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 Orange AIM Series, Castleford
Indoor British Slope Style Championships, plus Boarder/Skier X.
By Dunx Castleford Xscape is a little less than a year old and whilst it's certainly not the best venue for a spectator event, it can put together a great park. I was lucky enough to give the park a sound going over on the Friday and it's rekindled my inklings towards a bit of rail sliding, with something for everybody. If we thought Friday was good, the slopestyle course the hard working Xscape staff had put together during a very long night was even better - thanks to Damian Doyle, David Miller, Tom Hudson, Tom Marrows, Katherine Beamont, Gareth Cookson and rail-making supremo Anderson Garland. The Soul Sports crew had also decked out the place with the usual banners and infaltable wotsits, making the half slope reserved for the competition look really good. Despite the lack of any kickers, the course was a goody. Flat-down, skinny rainbow or raised gas pipe. Long twin coping rail. Long wide box, big flat-down or raised gas pipe. Straight rail or mail box. All topped off with a C-box. There was a route for all levels, but the most popular was the flat-down, twin rail, box and C-box, with few going for the trickier rainbow or big flat-down. The field was a corker too. Most of the MK jib-monkeys had turned up and Tamworth locals were also well represented. Scotland had sent its finest and of course Sheffield, Halifax and Castleford's best were out in force. The competition had a full compliment of riders and Soul Sports even managed to squeeze a few more in at the last minute and we understand there was a total field of 105 snowboarders. The decision to split the riders into two groups worked well, with those not riding up in the bar listening to Tony B's fine tunes or out of the un-parked half of the slope with Xscape's daily punters. Plenty of the free lessons were also being taken on the lesson slopes. The ladies' competition was fierce. Laura Berry back competing for the first time since she'd broken and then re-broken her collar bone. MK's Lucy Passmore had donned camo for the event, but failed to go unnoticed. Cas's Lucy Butler was doing it for the Jiberish crew. Scotland's Posy Dixon was enjoying her first visit to a snowdome. Philippa Baxter was looking good (as usual) and is one of the dryslope stalwarts from down south. The mens' event saw a huge crowd and once again the young riders were well represented. The current champ James Thorne was riding well. The ATV crew were all looking smooth as butta. Sam Cullum and Luke Paull also did their thing. The entries from the Masters were also showing you can still kick some at 30 (which is a relief for my good self) with Wayne Taylor and Dan Deacon giving the young pretenders more than a bit of a lesson in style. As the heats completed, MC Tim Warwood dished some spot prizes on the big Soul Sports' Flat-Down. Xscape were even nice enough to let us run our final, as we'd over-run a little bit, although at one point it looked like the event was going to be cut short to make way for the huge queue of 3 riders waiting to get on to the slope at 7 o'clock. This all meant that it was going to come down to a one-run final. So with the four top ladies and eight top men summoned to the top of the slope, it simply came down to who had the nerve. They ran in reverse order and then it was all off to the bar for the results. Prize giving saw the most styly riders on the day get their rewards, but the best was yet to come when the men's results was announced. James Thorne re-took his title - no doubt about his run at all. But the second and third places went to a couple of riders I've never really heard of and that's great news. The look on Jon Russell's face when he realised that he'd be taking on the 18 stair rails at the Red Bull Rail Jam were a picture. Total disbelief. A great event, that probably topped the AIM chart so far for me. Played to one and all with special thanks to the hard work of those that made it possible and all the riders that made it worthwhile. AIM now moves on to MK in two weeks for the BoarderX Championship, plus a slopestyle event with two more qualiciation places for the Rail Storm the following weekend. The hope is that some of Castleford's rails will make it down for the event. We'll hopefully see you there. By Soul Sports The first indoor event of the Orange AIM Series 2004 saw a record number of 100 snowboard and 50 ski competitors battling it out in the national Indoor Slopestyle Championships at Xscape, Castleford on the 4th September. For the earlier parts of the day it was UK’s top freestyle skiers that ruled the purposed built Slopestyle course which included a flat-down, rainbow and a gas pipe at the top to straight rail, wide box, big flat-down and finished with a nice C-box. Local star and British Champion Mike Wakefield from Hemsworth was unfortunately unable to start due to injury, which opened up the field for his main opponents Andy Bennett, Paddy Graham and Eddie Thelwell, all from around Sheffield and shredding as the Kneesall Massive. Through a smooth run the chief of the Sheffield scene Bennett snapped the title from his Line team mates Graham, second and Thelwell, third. Local amateur and Xscape ski instructor Colin Andrews, Doncaster took a well deserved fourth place. Emma Londsdale, current British Halfpipe Champion and Dryslope Big Air/ Skiercross champion is officially UK’s first ski lady after adding yet another title to her name over the weekend. New to the AIM scene, Kim Vince, Nottingham and Kate Williams, Sheffield surprisingly showed great talent and dedication winning second and third place in the women’s competition. In the afternoon’s snowboard competition the startlist reached its limits when 100 snowboarders of all ages and performance levels took over the course. The gathered professionals soon met stiff competition from local and un-sponsored amateurs and in time for the men’s final the race was close. In the end it was reigning Indoor Champion James Thorne, Norfolk, that performed the day’s most precise and smooth run with skill and control, beating amateurs Ben McHugh, Glasgow and Jon Russell, Sheffield, to second and third place. Thorne who already been given a TTR to the Red Bull Storm on the 25th Sep, passed on his ticket to Russell who did not believe his luck. Both Russell and McHugh now have a TTR for the UK amateur comp at this international event in Glasgow. In the women’s competition it was last year’s Junior Champion Lucy Passmore, Milton Keynes that took her revenge for the overall title, beating UK’s Slopestyle queen, British Champion and fellow Milton Keynes rider Laura Berry to the title. McHugh and Lucy Butler were both awarded the prestigious Salomon Best Un-sponsored prize, taking home £200 worth of Salomon gear. James Thorne's winning run included solid cab 270’s on and off the rails to front-side boardslides and front-side noseslides. Lucy Passmore's winning run included boardslide revert, 50:50 to boardslide and cab-slide to 180 off. The Orange AIM Series, Castleford event page can be administered by dunx (Dunx), stu (Stu Brass), spencer (Spencer Claridge) and office (Office). Page views: 13524 |
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