|
Quarter Pipe at the Arctic Challenge
Set in the extreme location of the beautiful snow capped resort
of Trysil, Norway, the true nature and spirit of The Arctic Challenge
was captured in the quarterpipe at the Davidoff Cool Water Xpression
Sessions. The free-nature of snowboarding came into its own and
the crowds were treated to the world's 31 best women & men boarders
going hard to become an Arctic Challenge a champion.
  
Judging for the best overall rider
was assessed by the array of style and tricks generated through
the jam format that was introduced to allow individual flare and
freedom of expression. There were awards for the Best Trick and
Highest Air and the riders responded to this free-flow format by
pushing themselves to the limit.
Giant Air finals
After an hour of qualification, 27 competitors were reduced down
to 10 for the final. The event organiser and snowboarding icon,
Terje Haakonsen from Norway, stole the show when he won the best
trick category with a smooth backside 900s and then just narrowly
won the highest air trophy with a massive 8.5 metre leap to beat
Ingermar Backman from Sweden. Terje commented "I'm stoked with my
performance and with the way the event has gone overall. I was nervous
when I went for the 8.5 metre jump because you need a lot of feeling
to handle this quarterpipe, as it requires abilities to judge your
landing."
  
Travis Rice from the USA was voted
best overall rider, due to huge backside airs, rodeos and a nollie
front flip. Gian Simmen from Switzerland went consistently high
to grab third with Vincenz Lupes of Germany and Mathieu Crepel of
France also impressing, and whilst Luke Mitrani from the USA did
not win a trophy, he clearly won the hearts of many fans. Aged only
12 and standing waist high to many other competitors, he had a highest
air of 6.5m.
 And
for the girls...
In addition to the main event, the Davidoff Cool Water Women Highest
Air Session allowed an elite selection of 4 world’s best female
riders to test their skills on the monster quarterpipe. It was an
extremely tight contest between Hannah Teter of the USA and Dorianne
Vidal of France. Dorianne came out on top with a huge 5.5 metre
air and received a cheque for 2500 Euros from Davidoff fragrances.
Technical notes
A backside 900 is a jump where the rider rotates through 900 degrees
in the air before landing, spinning with his back foot first.
A backside air is when a rider jumps and turns 90
degrees with their back to the sky and lands with the same foot
forward.
A rodeo is when a rider completes an inverted (backwards)
somersault in the air during their jump whilst twisting.
A nollie front flip is when a rider completes a
forward somersault in the air during their jump and lands at the
same angle of entry.
A jam format is when riders are allowed to have
as many attempts as they want in a specified time period.
Mail
this page to a friend
What do you think? Tell us in the Chat
Room | 
