Sometimes, Cassie Sharpe doesn’t even have to be dazzling judges with her halfpipe performances to be a winner.
The Canadian Freestyle Ski Association announced the recipients of their 2015-16 season awards on May 19, and the Comox Valley’s own Sharpe
won the Most Outstanding Performance of the Year Award in halfpipe for her X Games Oslo gold medal victory on Feb. 28. It was the first time Canada has won this X-Games event since Rosalind Groenewoud finished first in 2012. Sharpe's best result was in her second run when she scored 88.33. American Maddie Bowman finished second with a score of 85.33, and Ayana Onozuka from Japan claimed bronze with 83.66.
“Canadian athletes had another incredible year in all four disciplines as we reflect back on the 2015-2016 season,” said Bruce Robinson, CEO of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association. “Records were broken and historic moments were created thanks to the performances from Canadian Freestyle Ski Team athletes. We are extremely proud of everything that was accomplished and I congratulate the deserving winners of these awards. We also recognize the dedication and commitment of our coaching staff, management and all the athletes in our program. It is truly a collaborative effort when our athletes succeed.”
Mikaël Kingsbury and Chloé Dufour-Lapointe won the Male and Female CFSA Athlete of the Year Awards, respectively, at the CFSA awards.
Last year, Sharpe was the CFSA Female High Performance Rookie of the Year.