Iouri “iPod” Podlatchikov won the Crossover title in a spectacular session at the Freestyle.ch contest on Saturday night.
This bizarre section of the contest pitted snowboarders against freestyle skiers, freestyle motorcross riders and skateboarders in a “wow the crowd” style contest. As Onboard’s Tom Copsey, who was in attendance to watch the showdown in Zurich, explained: “The crowd vote with their vocals as to which sport’s riders has put on the best show.”
There was apparently some controversy because, being a Swiss national, Iouri attracted the biggest cheers even when he sketched his landings – meaning other riders were eliminated. In the end though he stepped up and won it for the snowboarders in style as you can see below.
On top of this, while the video is undoubtedly spectacular, we’re left wondering whether this format is legitimate at all? Is there any way you can compare across sports? Does the staging of this event on the biggest night of the contest push more legitimate snowboarding competition out of the limelight? What does anyone reckon?
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