Photos: Duthie
Last year was just one of those years – every time we went snowboarding in Scotland, it was nothing but pea soupers and skin-scouring blizzards, as if we were victims of a very specific gypsy curse. Fortunately this season is turning out to be the exact opposite, and the conditions at the Lecht on Saturday couldn’t have been better.
Despite being Scotland’s smallest resort, the Lecht always gets a solid park going as soon as it’s physically possible. The rail line is stacked, as those at the January Jam could tell you, and now there’s a kicker setup offering hits of varying size.
The brainchild of local legend Kevin Cowie, the Lecht Air & Style (please don’t sue, Shaun White…) took the form of a mellow jam during which the judges rewarded those who could bring their own flair to the setup. Serious prizes were there for the taking, thanks to ESP Snowboard Shop and Syndicate Clothing, and the drop-in ramp was soon stacked with talent.
Anguses Trinder and Leith were over from Cairngorm, the latter having put his nasty neck injury well and truly behind him. Claire Frost brought her effortless style to every run, and no big air comp in Scotland is complete without an Ed Greig rodeo. The groms were on fire too; Fraser Jack went home with a new snowboard for his efforts, and Logan King took home the prize for most improved.
By all accounts it was an epic weekend across all five Scottish resorts – the Back Corries at Nevis were on, and Glenshee not only hosted the Junior Freeride Series, but also got their new three-man chairlift up and running. Here’s hoping our good luck continues into March…
