Ben Kilner, the UK’s leading Olympic halfpipe hopeful, and Dan Wakeham, the former Olympian, both had great days at the Burton European Open yesterday, getting through the pre-qualification process in style.

Drawn in the same heat, Kilner and Wakeham took it by storm, netting a one-two finish for the UK with their scores of 89.67 (Ben) and 72.67 (Dan). Ben’s score was the fourth highest out of the 40-odd riders who competed in yesterday’s halfpipe pre-qualifiers and both Brits’ results put them ahead of Seppe Smits who won the Rookie Challenge at this year’s Air & Style.

These bode well for the rest of the competition, and we’ll be watching the next stage on Thursday with interest.