Øyvind Kirkhus Earns Top Transfer Spot: VQS Onsite Qualifier 2025 Snowboard RSEO
Øyvind Kirkhus. Photo: Yoshida
After earning his invite by way of video submission among 300 other entries from around the world, Norwegian Øyvind Kirkhus came out on top of the first-ever VQS Qualifier at the 2025 snowboard Rockstar Energy Open in Breckenridge, Colorado.
“Oh man, it's unreal,” Øyvind said after making his way to the pro semifinal. “I wouldn't be here if not for this VQS opportunity. My best friend Tosh also got the opportunity. We both got in through the VQS, and now we're in freakin’ Breckenridge at the Rockstar Open headed to the semifinal with our favorite ridersI hope you all continue the VQS, because it is helping us out and it's helping the future generations.”
Brooklyn DePriest. Photo: Dodds
Officially breaking in the one-of-a-kind course–complete with rails, whale tails, hips and quarterpipes–was an international field of ten riders from six countries making the journey here to compete by way of Norway, Finland, Japan, Australia, Canada and the USA. After two runs from each of them, five riders had advanced into the semifinal set to take place only three hours later.
Elias Hamalainen. Photo: Yoshida
Truth Smith of Canada was rocking the Run Through A Wall nose strip, coming off an incredible night–he earned 2nd in the Rail Jam and won the Nixon Best Time award–was riding that momentum into another. “It’s honestly probably the funnest course I've ever got to ride. There's a combination of big features, little features shmedium features—there’s honestly nothing like it. Shoutout to the crew, Charles [Beckinsale] and his squad are always on it!”
Truth Smith. Photo: Dodds
“I really like the whale tail, you can just have fun on that thing. But I really love the rails at the bottom, I know in park style you can only do one trick, but if we could just shred this thing for a couple hours with the squad, it’s epic. If we could get the crew out here to session the rails that would be all time.”
Yuto Yamada. Photo: Berghoef
At the end of the first runs, Truth was leading the pack with a score of 92.00, which would be good enough to have him finish the event in second overall. Truth’s run began with a cab 270 to 450 out of the pole jam rail, a toedeo 540 nosegrab onto the whale tail followed by a backside 720 stalefish off, a Japan air on the hip, Frontside 540 stalefish on the quarter, and a nosepress to frontside boardslide to fakie to finish.
Jesse Parkinson. Photo: Berghoef
But before the event wrapped he was overtaken by Norway’s Øyvind Kirkhus.
“My legs were shaking, that’s for sure. It’s nerve wracking standing up top there waiting for the weather window but I am glad I took the chance when I did, because waiting longer would have been terrifying.” When asked what his favorite obstacle was, without hesitation he replied, “The hip!”
Lucas Ferry. Photo: Dodds
Øyvind’s best run started with a frontside 270 to 450 out of the first pole jame rail, then a backside slob grab roll 540 onto the whale tail into a switch backside 900 off, then a frontside 180 stalefish on the hip with a Haakon flip on the quarterpipe, and then a frontside boardslide on the double kink rail to end.
Tosh Krauskopf. Photo: Dodds
ROCKSTAR ENERGY OPEN VQS QUALIFIER RESULTS
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Øyvind Kirkhus, 95.33
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Truth Smith, 92.00
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Brooklyn Depriest, 87.00
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Tosh Krauskopf, 84.00
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Luke Ferry, 83.33
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Yuto Yamada, 83.00
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Elias Hamalainen, 72.00
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Jesse Parkinson, 41.00
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Yuto Miyamura, 26.00
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Sam Klein, 7.66