This year’s British Snow Tour kicked off at Chatham at the weekend with the Animal British Slopestyle Championships.

100 snowboarders and freeskiers took part in the contest, with big air jam kicking off the day’s events in the morning.

After throwing down a huge switch underfilp 720, Jamie Nicholls was crowned the men’s champion. Setting a new tour record for the youngest female winner ever, 10-year-old Katie Ormerod nailed a big backside 360 off the big kicker to take the women’s title.

The afternoon’s Animal British Slopestyle Championships got underway with the top nine male and top four female riders making it through to the two-run final.

In the women’s final, Samantha Rogers linked together a smooth run to take home first place and the women’s Animal British Slopestyle title. Her tricks included a boardslide to frontside 360 over the big kicker, to frontside 180 and a noseslide over the bottom rainbow rail.

Taking second place, Katie Omerod secured her spot as the one to watch with a big method and backside 360, with Vickie Pullin taking home third after a frontside 180 off of the big kicker.

In the men’s final, Jamie Nicholls stomped a technical run which included, a backside 720 stalefish – tagged the biggest jump of the day - followed by a floaty backside 180 and a switch boardslide, to 50-50 to frontside boardslide to fakie out over the 60ft battleship box rail, securing him the title.

Local Chatham boys Cody Hierons and Callum Wilkin, rode well all day and it was no surprise that they both took podium spots. Cody won second place after pulling off a backside 540 double grab, and textbook switch boardslide to frontside to boardslide over the battleship box with Callum taking third after a fluid technical run.

During the contest, 200 beginners got the chance to try the snowsports for the first time with free lessons at the Animal Lesson Academy.

Sonia, James and Paddy made their first stop of the schools tour on September 13 and 14 prior to the weekend’s competition and visited two schools, meeting up with over 600 kids. Proving the schools tour initiative works, over the weekend a couple of local snowboarders competed for the first time ever after the schools tour had visited their school back in 2005.
 
Big Air Jam Results
Men          
1st – Jamie Nicholls – Bradford 
2nd – Jack Shackelton – Newbury
3rd – Cody Hierons – Chatham 

Women
1st - Katie Ormerod – Bradford
2nd – Samantha Rogers – Reading
3rd – Becca Richardson – Middlesex

Animal Slopestyle Championship Results
Men
1st – Jamie Nicholls – Bradford 
2nd – Cody Hierons – Chatham 
3rd – Callum Wilkin – Canterbury

Women
 
1st – Samantha Rogers – Reading 
2nd - Katie Ormerod – Bradford
3rd – Vickie Pullin - Tewkesbury

Salomon Best Un-sponsored Awards went to, George Wooley, 14 from Derby and Vickie Pullin 22 from Tewkesbury, winning them a brand new Salomon set up.

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