Ramping up for Milan

It was Su's third triumph at the monster Shougang slope, after his groundbreaking home Olympic win in 2022 and his 2023 World Cup victory, and he nailed it by stomping three 1980 tricks in a row — elevating Su's trick quality and consistency to new heights.

Su's long-term Japanese coach Sato Yasuhiro, however, revealed that Su has even more tricks up his sleeve.

"We were trying to win in Chongli, because the first competition of the year is really important, but, here, we are trying some new things," said Sato, who is widely regarded as the "godfather of Japanese snowboarding".

"The big spins don't always bring the wins, so we are trying to create something new, something really complicated, but we are only halfway there in training," he said.

Chad Buchholz, media coordinator from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, the sport's governing body, hailed Su as the home hero, saying he deserves all the credit for promoting snowboarding in China.

"Tonight was one of the greatest big air competitions that I've ever witnessed ... I am happy to suggest the jump be renamed the 'Su Yiming Stadium'," Buchholz joked. "He really deserves it."

The FIS Big Air World Cup tour now heads to Steamboat, Colorado, from Dec 11-13, for what will be the final Olympic qualifier.