The 2008 British Snow Tour headed indoors to Castleford SNO!zone this weekend for the highly anticipated Animal Slopestyle Championships. Style and standards were high as over 150 of the UK’s best freestylers threw down a mixture of technical rail riding, crowd pleasing backflips and one footed antics. Local riders Laura Hill and Dom Harington joined the Schools Tour Team and as a result over 100 kids headed to the event to check out the action and take part in the free lessons up for grabs courtesy of the Animal Lesson Academies.
The Animal Snowboard Slopestyle Championships kicked off the day’s competition, with over 85 riders vying for a spot through to the top eight men and five women final. The standard of riding was incredibly high with local SNO!zone team riders, Jamie Nicholls, Laura Hill and Simon Foster leading the way.
In the women’s final Laura Hill finished in top spot to take the 2008 Animal Slopestyle Championship title thanks to a fluid and technical run including a 50-50 180 out on the top rail, switch boardslide on the box and a stylish tail bonk over the drum. Lynsey Ashdown, who had been riding super-strong all day, finished in second place with a smooth noseslide on the rail and frontside 360 over the jump. Third place went to Jules Chappell after she impressively gapped to 50-50 the down box and cleaned the wall ride.
The afternoon made way for over 65 of the UK’s top freeskiers, with the younger competitors, Tyler Jay Harding and Katie Summerhayes charging the impressive Animal slopestyle course to qualify through to the top eight men and five women finals. In the women’s final, Katie Summerhayes continued her top form to take the 2008 Animal Slopestyle Championship Title, with an impressive 540 and grind on the wall ride. Second place went to Castleford local and last year’s winner Kerry Daines, whilst third place went to Kelly O’Donnell after she landed a smooth 360 over the jump.
The next event on the British Snow Tour calendar is the Quiksilver Big Air Championships at Milton Keynes SNO!zone on Saturday 27th September. Don’t miss it!
