Last week was all about the ladies in the Austrian Zillertal, when shred sistas from all over Europe came together to session the Vans Penken Park together for the TTR 3star Rip Curl Sista Sessions contest.
Spread over 5 days from January 19th-23rd, there was even time for a full on two days photo shoot before it got serious with the comp on Friday with the qualifications for the slopestyle contest and the Burn Rail Jam. But this was really just a warm up for the finals on Saturday, where the ladies absolutely killed it. On request of the sistas the semi-finals/super-finals format was transformed to a 4 runs jam session thingy, that gave all of them a chance to show their very best without waiting too long in the freezing cold.
In the end it was Silje Norendal whose frontside lipslide to fakie, switch 50-50 to switch frontboard, switch back 180 indy grab, and front rodeo 540 impressed the judges the most. The young Norwegian, who stomped all four of her runs, was super stoked: “I think it’s really important to have a girls event like this. Have lots of girls together and just ride and have fun.” Local shred sista Tini Gruber came in a close second with her huge and smooth backside 540s and perfect frontside 360s, just like last year. And third was Swiss up and coming talent Elena Könz, who stoked out the crowd with a the classic backflip and solid frontide 540s.
After the full slopestyle course was practically killed, the ladies concentrated on the second rail and kink box for the Burn Rail Jam with the twelve qualifiers hitting it like spit fire, so the judges almost had a hard time following the tricks. Croatian rail machine Ana Rumiha had the hottest tricks in store, and was on fire so much she kept on riding long after the jam – and the prize giving – had ended. But close to her Frontside Blunt to boardslide revert were Urška Pribošič‘s nose-presses, leaving the Slovenian with second place and Austrian Anna Gasser in third with a Frontside Board Pretzel.
Winner of the best trick, that was rewarded with a week’s surf holiday at Surf Affinity was also Urška and her massive Backside 540, who holds the flag for progression high (she didn’t only win last year’s video clip contest but also bagged a podium spot both years). The best non-sponsored rider was found in My Svensson from Sweden, who will get a whole bunch of Rip Curl outerwear for 2011/12.
But even as a rookie you were able to get some share of the action and also the prizes if you participated in the beginner’s lessons and jam session sponsored by Sweet Dream and GummiLove.
And as we all know that girl’s just wanna have fun, the event was naturally wrapped up with a huge blast in the Gasthof Zillertal with the sounds of UK DJ Dr. Fish on the decks.
Judge Jason Horton commented on the event: “With the Chicken Jam and the Chickita both done and gone, the Sista Sessions has quickly evolved from a cool little gathering of friends to the main attraction in European women’s snowboarding. While this is a good thing, what is even better is how they keep the vibe as it was from the start: fun, friendly and open to all.”
The Rip Curl Sista Sessions also encourage the Ticket To Ride structure and there where several invites handed to the winners and other riders for some of the top European girls snowboard events, the 3Star Swatch TTR Catfight by Battery in Levi, Finland and the 2Star Ladies First Challenge Final in Thyon, Switzerland, as well as, the 3Star Shred Down Austrian Masters.
Thanks for putting such a great, fun and progressive event! For more info check sistasessions.com and make sure you watch the video highlights below!
Slopestyle
Sista Sessions 2011 – Slopestyle >>
Rail Jam
More Snowboarding Videos >>
