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MK’s Big Air Champs Reaches New Heights

Mon 21 September 09

The First Indoor British Snow Tour event of the season, The British Big Air Championships got underway at Milton Keynes SNO!zone on Saturday 19th September

MK’s Big Air Champs Reaches New Heights © Photo: BST

The First Indoor British Snow Tour event of the season, The British Big Air Championships got underway at Milton Keynes SNO!zone on Saturday 19th September. Over 110 snowboarders and freeskiers took to the slope to hit the all snow kicker, which was tagged the biggest indoor jump ever created, measuring a whopping 14m from the lip of the jump to the knuckle.

The British Snowboard Big Air Championships

The Snowboard Big Air Championships kicked off the day’s competition with each rider received two qualifying jumps to land their trick and impress the judges to make it through to the finals. The qualification rounds claimed a few injuries narrowing the field and all of a sudden the competition was wide open. After a tough call by the judges the top eight men and four women were selected and the finals got under way.

The younger girls were setting the standard during the Women’s overall final with 12-year-old Katie Ormerod stepping up and hitting the medium kicker and landing a big backside 360 to win the overall British Big Air Title. Second place went to Sophie Nicholls who had been riding really well all day and landed a big cab 180 over the small kicker. With a stylish method grab over the medium kicker third place went to Emily Park.

In the Men’s final it was experienced riders Andy Nudds and Jack Shackleton that set the standard, reaching incredible heights and travelling over 16m through the air before stomping their tricks. Nudds, who had qualified through to the final in first place was victorious and took the 2009 British Big Air title after he landed an enormous textbook frontside 720, one of the biggest jumps ever witnessed indoors. Second place went to Team GB rider, Jack Shackleton, whose experience of riding big kickers shone through after he landed a huge stylish backside 360. Sparrow Knox who was one of the younger riders to make it through to the finals finished in third place after he stomped a big, smooth and floaty backside 180 over the big kicker.

The British Snowboard Big Air Championship Results:

Men
1st – Andy Nudds – Halifax
2nd – Jack Shackleton - Newbury
3rd – Sparrow Knox – London

Women:
1st – Katie Ormerod – Halifax
2nd – Sophie Nicholls – Halifax
3rd – Emily Park – Wiltshire

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