Japanese 15-year-old Mari Fukada won her first snowboard World Cup event Saturday in the women's big air and was joined on the podium by compatriot Miyabi Onitsuka in third.
Fukada, competing against Olympic medalists, X Games champions and World Cup crystal globe winners, landed big tricks in two of her three runs in the final to score a combined 155.75 points at Copper Mountain in Colorado.
Hailey Langland of the United States was second with 151.50, followed by Onitsuka's 149.75.
"I'm stunned by the result. I'm very happy," said Fukada, the national champion from last season. "I'm grateful to many people."
"My father told me to 'have fun' so I tried to enjoy the battle."
It was a day of strong outings from Japanese snowboarders as Hinari Asanuma came fourth and Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Kokomo Murase was fifth.
Hiroto Ogiwara was the highest-finishing Japanese in sixth in the men's event, won by Norway's Marcus Kleveland.
Related coverage:
Snowboarding: Japan's Hirano, Ono win bronze at halfpipe World Cup opener
Snowboarding: Japan's Olympic halfpipe medalist Sena Tomita to miss season
Snowboarding: Japan's Iwabuchi, Otsuka win big air World Cup season opener
