The BRITS got off to a spectacular start last week in LAAX, Switzerland, with the Dare 2b Halfpipe Championships first on the agenda. A fresh covering of snow, Laax’s pristine superpipe and blue bird conditions greeted riders on the first day of competition on March 20.
It was go big or go home for Britain’s finest skiers with BRITS newcomer Janina Kuzma exploding on to the scene to take the top spot for the girls.
Emma Lonsdale hit the pipe hungry to defend her eight time crown but she had some serious competition from BRITS newbie Janina Kuzma who impressed with her huge safety grab and 540 to start her winning run. She then threw down grab after grab with an alley oop critical, mute, tail and japan grab finishing with a right side 5.
“I’m a Kiwi but I’ve got a British passport as my Dad is from Scotland,” she said. “I’m competing on the Freeride World Tour – there was a few days free before Verbier so I thought I’d come and have a go, with the halfpipe being included in the Olympics I thought It would be a perfect warm up for the AFP World Champs.”
Emma picked up the silver with an array of grabs, a massive alley oop 3, straight air and 360 to conclude her run. Anna Vincenti took home the bronze with an alley 5, two straight airs and a 360 to end.
British Freeski Halfpipe Championships Results
Women
1st Janina Kuzma
2nd Emma Lonsdale
3rd Anna Vincenti
Day two of The BRITS saw the best of British pipe riders go head to head in the Dare2b Snowboard Halfpipe Championships. Blazing sunshine, a perfect pipe and MC James Thorne’s banter created a party atmosphere for spectators who were treated to some outstanding riding with Kate Foster taking home the gold.
The women were first up and competition was fierce with consistent riding on show all day. Following a strong competition year Becky Menday showed how much she has progressed as an all-round rider by taking third place with a flawless run of back to back 360s.
Katie Ormerod synched second place by boosting out of the pipe and stomping a front 360 to cab 360. For the third consecutive year Kate Foster walked away with gold with a run that included a huge method, mute and a big styled out frontside 360.
British Dare2b Snowboard Halfpipe Championships Results
Women
1st – Kate Foster
2nd – Katie Ormerod
3rd – Becky Menday
The sun continued to blaze down for day three of The BRITS and the Protest Slopestyle Championships. The glorious sunshine did mean the course slowed down slightly and the wind picked up but this didn’t stop skiers pulling out all the stops on the exciting new slopestyle course.
It was BRITS newcomers Chloe Hardy that reined victorious to bag herself the top podium spot. When it came to the finals there were a few surprises with first place qualifier Rowan Cheshire crashing out on both of her runs leaving the door wide open for one of the others to take the title.
Chloe came out on top, riding switch onto the box followed by two, very clean 360’s, two straight airs, a slide on the big tube and she finished her run by hitting the flat down box, the only girl to do so in the competition.
“It feels incredible to win at my first BRITS and I’ve met loads of new friends. I’m so stoked!” she said. 11-year-old Maddie Rowlands secured the silver medal with some great switch riding and ended with a 360 just hitting the knuckle. Molly Summerhayes took the bronze for the second year running just coming up short on her 720 on an otherwise smooth run. British
Protest Freeski Slopestyle Championships Results
Women
1st Chloe Hardy
2nd Madison Rowlands
3rd Mollie Summerhayes
The fourth and final day of competition saw Katie Ormerod destroy the perfectly shaped Laax park to take home the gold in the Protest Snowboard Slopestyle Championships.
The women’s category was one of the most competitive female slopestyle comps the BRITS has seen with the shredettes laying down bigger and better runs as the day went on.
After her amazing win in the big air the day before, all eyes were on 14-year-old Katie Ormerod, and she didn’t disappoint to add another gold medal to this year’s medal tally. She has one of the most relaxed styles around and landed a boardlide to fakie on the top box, a cab 5 with a late indy, a front 180, a big indy, a smooth back 3, a board tap on the goalpost rail and a 5050 to front boardslide on the flat down box.
“I’m really happy!” Katie said, “I love the slopestyle and I’m stoked to win the Protest holiday to a surf camp – I go to Cornwall every year so it will be great to get better at that too!”
Becky Menday also rode well all day, consistently stomping her tricks deep on the landing to take second place. She laid down a run of a front 180 on 180 off of the top box, a back 3, an indy, a method, a front 180, a back boardslide on the goalpost rail and a clean back noseslide on the flat down box. India Stephenson collected her second podium spot in as many days to come third, landing a boardslide to fakie, a half cab, a straight air, an indy, a back 3, a front 3, an air over the hip and a back noseslide on the box.
Protest Snowboard Slopestyle Results
Women
1st – Katie Ormerod
2nd – Becky Menday
3rd – India Stephenson
Sportsister,
The Women’s Sports Magazine
