The December 1st Nokia Air & Style Munich 07 went down as the most progressive snowboarding competition to date. Kevin Pearce (USA) came out victorious with his first ever SIX(6)STAR Title, landing a huge Cab 1260, with full support from ecstatic fans who filled the Olympic stadium with relentless cheer. Kevin claimed the first 1000 Ranking Points of the season, putting him in fourth on the Swatch TTR World Tour.
The first of six SIX(6)STAR events sets the stage for unpredictable drama within the TTR Ranking List, in what is sure to be a season packed with suspense, thrills and upset. It all started in the first round as Mikkel Bang (NOR), winner of the 2006 Nokia Air & Style Rookie challenge, took on Nokia Air & Style title defender Travis Rice (USA). Travis busted out his signature double-corked 1080 but Mikkel kept strong stomping a smooth and solid backside 1080, advancing to the second round. The young Norwegian maintained his composure making it through to the four-man super final and finished second with a switch BS 1080. Torstein Horgmo (NOR) came in third with a BS 900, and as the crowd screamed “we want David!”, David Benedek (GER) rounded out the top four with his own rendition of a double-cork 1080.
Torstein Horgmo (NOR) has climbed the Swatch TTR Ranking list to World No. 1 after a close duel with fellow DC team rider Chas Guldemond (USA), who is now World No. 5, in the first round. “It’s just great to be here and watch this amazing display of progression” said Torstein, who’s results in the southern hemisphere portion of the tour, and his strong finish at the Nokia Air & Style, give him a strong foundation in the race for Swatch TTR World Tour Champion.
Mason Aguirre (USA), regardless of only competing in the rookie challenge, remains in contention for the world title, sitting just below Torstein as Swatch TTR World No. 2. Mason finished third in the rookie field with Werner Stock (AUT) taking second and Tim Humphreys (USA) taking first, earning himself spot in next year’s Air & Style main event.
The drama continues with the second SIX(6)STAR event, the Nissan X-Trail Jam at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, on the 8th and 9th of December, 2007. Nine riders who competed in the Nokia Air & Style continue the battle for Tour champion, chasing after another 1000 Ranking Points.
