Today's halfpipe event at Grächen started with a moment of silence for Swiss rider Daniel Lötscher, who died after a tragic accident in a Snowboard race at Leysin on Friday. Everybody involved with the Snowboard FIS World Cup in Grächen was in shock after hearing about this tragic accident. The halfpipe event in Grächen has been dedicated in memory of Daniel Lötscher.

	Fredrik Sterner

The Swedes made the season's fifth halfpipe their own today. Fredrik Sterner won it, with Magnus Sterner and Thomas Johansson in 2nd and 3rd after an exciting final round. Sterner took the news of his win with some surprise. "I'm so happy," he said. "I almost could not believe it myself."

Magnus Sterner, the winner's cousin, reached his second podium this year after taking 3rd in Berchtesgaden last week. Mont Sainte Anne winner Thomas Johansson made it to 3rd, which left him in the lead in the halfpipe World Cup standings. Fredrik Sterner moved up to 2nd in the standings, ahead of NOKIA team rider Aleksi Litovaara, who ended up 10th today, on this "Hannigalp" course.

"I took it a little easier in the first run and just tried to go for it in the second. It's just fantastic that I made it back to the top...."— Fredrik Sterner

"I don't know what was different from the races before when I also did quite well," said Fredrik Sterner after the race. "Maybe it is because I switched back to the board that I've been using for two or three years and I really wanted to make it happen today. I took it a little easier in the first run and just tried to go for it in the second. It's just fantastic that I made it back to the top."

The top results from the Berchtesgaden women's halfpipe event were repeated today, but in reverse order, with Sweden's Anna Hellman in 1st and her teammate Anna Olofsson in 2nd. "I was hoping to win but couldn't be sure," Hellman said. "The pipe had been a little icy in practice but it got better and better and today it has been really good. I had put everything into it already in the first run and I did a Frontside 540 right at the beginning. This was the first time I did it in a contest. I was not sure if I should, but it worked quite good in training so I just tried it and it worked."

	Hellman

Germany's NOKIA team rider Sabine Wehr-Hasler was the only non-Swedish rider on the podium, finishing 3rd. "After my crash in the first final run I needed a safe one in the second," she said, "that's why I couldn't attack too much, I didn't want to risk not being on the podium."

Winning today, Hellman took the lead in the halfpipe World Cup. Wehr-Hasler is in 2nd now, and Olofsson is holding on at 3rd.

Parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom and two halfpipe events are scheduled for the season's tenth World Cup stage next week, January 26-29, in Tandadalen, Sweden.

—Britta Semmler, MountainZone.com Correspondent