Martin Horák, Dennis Ranalter and Thomas Peč get the oversized checks, and the girls, at this unique event in the Czech Republic.

Words: Jiří Volák

It is a quite unique event when you‘re swimming in the pool and guys on skis are flying doubles right over your head. This is KROM WARS, the original freeski Big Air water-ramp contest in the Czech Republic at the end of the summer.

The contest day, August 29, started up with a bluebird sky as hundreds of stoked people congregated at the outdoor swimming pool in the small city of Hulín to watch invited freeskiers from nine different European countries. The competition started with a qualification jam session on the big air ramp and cannon tube. The kicker had been improved since the last event two years ago. Every rider had 5 jumps to try to get into the final.

The final round was reserved for the best 12 guys, who competed in two head-to-head rounds to determine three riders for the superfinal. Bad luck for the great Austrian riders, they eliminated each other, with only Dennis Ranalter remaining.

It wasn‘t easy to get into the superfinal ,as tricks were not allowed to be repeated, and the level was pretty high:

Dennis Ranalter knocked out his friends and favourites Christian Jenny and Sam Baumgartner. Tomáš Peč gave no chance to German Thomas Trifonitchev and Daniel Hanka. Martin Horák (last winner) beat Matic Lovko and Ondrej Beneš.

The superfinal tricks were original and surprising. The crowd, which consisted of thousands of people, pushed the guys above their limits and the atmosphere was unforgettable thanks to them.

In the superfinal each rider had four tries to show his best. Two best jumps counted.

1. Martin Horák – CZE (dub 12 teweaked mute, right dub underflip 9 double tail)
2. Dennis Ranalter – AUT (dub 12 blunt, dub 9 blunt)
3. Thomas Peč – CZE (dub 12 safety, tripple backflip)

A big thanks goes to everyone who showed up and helped to make such a perfect end of summer.