Air & Style Innsbruck is the original big air event that has been taking place in Innsbruck since 1994. The event was started by Charly Weger and Andrew Hourmont who held a competition where riders had one straight jump only.
The event had a 10,000 dollar prize and the organisers expected about a hundred people to attend. In the end over a thousand turned up to watch the first Air & Style. The event has gone from strength to strength over time and is probably the most influential big air competition in snowboarding history.
The first ever Air & Style was won by Reto Lamm with, wait for it… a frontflip. Since then the winning tricks have got a little bit more technical. Travis Rice stomped the first ever double back flip backside 180 there to win the Air & Style crown in 2006 and in 2009 Marko Grillc won it with a double cork.
At the 20th anniversary last year they had two days of competition. The first day was all about style, and it was Marko Grillc who impressed the judges once again. The second day was all about air and it was Eric Willet who took the top spot. With a casual switch backside 1260 mute.
The event has always had some serious prize money and now the victor takes away a cool 75000 Euros. Air and Style has also branched out to organising events in China which have proved really popular and helped boost the snowboard scene over there. However it’s the classic competition in Innsbruck that remains the rider’s favourite.