GB Park and Pipe’s new concept in snowsports competition, Championship Ski and Snowboard (CSS), is wrapping up this week after a hugely successful summer at slopes across the UK, which has included 12 teams battling it out in 5 matches each over 5 months. 

CSS Battle Royale from CSS League on Vimeo.

The nationwide competition, which aims to grow and nurture young British freestyle talent, is the first snowsports competition of its kind in the world, and has seen 64 snowboarders and 70 skiers take part in the competition, with each team uploading their videos of tricks after each match, aiming to come out top of the CSS snowboard or ski league.

Today also sees the videos go live from the two one-off CSS competitions, CSS Micro Machines and CSS Battle Royale, launched back in July in response to the huge demand to be part of CSS from UK indoor and dry slopes across the country.

CSS Battle Royale is aimed at slopes that were not able to be part of the CSS League this year, and CSS Micro Machines was aimed at snowboarders and skiers under 12, looking at getting the next generation of riders involved in the revolutionary competition. The Battle Royale and Micro Machines videos can be viewed here:

This Wednesday also sees the final round of video edits from this year’s CSS released at midday.  The battle for the top spot in Championship Snowboard and Championship Ski will then be decided, with the winning team taking home a cheque for £2000 and the runner up £1000, kindly donated by sponsors The Snowboard Asylum, Ellis Brigham and Delancey. Half of the prize money must be reinvested into each freestyle scene, allowing each facility to develop their offering to nuture talent.

Lesley McKenna, GB Park and Pipe Programme Manager was delighted with how CSS has gone in year one: “Championship Ski and Snowboard is such a great project.  Not only does it encourage people to get involved and learn new tricks that they can then showcase to the Park & Pipe world but it also supports the facilities to develop better freestyle setups and is an important step in the GB Park & Pipe Performance Pathway.

“We can see that the technical standard of both the skiing and snowboarding has risen instantly and we have see multiple new tricks from many of the riders. It is already proving a fantastic way to identify up and coming riders, and we are proud to be supporting the grassroots of UK freestyle snowsports in the UK.

Check out the final round of CSS from midday on Wednesday on the CSS Facebook page as well as the results, vote on the polls and the league tables on the CSS website:

CSS - Micro Machines from CSS League on Vimeo.

CSS - The Stats:

 
·      75,200 views of CSS videos online so far
·      64 snowboarders and 70 skiers
·      CSS Snowboard Male 47 / Female 17 / Youngest Member  9 years 
·      CSS Ski Male 49 / Female 21 / Youngest Member  9 years 
·      12 teams each competing in 5 matches over 5 months
·      Around 15 coach/managers
·      7 artificial or indoor slopes involved
·      8 judges and 4 head judges
·      10 sponsors or partners

A huge thanks goes out to all sponsors of CSS, who also kindly provided the prizes for the one-off competitions:

Battle Royale - Both the winning ski team and winning snowboard team win a cheque for £100, a place on a SSS/SSE UKCP L1 Freeski or Snowboard courses plus a box of goodies from TSA, Ellis Brigham and Bawbags

Micro Machines

The best female and male skier and snowboarder will each win a full outwear combo from Picture Organic Clothing

CSS is endorsed by GB Park & Pipe and supported through The Snowboard Asylum, Ellis Brigham, Delancey as well The National Lottery, UK Sport and national governing bodies Snowsport England, Snowsport Scotland and Snowsport Wales.