Canada's Dominique Maltais captured her second consecutive snowboardcross Crystal Globe on Friday in a battle that went down to the season's final race.
Maltais, from Petite-Riviere-St-Francois, Que., edged out Canadian teammate Maelle Ricker and Bulgarian Alexandra Jakova to take the season title, the third of her career.
"I'm really happy that the season is over and to come back home with the Crystal Globe," said Maltais, who was fourth in Friday's race to clinch the title. "I won my last two races and I really wanted to give it all for the grand finale.
"I'm happy to be in one piece and it's a good reward to have the Globe with me"
The Globe capped an outstanding season that saw Maltais win the X-Games title and achieve four podiums on the World Cup circuit, including a victory at the Blue Mountain World Cup.
Ricker, a two-time Crystal Globe champion and Olympic gold medallist from North Vancouver, B.C., made an impressive comeback with a late season charge that came up just short of the Globe. Ricker placed second behind Maltais in the standings with a fifth place finish Friday.
"I had two goals for the day, to give 110 per cent and to be happy with the outcome whether I won the race and Globe or not.
"I thought to myself, 'What would Sarah (Burke) do?"' Ricker said, in reference to the Canadian freestyle skier who died Jan. 19. "She would have given it her best, and smiled like she always did and she probably would have spun a 1080 on the last jump."
The stage was set for the ideal finale, with the Crystal Globe coming down to the last turn of Friday's course.
"It's these situations that make the sport what it is and why SBX is so fun to watch," Ricker said. "I'm proud of Dom for her fantastic season and I'm happy to see the young girls set up along side of us. The next two years are going to be great."