So, the dust has settled, the Americans have (mostly) gone, and Tignes is returning to some sort of semblance of reality after last week’s X-Games extravaganza. But while the games may be over, we at Tignes Spirit have been checking out all the pics and vids from the event...
In the women's slopestyle qualifications, the competitors had struggled to overcome a lack of speed and unpredictable gusts of wind on the gnarly seven-hit course. By Friday, however, both the set-up and the weather had improved dramatically meaning the girls were able to showcase their full bags of tricks.
British lady Jenny Jones' winning run included a front 5, cab 5 and a perfectly grabbed front 7 on the last booter. She was followed by the ever stylee Norwegian Kjersti Buaas and Switzerland’s Sina Candrien – who attempted a gutsy 900 on the last hit. Cue many a group hug, high fives and general smiles, not just from the riders but from the spectators too. Jenny is always a popular winner thanks to a super friendly attitude and endearing modesty that borders on the ridiculous. Here in Tignes, she was enjoying more support than ever from a big British contingent in the crowd.
“It was nice to show [the world] that a British girl can ride without looking too ridiculous!” she explained in the press conference afterwards, to much laughter from the assembled journalists.
Since Tignes is where Jones’ snowboarding career began as a seasonaire back in 1998, the victory here at the bottom of the familiar Lanches run was extra special.
1. Jenny Jones GBR 92.33
2. Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas NOR 86.66
3. Sina Candrian SUI 83.00
3. Spencer O’Brien CAN 80.66
4. Silje Norendal NOR 63.33
5. Charlotte van Gils NED 48.33
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The men’s halfpipe competition went OFF last week with competitors pushing their limits to extremes . A perfect, fast pipe, the world’s best riders and 20,000 screaming spectators. In a word, it was mental.
The Russian/ Swiss rider Iouri ‘iPod’ Podladtchikov threw down an absolute corker of a second run which included the hallowed double McTwist (Shaun White’s secret weapon at the Olympics) to claim 98 points and the victory.“That was unbelieveable,” he told roving reporter Jon Weaver right afterwards, as the adrenaline was still flowing. “It was my best run yet. The double McTwist is so gnarly but it feels sooo good. It’s undescribable.”
1. Iouri Podladtchikov SUI 98.00
2. Mathieu Crepel FRA 95.00
3. Louie Vito USA 92.33
4. Markus Malin FIN 90.33
5. Aluan Ricciardi FRA 86.66
6. Christian Haller SUI 85.00
7. Luke Mitrani USA 82.33
8. JJ Thomas USA 79.66
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