17th September 2007 – The Animal British Slopestyle Championships kick started the new British Snow Tour on the 15th & 16th September with 100 of the UK’s top snowboarders and freeskiers shredding it up on Chatham’s Ski Slope. Inspired by the high-speed action 200 beginners took advantage of the FREE snowboard/ski lessons up for grabs courtesy of the Animal Lesson Academy, whilst the new event features including the FREE Method freestyle coaching sessions and product testing went down a treat.

Sonia, James and Paddy made their first stop of the schools tour on 13th and 14th September prior to the weekend’s competition and visited two schools, meeting up with over 600 kids. Proving the schools tour initiative works, over the weekend a couple of local snowboarders competed for the first time ever after the schools tour had visited their school back in 2005….go on the schools tour team!

British Snowboard Tour – Saturday 15th

The sun was shinning and so was the local talent at the Animal British Snowboard Slopestyle Championships in Chatham on Saturday, with local riders, Cody Hierons and Callum Wilkin setting the high standard for the day. The Big Air Jam kick started the day’s competition and after throwing down a huge switch underfilp 720, Jamie Nicholls was crowned the men’s champ. Setting a new tour record for the youngest female winner EVER!, 10 year old Katie Ormerod nailed a big backside 360 off the big kicker to take the women’s title.

The sun continued to shine as the afternoon’s Animal British Slopestyle Championships got underway with the top nine male and top four female riders making it through to the two run final. In the women’s final, Samantha Rogers linked together a smooth and faultless run to take home first place and the women’s Animal British Slopestyle title. Her choice of tricks included a boardslide to frontside 360 over the big kicker, to frontside 180 and a noseslide over the bottom rainbow rail. Taking second place, Katie Omerod secured her spot as the “one to watch” with a big method and backside 360, with Vickie Pullin taking home third after a frontside 180 off of the big kicker. In the men’s final Jamie Nicholls stomped a technical run which included, a backside 720 stailfish – tagged the biggest jump of the day – followed by a floaty backside 180 and a switch boardslide, to 50-50 to frontside boardslide to fakie out over the 60ft battleship box rail, securing him the title. Local Chatham boys Cody Hierons and Callum Wilkin, rode well all day and so it was no surprise that they both took podium spots. Cody won second place after pulling off a backside 540 double grab, and text book switch boardslide to frontside to boardslide over the battleship box with Callum taking third after a fluid technical run.

Big Air Jam Results

Men

1st – Jamie Nicholls – Bradford

2nd – Jack Shackelton – Newbury

3rd – Cody Hierons – Chatham

Women

1st – Katie Ormerod – Bradford

2nd – Samantha Rogers – Reading

3rd – Becca Richardson – Middlesex

Men

1st – Jamie Nicholls – Bradford

2nd – Cody Hierons – Chatham

3rd – Callum Wilkin – Canterbury

Women

1st – Samantha Rogers – Reading

2nd – Katie Ormerod – Bradford

3rd – Vickie Pullin – Tewkesbury

Salomon Best Un-sponsored Awards went to George Wooley, 14 from Derby and Vickie Pullin 22 from Tewkesbury, winning them a brand new Salomon set up.

British Freeski Tour

Day two of the Animal Slopestyle Championship event made way for the UK’s top freeskiers, who were out in force and ready to impress, throwing down switch spins and inverts in the Big Air Jam. Salomon skier, Katie Summerhayes perfectly landed a switch 360 to beat off stiff competition and take first place in the women’s Jam. In the men’s Big Air Jam, Andrew Longley nailed his signature d-spin 720 guaranteeing him first place.

In the Afternoon the highly anticipated Animal Slopestyle Championships got underway and the standard of skiing was extremely high. Flips and switch tricks were being thrown down with the hopes of making it through to the top 8 men and 4 women final. In the women’s final new comer to the tour Katie Summerhayes won the women’s Animal Slopestyle Championship title, with a switch 180 over the big kicker to 360 over the medium kicker and a clean grind over the 30ft long rail. Second place went to Teri Spencer with a 360, to 360 and grind over the battleship box whilst Amber Connors claimed third place with a big mute grab, to 360, and grind over the battleship box. In the men’s final it was a close call for a podium spot, but it was James Woods who pulled it out of the bag with a switch grind to 270 out on the top rail and grind to 450 out on the up-rail, followed by a flair over the middle kicker to switch grind the 60ft battleship box to take first place. James Webb came in a very close second with a grind to 270 out on the up-rail before lining up to front flip the middle kicker. Andrew Longley opted for the kicker line and landed two textbook 360’s and a big Lincoln Loop to take third.

Big Air Jam Results

Men

1st – Andrew Longley – Sheffield

2nd – James Machon – Derbyshire

3rd – Richard Martin – Sheffield

Women

1st – Katie Summerhayes – Sheffield

2nd – Shelly Jones – Stoke

3rd – Teri Spencer – Warmwell

Men

1st – James Woods – Sheffield

2nd – James Webb – Bracknell

3rd – Richard Martin – Sheffield

Women

1st – Katie Summerhayes – Sheffield

2nd – Teri Spencer – Warmwell

3rd – Amber Connors – Milton Keynes

The next event on the British Snow Tour calendar will be the Trespass British Snowboard / Skiercross Championships and Big Air Jam at Norfolk Ski Club on 22nd and 23rd September (please note that the snowboarding event will be on Sunday 23rd September) for event timings and info please go to www.britishsnowtour.com

The British Snowboard and Freeski Tour would not be possible without its highly supportive sponsors: Animal, Quiksilver, Trespass, SNO!zone, Salomon, Ride, K2 and Faction Ski’s. Official retail partners TSA and Ellis Brigham. Media partners Whitelines, Dark Summer, Extreme.com, Snowboardclub.co.uk and Skiclub.co.uk.