Bluebird and fresh powder - plus a fine contest face with lots of cliffs and a few kickers to sprinkle on top! 60 riders took part in the Nature Ride Backcountry Contest on Saturday, February 23 in Damüls and impressively demonstrated their skills. Marlon Holzmann won the skiers' category for the second time in a row, ahead of Sven Rauber and Pascal Sander - the best girl in the skiers' category was Yvonne Nenning. Andreas Neyer won the snowboard category, just ahead of Thomas Feurstein and Manuel Holzmann. Kathrin Thum was the best female snowboarder. Contest participant Matze Kurzthaler was on site for PowderGuide.
NatureRide - A contest comes of age
The first Nature Ride started in 2008 in Brand, Vorarlberg. In snow conditions that could probably be described as ice or harsh conditions, a top organized contest with its very own spirit took place. For some young riders, the contest was a springboard into the contest scene: riders like Fabian Lentsch or Raphael Webhofer were able to draw attention to themselves here and collect their first contest wins, today they are permanent fixtures in the FWQ circus. After further successful repetitions in Brandtnertal, the location moved to Damüls. Last year, with plenty of snow but again in adverse conditions, they showed what you can do with skis and boards. NatureRide stands for mastering your equipment, technically: in open terrain, in the air: from cliffs and from shaped obstacles such as stepdowns or rollers.
To the 2013 edition
The Wicked Ruffneck crew had already scooped a few jumps into the slope days before. Photos of this drudgery spoke for themselves: endless snow and plenty of sunshine. Thanks to the low temperatures, no snowpack formed and the snow remained powdery until the end. The weather on Friday was rather mixed. On Saturday, the day of the contest, the sun shone from early morning until 3 p.m., when the contest was over and nobody needed it anymore. Only a small patch of fog delayed the start by 15 minutes. However, if you looked into the adjacent valleys, which were all filled to the top with dense fog, you can also speak of the luck of the brave (= the Wicked Ruffneck Crew). On Sunday, the fog won out over the sun and reminded us of the good fortune of the contest day. Far away from the World Tour and World Tour Qualifier, there are still contests that only cost 39 euros entry fee, where there is a small event village at the finish and where the afterparty is already included in the entry fee - and what a party!
The action in the snow
After the riders' meeting and short ascent, the riders could choose between two starting points. Number one at Portlahorn and number two directly above the finish. The riders usually chose the starting point according to their style:
At starting point 2, the number of "freestyle-heavy" riders who wanted to show off their skills on more than one jump was probably slightly higher, as it allowed a flowing line with a total of four kickers, three of which could be approached in a line.
Starting point 1 invited the riders after the first 30 m with a kicker that only a few missed. This showed once again that even freestyle riders can have their problems with the first hit, but routine always lands on your feet. For spectators who don't have much use for a thoroughbred big mountain and don't find the "spin to win" in the park too stylish, the NatureRide is a contest that can certainly be compared with competitions such as RedBull Linecatcher in terms of slope and organization. The great thing about NatureRide, however, is the Wicked Ruffneck Crew, who make it possible for everyone to take part in their competition. No matter how many World Tour points you have or which sponsors you have. One step back in the field of riders, one step forward in the freedom of our sport, because this is roughly where the trend is heading: bringing the park and playful riding into the terrain.
The results
Ski:
1st Marlon Holzmann: Corked 720 over the first kicker and then a perfect 20m+ stepdown
2nd Sven Rauber: Nosebutter 360 and two 360° without even using one of the shaped kickers
3rd Pascal Sander: Took full advantage of the second starting point and its freestyle-heavy possibilities. Pascal Sander: Made full use of the second starting point and its freestyle-heavy possibilities Best Girl: Yvonne Nenning in 9th place
Best Trick: A double front flip à la Simon Lang
Snowboard:
1.Andreas Neyer: Convinced just ahead of Thomas Feuerstein
2.Thomas Feuerstein: Playful line with good speed
3.Manuel Holzmann: Dropped the 20m stepdown and added the "Best Trick" Best Girl: Katrin Dum in 8th place: A speed line in the fall line; perfect big mountain style!
The complete results list.
Afterparty
Gudrun von Laxenburg brought the crowd to the boil with a concert that had everyone dancing non-stop. The lightshow and the sound, which never came to a standstill, showed once again that this music simply tastes best live & loud. Afterwards, DJ Webstah played, but didn't think about letting the heat in the hall die down and let everyone who was still fit party on until the end.
More pictures in the gallery and much more on the Nature Ride Facebook page and website.
