After a massive result for team member James Woods winning the opening World Cup of the season in New Zealand, the team are hoping to emulate this success over the winter.

 

The heavy snowfall of last weekend has come just in time for the big opening competition of the European snowboard season, the Pleasure Jam, which takes place in Superpark Dachstein, Austria on 28th & 29th November.

 

Riding for GB Park and Pipe will be Aimee Fuller, Katie Ormerod and Rowan Coultas who will battle it out on the progressive slopestyle course for the 20,000 USD prize money. The invitation-only World Snowboard Tour event has been running for the last 13 years and attracts the best snowboarders in the world, giving the first idea of who to look out for over the upcoming season.

 

Hamish McKnight, GB Park and Pipe Head Snowboard Coach said ahead of the Pleasure Jam: “Following successful training camps in Australia and Austria over the last few months, and with the majority of the team back up to full fitness after a run of injuries and planned rehabilitation at the end of last winter we are ready for the start of the season.

 

“The focus remains on training together in Colorado throughout December and January and for the bar to be raised yet higher. Early season events including the Pleasure Jam in Austria, and the Dew Tour in Breckenridge will see some of the team make their first entry back into competition and begin to prepare to re-enter Olympic qualifying starting next August.” 

 

As December hits, both the GB Park and Pipe skiers and snowboarders will then head to Colorado for seven weeks of training and competition.

 

Kicking off the US competitions will be Ben Kilner and Ayla Thidling who will ride in the US Revolution Tour (Rev Tour) Snowboard Halfpipe competition at Copper Mountain on 7th & 8th December. The Rev Tour is a firm fixture on the US competition calendar and the opening contest of the season will see Thidling and Kilner take on the world-class halfpipe at Copper Mountain. It will be an ideal setting for Olympian Ben Kilner to return to competition following his recovery from a broken pelvis, sustained last season. 

 

For the Halfpipe skiers, the Rev Tour also kicks off in Copper Mountain, with GB Park and Pipe riders James Machon, Murray Buchan, Pete Speight, Rowan Cheshire, Molly Summerhayes and Madi Rowlands competing on 10th and 11th December.

 

Then into the middle of December, Jamie Nicholls, Katie Ormerod, Katie Summerhayes and James ‘Woodsy’ Woods will all compete in the prestigious Dew Tour in Breckenridge. Taking place from 10th – 13th December, the world’s best male and female slopestyle snowboarders and skiers will battle it out on the top-class ‘Peak 8’ course in Breckenridge, whilst downtown ‘Breck’ will play host to streetstyle competitions.

 

GB Park and Pipe Ski Head Coach Pat Sharples said: “We are excited about the winter ahead, and heading over to Colorado for a long stint of training and competition is crucial for the team. It is the one time of the year all the athletes come together which is great for team spirit and pushing everyone’s riding.

 

“The early focus of the competition season is on the Dew Tour and Rev Tour, with all the team working towards the first World Cup of the season in Mammoth in January. For Woodsy he will also be riding in the first ever X Games in Oslo, which is amazing for him and testament to his world class standard.

 

“All the team athletes have got their own goals for this season and will all be working on progressing performance and consistent results in competitions. Generally all our athletes are in great shape, and this summer has definitely been one of the best and busiest in terms of training since I have been working with the team.”

 

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