Wānaka’s Nico Porteous has proven why he is the one to beat at February’s Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games with a win at the Mammoth Mountain Freeski Halfpipe World Cup this morning.

Nico scored an incredible 97.00 out of 100 in his final run lacing together back to back double 1620’s, the biggest trick of the day performed not only once, but twice in his run.

“It gives me a lot of confidence going into Beijing, I was concerned that I wasn’t quite where I thought I was, so to get the win today is really epic,” Nico said.

Nico was in eighth position after a bobble on his right double 1620 landing in his first run.

“It was pretty tough, the last few competitions I haven’t skied at my best so the bobble in run one was a bit frustrating to be honest. I spoke with my coach Tommy at the bottom and we decided it was all or nothing, so I should attempt that run again and just do my best,” he said.

Today’s event was the last competition for Nico before he heads to February's Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.  

Four Kiwi freeski halfpipe athletes qualified for the final with Nico’s older brother Miguel finishing in fifth place and fellow Wānaka athletes Ben Harrington and Gustav Legnavsky placing sixth and eighth respectively.

The four Kiwi freeskiers representing New Zealand at the Mammoth Mountain Freeski Halfpipe World Cup today [L-R] Miguel Porteous, Nico Porteous, Ben Harrington, Gustav Legnavsky. 

David Wise (USA), two time Winter Olympic Halfpipe Champion (PyeongChang 2018 and Sochi 2014) finished in second place and Aaron Blunck (USA) rounded out the podium in third.  

See the full results here. 

PHOTOS: Tommy Pyatt Photography