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World’s biggest jumps at Red Bull Big Air

World’s biggest jumps at Red Bull Big Air Posted Wednesday 17th March 2004, 9:30 am by Dunx A first-class line-up of stars are set to go big at the final of the Red Bull Big Air in Åre, Sweden from the 25-27 March. Simon Ax, the new snowboarding big air World Cup Champion, is among the riders trying to take the Red Bull Big Air title away from defending champion and fellow Swede, Hampus Mosesson. Among the skiers, the name to watch is undoubtedly the Swedish phenom and three-time defending champion, Jon Olsson. The competition this year will be intense, with US huckster Steele Spence, 2004 X-games medallists Simon Dumont and Peter Olineck, and a talented international field all gunning for the top spot. Red Bull Big Air in Åre is internationally known for its huge jumps which offer … BIG AIR! The first big jump has a plateau measuring 28 meters between the kicker and the landing. Riders will average around 70 km/h on the in-run. During the air they will reach a height of about 5 meters. The length of the air will measure over 35 meters - that’s approximately 3 city buses, or a 10 story house, if you like. The landing is extremely important as they’ll really need the speed in the second obstacle. The second big jump is a “box” with a 10-meter-high kicker. Riders will choose to either fly over the box or land on one of its sides. Last year, Henrik Windstedt won “Highest Air” when he flew 12 meters (!!!) off the kicker. During the air time, riders typically spin up to three times and add a nice grab or two. The judges rate and overall impression of the two big jumps, paying close attention to the landings, style and difficulty of the tricks. “Maybe it sounds dangerous, but we are full-time pros and know what we are doing”, says Henrik Windstedt, who finished 2nd at Red Bull Big Air 2003. “I train almost every day during the season which minimizes the risks. It is actually very rare to have serious injuries, but of course if you have bad luck things could go really bad.” The competition is divided in two classes: 17 snowboarders and 17 skiers. 12 of the 17 spots in each class are exclusively reserved for international pros who are invited to the event. The other 5 spots are for riders who have qualified for the final through 5 Nordic qualifiers held earlier this winter. [Press Release]

via snowboardclub.co.uk