Darcy Sharpe, Tyler Nicholson finish 1-2 in snowboard big air

Canadian snowboarders Darcy Sharpe and Tyler Nicholson, good friends away from competition, were also close on the podium Friday night.

Sharpe won the big air event in Quebec City with 187.75 points, the combined score of the Comox, B.C., native’s two best jumps in the three-round final.

Nicholson, his roommate, turned in his best jumps in Rounds 2 and 3, placing second with 177.25 points for his first big air World Cup medal.

“We had lunch [Friday] and we talked about trying to go 1-2,” the 19-year-old Nicholson, from North Bay, Ont., said in a statement released by Canada Snowboard. “I’m super-stoked about the [silver] medal. I’ve never been able to put together a strong event after a bad practice.

“I pulled this one out of nowhere.”

Nicholson’s best performances were his switch backside 1260 and frontside 1080.

Sharpe, who won a silver medal at last month’s world championship, earned his top scores on his switch backside double cork 1260 and frontside double cork 1080.

In the women’s big air event, Cheryl Maas of the Netherlands took top spot, while Calgary’s Breanna Stangeland was fifth and Audrey McManiman of St-Ambroise de Kildare, Que., sixth.

The men’s and women’s slopestyle events are scheduled for Saturday.