Rolland, four points behind the leader at the start of the competition, produced when it mattered, recording a score of 95.80 points to top the podium in the final event of the campaign.

Lyman Currier of the United States did enough for the silver medal thanks to his total of 94.80 and Rolland’s compatriot Benoit Valentin was third on 92.40.

Blunck, who had come into the event in Tignes as the man to beat in the race for the overall crown, saw his chances fade away as he could only muster fifth place on 87.40 points.

Rolland, a five-time Winter X Games superpipe gold medallist and halfpipe world champion in 2009, finished the season on total of 296 points   ahead of Blunck on 245.

Fellow Frenchman Valentin’s bronze saw him finish on the same tally as the American but Blunck was given second place by virtue of achieving better results during the course of the campaign.

“I have fulfilled my two goals and I am the happiest in the world,” Rolland said.

“I’ve never seen such fervour, not even at the X Games.”

Japan’s Ayana Onozuka, halfpipe bronze medallist at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, was crowned overall women’s halfpipe champion,  despite only managing fourth place in the final competition.

American Olympic champion Maddie Bowman won the last event of the season after she was awarded 91.00 points, with compatriot Annalisa Drew second on 87.80.

Drew finished narrowly in front of Marie Martinod as the Frenchwoman added another medal for the home country by earning the bronze medal, just 0.80 points adrift of Bowman's score.

The main challenger to Onozuka’s lead was expected to be Devin Logan of the US but she ended up some way adrift in sixth having been given a score of 77.80.

The Japanese competitor ended the season 30 points ahead of Logan on 290 points, while Bowman was third, a further 15 behind.