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 The
last event of the AIM Series artificial leg 2003 was without a doubt
the best. With over 80 competitors, 300 spectators and 75 beginners
having a free snowboard or ski lesson, the atmosphere at the national
Artificial Snowboard and Freestyle Ski Championships, held at Halifax
Ski Centre, was buzzing along with the sunshine.
Freestyle Ski Championships
The morning started with the Freestyle Ski Championships and a great
turn up of local as well as regional talent taking on UK's biggest
dryslope Big Air jump. Though the standard of skiing among the men
was high it was the girls that amazed the crowd. With almost the
double amount of female entrants compared to previous dryslope events
the girls had to push themselves that little extra, putting on a
surprise display of rotation and big air tricks not too far of the
men's performances.
  
The Halifax freestyle
ski scene definitely made its mark nationally after both the men's
and women's champion titles went to local athletes Jan Buczynski
and Teri Spencer. Jan Buczynski won the title on his runs of solid
540's and 720's, while Teri Spencer showed off great talent with
her big 360's and grabs.
  
Snowboard Championships
The Snowboard Championships, in association with O'Neill, continued
the day with more local talent wooing the crowd. In the men's run
the high level of technical tricks and smooth riding gave the judges
a very hard job. With almost identical scores after the two qualifying
runs 16 riders were brought through to the final for one last run
to battle for the title. In the end it was Stuart Edwards from Sheffield
who kept his cool and performed a super clean run of a big back-side
cork 720 mute to earn the title.
In the women's competition it was soon clear that women's snowboarding
in the UK has come a far way over the last year, with the women
performing very similar tricks to the men with more rotation and
higher airs than ever before. Mollie Boys from Bradford took the
title with a perfect run of a big back-side 360 tailgrab.
Team Challenge
A new for the AIM Series was the afternoons Team Challenge. Not
part of the Championship competition, this expression session invited
teams of three to choose their line down the slope including Big
Air kicker, moguls and rails. Twelve teams mixing snowboarders/
skiers and age groups took up the challenge and got the crowd in
a frenzy with a flow of tricks such as big 720's, 540's, solid grabs
and smooth rail slides. In the end the Vapor Team with Richard Barrow,
Colum Mytton and Wayne Taylor walked away winners closely followed
by Team Yo! of Laura Berry, Rob Yeomans and Luke Paull.
Next event in the AIM Series
calendar is the Indoor Big Air Championships at the brand new Xscape,
Castleford on the 18th October 2003.
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