The World champions of the 2016 FWT will be crowned in less than two weeks

There is not a competition face in the world that has seen more glory, defeat, and inspiration than the renowned North face of the Bec des Rosses, looming over the ski resort of Verbier, Switzerland at 3223m. The season of the 2016 Swatch Freeride World Tour will come to a momentous finale on the 2nd of April when the 28 remaining riders on the FWT drop into the face for one final chance to earn the title of World Champion in each of the four disciplines.

After the last qualifying cut in Haines, Alaska, the original 63 riders have been reduced to a field of just 12 ski men, 6 snowboard men, 6 ski women, and 4 snowboard women. The victor of each category of the Xtreme will be crowned after event and the riders’ top four results of the season will be counted to determine which riders will be crowned the World Champions.

Two starting gates will mark the entrance to the legendary face: one for men and one for women. The riders will descend over 600 meters to the finish line at 2700m while spectators can look comfortably on from the Col des Gentianes, situated directly in front of the face at 3000m or with an accessible spectator area on-mountain next to the finish line. In addition to the FWT, the Freeride Junior Tour by Dakine competition is taking place concurrently on the nearby Mont Gelé on April 3rd.

The exciting conclusion to the 2016 Swatch Freeride World Tour is the most important event in freeride and is a showcase of the progression of the finest freeride athletes in the world. Watch the event live on the mountain or catch the live webcast with women ski and snowboard categories available on www.freerideworldtour.com, with men ski and snowboarder categories on www.freerideworldtour.com and Red Bull TV with a short women recap of the event on those two channels.

black crows presents the chamonix unlimited festival

 

What happens when music culture meets the cradle of alpinism? Does listening to “Moonlight Sonata” help you float over rocks? Can EDM bass drops be used to trigger avalanches? Does listening to Mobb Deep really make you ski like a gangster? These theories and more are sure to be tested during the chamonix unlimited festival presented by black crows on April 7-11, 2016 in Chamonix.

For those who love both music and skiing, the chamonix unlimited festival offers a unique chance to enjoy the best of both in one of the world’s most renowned alpine environments. The five-day festival will keep Chamonix popping with events and happenings across the valley, from the daily festival village at Lognan in Grands Montets, to special trips on the Montenvers Train to the famous Mer de Glace, to guided ski tours off the Aiguille du Midi down the Vallée Blanche, to turning the Plan Joran lift station into a 2,000-person concert venue!

With a stacked international music line-up and many other fun events throughout the week, there’s no better time to experience the already mythical Chamonix atmosphere than during this festival. Visit chamonix-unlimited.com to get all the details on the festival and to book your tickets!

 

Freestyle.ch – No event in 2016

Sad new for action sports fans: Europe’s largest freestyle festival and a revered city big air event, the freestyle.ch will not return in 2016—the second year in a row that organizers have been forced to cancel the event.

“Unfortunately, freestyle.ch will not take place this year,” wrote project manager Neil Morgan in an email to the media. “Once more it’s a great disappointment, but we can’t prolong this decision any longer. We’ve tried everything in the past months to continue the event at this level. We’ve accomplished a lot, but unfortunately certain political proceedings, in addition to an already challenging sponsorship environment, have prevented us from securing the necessary funding from both public and private sources.”

The official PR release provides additional details: freestyle.ch has received the thumbs-up from FIS to become an official part of the World Cup Big Air circuit, meaning the event could become an important stop on the path to Olympic qualification for Big Air snowboarders (and certainly skiers soon as well). But the freestyle.ch jump needed to become bigger in order to meet the FIS Big Air criteria — and the traditional spot on the Ländiwiese in Zurich just wasn’t big enough.

“In September 2015, the organizers submitted an application to police headquarters in Zurich to build the inrun ramp outside of the Ländiwiese,” reports the press release. “Unfortunately, it took three months for the organizers to receive a negative response from the responsible office. The uncertainty about the event location made it even more difficult to find sponsors.”

However, in their search for a new event location, the freestyle.ch organizers have found a possible new location in Bern, where a large available space, existing infrastructure and promises of strong local partnerships present new opportunities. “A lot of support and financial assistance has already been promised from city, cantonal, regional and tourist-board levels,” reports the press release. “A possible relocation to the capital city is being pursued for 2017.”

 

 

 

Suzuki Nine Queens: The view from the drop-in

The Suzuki Nine Queens event has been around for six years now, and I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with it for many of them, first as a park shaper, then as a journalist. This year I got to try out a new role: course starter, aka starting at the top of the drop-in with a radio and making sure that no one lands on anyone else’s head.

At least, that’s all I thought it would be at first. But it turns out that there’s a lot more to being the Suzuki Nine Queens starter than just communicating with the landing spotter to close the jump when there’s a crash.

There’s also communication with the production team—eight or ten other guys with radios encircling the feature with a 360-degree network of camera angles and support staff at all times. Among the other major players on the radio channels—event frontman Nico Zacek,  video production manager Mark von Roy, on-hill production guru Lukas Krista—I found out that the starter has the unique role of calling the play as the action goes down, and attempting in some way to facilitate the chaos.

So this means: memorizing the names of all the girls so I can call their names as they drop for the camera team’s reference (yes, I got to ask several famous pro snowboarders “What was your name again?”); counting down the take-offs for our event photographer Klaus Polzer, who’s got a landing perspective for shooting sequences; making sure that the cameramen are paying attention for the big drops and identifying when, exactly, those big drops might be happening; communicating with the shapers to schedule fast reshapes of the features; and all the other minutiae that flows across the radio channels at an event like this. The radio is the secret channel into the hidden infrastructure of Suzuki Nine Queens: the small army of production staff that’s laboring constantly behind the scenes to create this event and broadcast it to the world.

 

This is Jonee. If you traveled to or from Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis or spent a night there last week, he probably had something to do with it. Photo: David Malacrida

This is Lukas, who took on the difficult task of on-hill production manager this year, and laced it like a boss. Photo: Malacrida

But that’s not all. The starter at this event is also expected to be a hype man and producer of sorts—keeping the vibe high in the drop-in, coordinating interesting events if possible: doubles drops of skiers and snowboarders together? Trains with all the girls dropping at once? Excuse me, ma’am, does that look of intensity in your face mean that you’re about to do a double? And sorry, that was awkward—I’m holding my hand up to stop you from hitting the jump, not for a high five.

Around the second day, Nico Zacek rolls by the drop-in and gives me the master class in starter etiquette. After repeatedly asking me to call down to the landing and ask, “Did she stomp that?”, finally I just hand my radio over to Nico, and he goes to town: “Is the drone ready to get the shot? Are the top girls in the start gate, ready for the drone? All other cameramen paying attention?” Boom, just like that, Nico is calling the shots and has stepped up the hype a notch. He hands me back the radio and skis off back into the whirlwind of action around the castle, to do a TV interview, revise tomorrow’s schedule on the fly with his team, chat with the representative of a big sponsor, and still find time to spend with his wife and baby daughter.

Of course, Suzuki Nine Queens is about the invited women and their sports, and I would hate to write an article about an amazing women’s event and not talk at all about the women. But given that this has already been done a lot already, and will continue to be done in the future, I’d like to give the people behind the scenes their fair shake—a little shoutout to all the men and women behind the scenes who labor to make this unique event happen. For example, there’s a guy named Ole who sits in the production office logging the video footage all week, while everyone else goes up onto the mountain. There’s a guy named Jonee managing a Gordian Knot of logistics. There are guys named Nejc, Jannis and Kaspars who are up late at night and early in the morning, and probably partying in between, working to keep the snow castle in top shape. And many, many others whose names I haven’t mentioned here, but are all parts of the great spinning Suzuki Nine Queens machine.

This is Viola and Justine from PR – they’re responsible for making sure that your favorite news outlet gets all the latest updates from Suzuki Nine Queens, every day. Photo: Malacrida

Naptime in the production office: Sean Balmer from GoPro is all tuckered out. Photo: Malacrida

Now all that said, even if this article isn’t really about the Queens themselves, one great thing about being the starter is seeing all of the action going down, and I can tell you this—the women of freeskiing and snowboarding laid a hurtin’ on the feature last week.

From Hailey Langland’s beautifully corked frontside 360s and on-point shifty game to massive backside and frontside 1080s from Anna Gasser and Klaudia Medlova, the snowboarders put on an impressive showing. On the skiing side, despite the absence of several of the big names in women’s big air, the ladies of Suzuki Nine Queens rose up to show their excellence: event veterans like Coline Ballet-Baz, Emma Dahlström, Keri Herman, Katie Summerhayes and Dania Assaly kept the sleds lapping throughout all the sessions, sometimes even driving themselves if the sled drivers happened to be too hung over from the night before.

Meanwhile, newcomers like Maggie Voisin, Giulia Tanno and Johanne Killi kept up with the pace with an impressive showing, despite a scary crash from Killi, who compressed on the takeoff while skiing switch and managed to do a starfish half switch backflip onto the deck of the jump—narrowly avoiding the tunnel of the central jump through the tower. Thankfully she walked away with only bruises, but we missed seeing her cork 900 blunts for the remainder of the event. In other crash news, Suzanna Stromkova took a hard tumble on a rodeo 900, but returned for the contest day to bring her rodeo all the way to 1080.

Group photo in the start gate. Thanks, ladies, for an incredible week! Photo: Stone

All throughout the week, I watched these tough women stare down the drop-in, weighing new tricks on this massive feature without a hint of fear in their eyes (okay, I couldn’t see through the goggles, but I’m guessing)—lapping the jump for hours and days on end, pushing themselves, brushing off the hard crashes and exhausting sessions with the cool ease of professionals. Being able to watch all that from the start gate—a validation of all that the people behind the scenes have worked for—was probably the most impressive thing of all.

Big thanks to everyone on the Suzuki Nine Queens team and all the participants for another incredible week in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis.

Disclaimer: Suzuki Nine Queens is organized by the Distillery, Downdays’ parent company. So everything we write about it is pure propaganda.

Suzuki Nine Knights: A massive hip is growing in Watles

The 2016 Suzuki Nine Knights “special mission” to break the world record for a hip air is fast approaching, and the gargantuan feature that’s supposed to do the job is on its way towards completion. Here’s a photo gallery from Kaspars Daleckis of the Schneestern + F-Tech shape crew showing a glimpse of life on the build: spider excavators, beautiful sunsets and some seriously massive hip walls riding heavenwards. Prepare for liftoff.

A unique caption for each one of these photos? Challenge accepted.

The backdrop for this year’s Suzuki Nine Knights: The Vinschgau (German) or Val Venosta (Italian), one of South Tyrol’s most beautiful regions. The apple orchards should be blossoming soon — it’s a sight not to be missed.

Standard procedure on a massive build like this: start from the top and work your way down.

Machines can do the rough work, but for the final touch, every meter of this towering hip landing will be shaped by hand.

Don’t mess up that cut: a small mistake at the top of a big transition can have serious consequences when you get 5 meters lower.

Work continues as the sun sets.

Hey Kaspars, stop taking pictures of that sunset and grab a shovel!

 

Slowly but surely, the hip walls grow in size.

The hip looks like it’s lined on a north-south axis, meaning: sun on the left wall in the morning and on the right wall in the afternoon. Hopefully both sides will soften enough to ride well.

More stunning South Tyrolean views. I’ve got a feeling the photographers are going to like this location.

Watles isn’t a big ski area, with only two lifts. But what it lacks in size, it makes up in beauty.

Schneestern head honcho Dirk Scheumann working on his laser game.

If Donald Trump needs any wall-building lessons, he can certainly talk to these guys.

Latvian shaping power: Jannis will probably finish this whole wall in the next 15 minutes.

Wait a minute: how are we gonna get down from here?

Trapped on top of their monster feature, the shapers prepare to spend another night out in the cold.

  

No, this place isn’t going to work at all for a film and photo shoot. Seriously, can’t you pick somewhere nice to hold these events?

We’ll give €20 to anyone who hits this hip straight over to the back of the landing. Should be mellow…

 

Not many things can make a PistenBully look small. This feature is one of them.

I assume the wide-angle lens is making this takeoff look much steeper than it actually is. Nevertheless- prepare for blastoff.

Got shape tool envy? Schneestern’s transition cutter “Big Yellow” is longer than yours.

Why does it seem like Suzuki Nine Knights are always somehow phallic? Or is it just me?

Catching a ride up to the upper level.

This photo was actually taken from outer space.

Self-portrait of the photographer. Thanks Kaspars for the shots! Stay tuned for more from the 2016 Suzuki Nine Knights special mission in Watles!

Wanting more Suzuki Nine Knights action? Here’s this year’s trailer to keep you hyped.

J.P. Memorial Returns to Riksgränsen, Sweden May 17-20, 2016

One of the world’s most captivating ski destinations will host enthusiasts pursuing all forms of the sport they love: from touring to heli to resort laps.

– Second Annual “JPM” honors ski pioneer JP Auclair, celebrates modern skiing’s roots and is open to anyone who loves snow and a good party
– Contests will be held, and awards given out, for: Best Trick; Best Mute Backflip; Best QP Straight Air; Best QP Trick; Best 90’s Outfit; Best Hair; Most Fun; Best Photo; ‘Send It’ Award
– Event will be hosted at the birthplace of modern skiing, Riksgränsen Resort in Sweden

Hosted jointly by Armada, Oakley and Riksgränsen Resort, in celebration of JP Auclair, a skiing pioneer whose influence on the sport is still felt today, the JP Memorial is a throwback in every way, from the tricks thrown to the attire worn.

Awards will be handed out in friendly competitions for Best Mute Backflip, Best Quarterpipe Straight Air and Best QP Trick; preferred dress will be 1990’s-themed; and shooters are encouraged to use analog tools exclusively (film, Hi-8 video, etc.).

The event returns to the acknowledged birthplace of modern skiing, Riksgränsen Resort, where, in 1998, future Armada co-founders JP and Chris “O.C.” O’Connell met at the King of the Hill contest. There, O.C.’s camera documented several year’s worth of ski progression executed by JP and others over just a few days: taking what was up until then an alpine-influenced discipline and creating what is today called “freeskiing,” but Armada just calls, “skiing.”

Registration requests can be sent to info@jpmemorial.com.

Logan Pehota wins the FWT in Haines

Press release

A failure in a communication satellite ultimately prevented a live webcast from the remote competition venue but despite this technical glitch, the beautiful Chilkat mountains hosted a successful event in Haines, Alaska today with near-perfect snow on beautiful spines and a genuine Alaskan ambiance. Sammy Luebke (USA – Snowboard Men) was crowned world champion with high-level riding across the board. A competition replay will be available on www.freerideworldtour.com as soon as it becomes technically possible within a few hours.

ALL HAINES RESULTS HERE
OVERALL RANKINGS HERE

Thirty-one of the world’s best riders have made the long journey from Fieberbrunn, Austria to the mountains of Southeast Alaska to compete on the fourth stop of the 2016 Swatch Freeride World Tour. These riders are composed of an elite selection of riders qualifying after the first round of cuts in the Fieberbrunn last week. After several days of waiting through inclement weather, the riders were finally able to catch a first glimpse of the face this morning when they were heli-ported to the remote venue over 30 miles from Haines.

The ENE-facing competition slope in Haines is known simply as “The Venue” and is over 600 vertical meters of pure Alaskan spines, airs, and aesthetically-featured powder fields. The venue is accessed only by helicopter, adding to the remote and isolated nature of this prestigious event. This year, the face was blanketed in an above-average snowpack giving riders confidence to send big lines.

After nearly a week of waiting though low clouds, light snow, and poor visibility, riders were treated to blue skies and a good visibility for the first time this morning. The weather conditions allowed the snow to adhere to the steep spines of the competition face making for picture-perfect riding conditions in consistent, velvety Alaskan powder.

Ski Men
Riders qualified for Xtreme Verbier, Switzerland
1- Loïc Collomb-Patton (FRA) – 6900
2- Logan Pehota (CAN) – 6500
3- Fabio Studer (AUT) – 5280
4- Kristofer Turdell (SWE) – 4815
5- Léo Slemett (FRA) – 4780
6- Reine Barkered (SWE) – 4560
7- Felix Wiemers (GER) – 4500
8- Stefan Hausl (AUT) – 4300
9- Jérémie Heitz (SUI) – 4295
10- Ivan Malakhov (RUS) – 4275
11- Dennis Risvoll (NOR) – 4090
12- Drew Tabke (USA) – 3955

It has been a strong season for rookie Logan Pehota (CAN – 1st) as he has consistently merged freestyle innovation with classic hard charging – today was no different as he secured first place with a line featuring a stylish 360 combined with technical mastery. When it comes down to big lines, it was business as usual for Loïc Collomb-Patton (FRA – 2nd) as he crushed an aggressive start into a huge 360, but his 2nd place finish was not able to guarantee the title of world champion until his final trial in Verbier, Switzerland. Finding a spot on the podium has proved elusive for Drew Tabke (USA – 3rd) this season but his typical innovative line selection and massive backflip secured his third place finish and Verbier qualification.

Ski Women
Riders qualified for Xtreme Verbier, Switzerland
1- Eva Walkner (AUT) – 7200
2- Arianna Tricomi (ITA) – 6280
3- Matilda Rapaport (SWE) – 5805
4- Jaclyn Paaso (USA) – 5755
5- Nadine Wallner (AUT) – 4955
6- Evelina Nilsson (SWE) – 4735

Eva Walkner (AUT – 1st) is one step closer to earning her title of world champion today by employing her tried-and-true method of powerful charging topped with a sizeable air. Matilda Rapaport (SWE – 2nd) had her finest finish of the season with a line that not only demonstrated technical mastery of the Alaskan terrain, but also featured an impressive air. Arianna Tricomi (ITA – 3rd) bit off slightly more than she could chew with a line that featured some of most consequential airs of the day but lacked an overall impression of control due to a backslap at the bottom of her line.

Out of the 31 riders competing in today’s event, only 28 will make the cut and move on to the season finale and world championships on April 2nd. The best three results of the 2016 FWT season will determine which riders make the cut and have a chance to go for the title of world champion in the final event at the Swatch Xtreme Verbier.

The Haines event is always one of the most anticipated events on the FWT because the Alaskan mountains offer some of the highest quality freeriding in the world. Today’s competition was a fine example of how the top riders on the planet can take advantage of these fabled mountains to raise the level of the sport and produce a competition of the highest caliber. To review any moment of today’s action check our the live replay as soon as it becomes available on www.freerideworldtour.com.

Public special obstacle: Creative session with Multi-Hit at Snowpark Schöneben

The feature, especially designed and built for this day by the Schöneben shape crew, attracted numerous freeskiers to spend a crazy day on the mountain.

This winter season, one highlight chases the other at Snowpark Schöneben: After hosting the Battle RoJal QParks Tour contest and exclusive camera shoots, a further big event took place at the park with the public special obstacle session. Park designer Moritz Klammer and his shape crew worked hard to care for perfect conditions and to present a “special” feature. The results demonstrate that the crew understands their job pretty well. The multi-hit special consists of two tubes (5m) in the shape of a T, a down rail (8m), a down rail (8m) and a donkey rail (6m).

„Although the weather was not ideal at the beginning, the motivation was always right. The preparations and implementation of the plan worked out well, the freeskiers were thrilled and satisfied“, park designer Moritz reports. „My personal highlight was definitely the joint BBQ session with the riders in super-relaxed atmosphere. It was great to discuss the features because everyone has a different approach.“

Also the riders were more than ready to take the challenge at Snowpark Schöneben and enjoyed the session. In numerous runs, the freeskiers alternately tried to conquer the special obstacle. At short breaks equipped with sausages and soft drinks, they could discuss their creative approaches to shred the multi hit while watching other riders. And so the day in the park was spent until the last chair.

Oystein Braaten wins the SFR Tour Finals in La Clusaz

Text by Maxime Ramoul

It’s the same as the qualifications but fewer numbers of skiers on top. Three jib zones, three kickers, four kids, four girls and twelve dudes competing to win the last stop of the season.

The conditions are perfect, and no one can complain when the kids and women start off the contest.

 

Nathan Pecqueur-Col and Kelly Sildaru dominate the competition easily, as Kelly lands a switch 10 on the last jump. Both won all the SFR stops they participated in this season. The victory also helps Kelly to take the first place at the AFP world tour.

The guys finals start, motivated by the speaker Alex Hamelin on fire at home in front of a huge public. Everyone lands their runs but Evan McEachran, the qualifications winner. To see where we are, Andri Ragettli gets the 5th place with 89 points and Jackson wells the 10th with 82,40 points. The judges place themselves in a tricky situation and the riders had to strive for perfection.

Luca Schuler is the most impressive with his switch dub bio 10 bow & arrow, but sadly doesn’t land his second run. James Woods takes the third place behind Alex Bellemare. But the Norwegian Oyster Braaten beats everyone with this insane run, landed as usual perfectly: Switch 270 in pretzel 450, lip 450 disaster, switch 810 in, left double cork 9 safety, switch right double cork 10, switch left double cork 1440.

Congratulations, it wasn’t an easy job!
Despite the expected spin to win contest, we have to admit that the level was insane, and we can conclude that theses guys are mutants – just in case you had any doubts.

Girls made history at Suzuki Nine Queens…again

What a show today at the Nine Queens castle. The crowd went crazy for all the girls, in perfect spring conditions.
We will not give anything away yet, but you will be able to watch all the girls in our highlight edit, dropping tomorrow.

Nine Queens is all about riding with your friends on the mountain and progress freeskiing together.
This is exactly what makes the event special. All the girls push the sport every year and have a lot of fun doing it.

We will bring you a full article next week, because there is just too much to talk about.
Here are all the results and more importantly the gallery.
More news coming soon.

SKI:
1.Giulia Tanno: switch 10 tail grab (big, compact), left cork 7 safety (***)
2.Maggie Voisin: left cork 9 tail grab (little short), switch left 5 guetto grab (big +)
3.Keri Herman: switch 5 lead gap (big, compact), right cork 7 tindy (good lady)
4.Coline Ballet-Baz: left 900 tail (wow, big), left flat 5 revert
5.Suzana: misty 10 safety no grab, ( first time ever ) left 7 safety (grab, backseat),

SNOW ( car nous ne sommes pas sectaires )
1.Anna Gasser: Cab 9, backside 7 (cab double underfloor happened after the comp ended)
2.Klaudia Medlova: backside rodeo, frontside 7 chicken salad
2.Kjersti Buaas: frontside 7, backside 5
4.Hailey Langland: corked backside 5 shifty, frontside 3 shifty
5.Elena Konz: frontside 7, backside 7
6.Julia Baumgartner: backside 3, no second trick

Suzuki Nine Queens 2016: Midweek Update

Suzuki Nine Queens. Another year. Year six, to be exact. Six years of the world’s biggest female-only freeskiing (and now snowboarding) media extravaganza and progression session on a castle-themed feature in the Austrian heights of Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. So what’s new?

Nikki Blackall dropping in. Photo: David Malacrida

Maggie Voisin enjoys her first Nine Queens appearance. Photo: Malacrida

Well, there’s another castle. One with five takeoffs. No hip landings this year—clean-cut, straight walls, looking more like a Nine Knights castle than the ladylike Queens castles of years past.

There’s a side feature. A snow rainbow/butter pad contraption with a wide underpass underneath. Gap to down box on the left, down-flat-down rail and down rail on the right, six battlement towers around the perimeter. The arch is one of the most impressive yet built by the Schneestern shape crew, and it’s so big that it’s starting to sag. (Each night the shapers stick metal supports underneath it so it doesn’t sink further, and they’ve already had to refill the top of the pad once so it stays a rainbow, rather than sagging flat.)

The arch may sag, but it won’t break—snow is an incredible building material. Oh yeah, and that’s Keri Herman. Photo:  Malacrida

There’s a few dozen of the world’s best female freeskiers and snowboarders. Some of them Suzuki Nine Queens veterans, like Keri Herman, who’s been to all six, and the energetic duo of Emma Dahlström and Coline Ballet-Baz. Some new faces, like American Maggie Voisin, Swiss Giulia Tanno, and Norwegian Johanne Killi—she of the blunted 900s.

It’s day three already—how time flies! Highlights so far, both positive and negative: Killi’s immaculate cork 900s. Maggie Voisin, Emma and Coline: lots of blunts and cubans grabbed. Slovakian Zuzanna Stromkova with a brutal crash on a rodeo 900—sidelined for the time being. Claudia Medlova falls off the side of the kicker from six meters up, somehow emerging intact. Coline and Emma play a mini-game of SLVSH—loser has to jump into the ice-cold creek outside the hotel. (Coline takes the plunge.) Dania Assaly runs the yoga sessions.

Emma Dahlström, dropping in. Photo: Malacrida

The girls getting their stretch on. Photo: Malacrida

Yesterday: skies clearing after last night’s storm, still chilly and breezy—enough so to keep the jump closed. Instead, a session on the side feature. Girls are tail-pressing and hand-dragging the rainbow, 270ing and switch 270ing onto rails and boxes, dropping into the feature in trains as the drones buzz overhead like angry wasps and the camera people elbow for position and shout at each other to get out of the shot.

Suzuki Nine Queens founder and organizer Nico Zacek is in the midst of it all—coordinating drops, directing camera angles, keeping the stoke alive. “There’s no B&E [Invitational] for the girls, there’s no JOI [Jon Olsson Invitational] for the girls,” he says. “They only have Suzuki Nine Queens when it comes to having a passion-fueled event.”

Emma gaps to the down box. Photo: Malacrida

Johanne Killi, looking for the pretzel. Photo: Malacrida

Stoke levels: high. Photo: Malacrida

Yesterday, Zacek says, that passion was in the air. “A three-hour session on a small jib feature and we had the best time ever,” he says. “The girls teamed up: selfie here, selfie there, GoPro here, GoPro there—get funny shots, laugh, music, party, good spirits, and that’s what this event is about.”

Two more days to go, and today’s sunrise session started at 5:00am. No rest for the weary—see you on the other side.

13-17th of April, Creation Nation is back, bigger and better than before.

Press release

“The riders will be joined by world class photographers and filmmakers to perpetuate an event that will keep you smiling for a long time.
This is our way of giving back to the people who makes us what we are, a way of showing how fun skiing can really be.

“The Vibes at last years event were unreal!
Almost all riders are no competitive riders, which means they use film and photo to portrait their skiing.
So our event is built by film skiers for film skiers and we try in implement that in every aspect of the event.
The course, the sessions, the comp and the living and food situation.
We used a format called *Tricks For Cash*. If you put down a sick trick you instantly get awarded with Cash.
Easy as that.

It seemed to bring a lot of hype to the riders as you can see in tricks thrown down.
Kim Boberg with the Nosebutter 450 and Freddie Gibson the early Nosegrab slide on the 4 kink are two insane tricks that I dont think would been thrown with a traditional competition format.
Fun fact! The 4 kink is a replica from the Moscow 4kink seen in FINITO.

We also did a Best Tricks session on the now famous S-rail Spine feature.
Best Tricks that is not Best Trick. Who did the illest tricks of the session won the Flatscreen.
This year we have some different additions as yoga sessions, live Swedish rap artists at the party and recycle project during the event!

Follow the whole event on snapchat @bunchsnap and Instagram #bunchcreation
– LSM