By USSA

ROSA KHOTUR, Russia — Sage Kotsenburg (Park City) scored a historic victory to open the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, winning the inaugural slopestyle snowboarding gold medal.

Kotsenburg, who failed to qualify in Thursdsay’s opening rounds, made his way into the finals Saturday morning then put down a remarkable first run which held for the win.

Norway’s Staale Sandbech earned silver, with Canadian favorite Mark McMorris taking bronze.

Team USA athletes Ryan Stassel (Anchorage) and Chas Guldemond (Reno) did not advance to the final and finished 14 and 15, respectively.

Kotsenburg showed the sportsmanship and camaraderie of snowboarding when he pulled his friends Sandbech and McMorris up onto the top of the podium with him during the medals presentation.

Kotsenburg’s gold medal winning run: Cab 270 to switch, half-cab on back 540 off flat down, half-cab layback slide off the cannon back 180 out, cab double cork 1260 holy crail, frontside 1080 off the toes rocket air and backside 1620 Japan.