After the fun in the sun that was yesterday’s Bangers & Cash Rail Jam, the next event at The Brits 2014 was the ever-popular Trespass Snowboard Cross. Tignes had once again delivered top drawer weather, and there were dozens of sharp-elbowed shredders ready to hit the berms.
Once the seeding runs were over, Team Whitelines was given a chance to check the course. After a slow start things picked up pretty quickly and, while the jumps weren’t window-winding (or Jacobellis methoding) size, the course on the whole was a good ‘un. As for our race, WL sales manager Craig Scrievener pipped editor-in-chief Ed to the finish line – pretty sure that isn’t the last we’ll be hearing about that….
On to the heats, then. It’s a diverse bunch that rock up to the snowboard cross; lined up alongside the F2 and Kessler race-specific boards, carefully and lovingly waxed by their masters, were plenty of off-the-shelf decks that had seen better days. With four riders per race it was never going to be as hair-raising as Sochi (which has stepped up to six), but there were still plenty of heart-in-mouth moments as riders battled for the lead.
It was clear that this discipline is doing a fine job of attracting the younger generation, with groms Maisie Hill and Kealan Venning topping their respective podiums in the tightly-fought Kids category. However, it’s always been a favourite of the veterans, and the men’s Masters final was one of the highlights of the day. Derrick De Jong was first to the finish line, but a special mention must go to Mark Hayman. Having apparently not ridden a snowboard for twelve years, he was back with a vengeance – even rocking gaffer-taped boots that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Captain Scott’s Antarctic expedition.
Snowboard cross specialist Kyle Wise (author of our ‘how to get started in snowboard cross’ piece) comfortably claimed the overall men’s title, while Georgina Rescigno won the overall women’s event.
That was a wrap for this year’s Trespass Snowboard Cross Championships, and now the attention turns to tomorrow’s halfpipe contest. We had a few runs in the u-ditch this afternoon, and it’s a monster – stay tuned for the full report.
TRESPASS BRITISH SNOWOARD CROSS CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS IN FULL
Female kids – Maisie Hill
Male Kids – Kealan Venning
Female Youth – Skyla Baily
Male Youth – Glen Ironside
Female Junior – Natalie Silkstone
Male Junior – Bradley Gaulter
Female Masters – Kate Munro-Boot
Male Masters – Derrick De Jong
Female Overall – Georgina Rescigno
Male Overall – Kyle Wise