UK Big Air Competition

Brits Indoor Big Air Final 2009
2* TTR Rated World Tour Snowboard Event

With DJ Tony B cranking out some quality snowboarding anthems, snowboarding personality James Thorne compering and Ben Knox, Jack Shackleton, Andy Nudds, Sparrow Knox, Sam Turnball, Sam Rodgers and Lottie Kierle all chucking down hammers through the practice and qualifying heats, The Brits Indoor Big Air 2009 was shaping up to be an epic battle of the titans.

Clear the 16 meter gap, or at your own peril bring the knuckle of death into play.

Ben Knox was first to drop in on the biggest kicker ever seen in the Brits Snow Tour series (Fact!), on the top of the slope the atmosphere is decidedly edgy, a whippy kicker had seen several riders catapulted out of contention and consciousness, encouraging cries escort Ben to the kicker, flat lining from the top Ben went huge with a Safe Air, landing nicely on the sweet spot, the tension breaks up top, riders start chatting again,  Andy Nudds looking focussed gets a fist from Ollie Jackson, then throws down a perfectly stomped 720 to set the bench mark high, Sparrow Knox drops in switch, spins a 720 and clips the knuckle, a huge Invert from Jack Shackleton saw onlookers diving for cover as he drifted out of the landing zone.
Sam Turnball is an upcoming talent who hit the knuckle in the worst way possible, (head first) fortunately Sam’s shiner will enable him bragging rights for a few weeks, already milking it hard in the bar, the other Sam, Sam Rodgers of the female variety decided not to be outdone, over cooking a frontflip spinning 540 degrees on the wrong plane to also land on her heid, wait as I come to think about it Kat, Lottie and Emily all landed upside down at some point, the ladies competition really was a battle of attrition as the runner up shown here, face replete with an Ice burn chin pays  testament to.

 

 As the men’s competition wore on, Sparrow’s huge and technical airs ensured a podium finish, Jack Shackleton got his eye in, stomping an inverted 540, ( he claims he didn’t mean it) Andy Nudds continues to step up under pressure, and after the qualifiers it was apparent that anyone trying to wrest gold from his grip would have to pull something very special out of the bag. Ben Knox tried, going all out on both his runs, but Sat 19^th Sep was Andy Nudds’s day and this youngsters progression through the sport continues apace, part of the victorious “Battle of Waterloo 09” squad, Andy Nudds is a Big Air specialist, set to take it to the International stage.