Nicholls & Berry take Gold at Brits Slopestyle 10
In a disapointing finale, weather played a deciding factor, with the womens event being decided from the qualification results, and the mens competition being turned into a jib contest with only the top half of the course being useable.
The Animal Slopestyle Championships wrapped up the final day of snowboard competition at the BRITS on Friday 26th March with Laura Berry scooping up the women’s gold and Jamie Nicholls taking his second overall British title for the week.
The women’s Animal Slopestyle Championships kicked off the day’s action, due to high winds the women’s final results were taken from their qualification run.
In top spot and taking the women’s 2010 Animal Slopestyle Championship title was Laura Berry. Laura threw down a solid and stylish run including a frontside boardslide on the top rail followed by a boardslide to fakie on the kinked rail and frontside wall ride. Over the kickers Laura stomped a huge straight air over the big kicker, a stylish nose grab and Indy over the bottom big kicker.
The Brits Animal Slopestyle 2010 rider: Katie Ormerod
Photo: Soul Sports
Second place and the silver medal went to 12 year old Katie Ormerod who stepped it up and landed a solid run including a backside noseslide all the way down the box, followed by a boardslide on the up box, backside switch up on the kinked box and frontside wall ride. Over the kickers Katie stomped a big method over the medium kicker, followed by a backside 360 Indy and nose grab over the bottom medium kicker. Stefani Nurding finished in third place with a 50-50 on the top rail, 50-50 to boardslide on the up box, nose slide on the kinked box and frontside wall ride. Her kicker line included a backside 360 and nose grab over the medium kickers.
Laura Berry quoted: “I'm really stoked to have won because I've been injured loads this season. My collarbone’s in two pieces and I had some problems with my arteries, so I was in hospital before the start of the season. I just made sure I was solid. Knowing that I only had one run, I just made it a bit safe. Now, I'm just going to cruise around, have some fun, try and learn some new stuff. I'll definitely come back next year and try and defend the title”.
High winds forced an early end to the full slopestyle run, with judges making the call to shorten the course to the top rail section for the men’s Animal Slopestyle Championships. In true British spirit riders embraced the new format and threw down some well honed rail riding skills from across all of the age categories.
The Brits Animal Slopestyle 2010 rider: Declan Power
Photo: Soul Sports
Jamie Nicholls, who had been riding strong all week, added the 2010 Animal Slopestyle title to his already impressive collection with a winning switch run. Jamie’s run included a cab boardslide, switch up, 270 out, switch boardslide on the c-box, switch 50-50 switch front-flip on the box rail and finishing with a cab wall ride. Declan Power, threw down a super smooth run to take second place with a frontside 180 switch up on the first rail, a super clean and stylish boardslide on c-rail followed by 180 switch up on the kinked box and backside lipslide on the top of the wall ride to finish. Third place went to Chris Kightley with a super solid, clean and consistent run including a frontside boardslide on the rail, boardslide on the c-box, followed by a boardslide to fakie on the kinked box and big frontside wall ride.
Jamie Nicholls quoted: “It feels pretty good to have won. The standard was really good this year. And I won the halfpipe yesterday, too, so I'm pretty stoked! My best trick was probably a 270 on 450 out on the box to that massive drop-off, that was cool, and the switch front-flip as well was also good. I'm out there to get podiums now, on European events. I've been getting closer this season at some big competition. So hopefully, next season it'll all happen.”
Animal British Slopestyle Championship Results
Men
1st – Jamie Nicholls
2nd – Declan Power
3rd – Chris Kightley
Women
1st – Laura Berry
2nd – Katie Ormerod
3rd – Stefani Nurding