I don’t think there’s any signs of slowing down,” they acknowledge. “There are so many hungry young groms that just want to chuck into this thing.”
So the moral of the story here: anything’s possible…and also, doubles are out. Triples are where it’s at.
