On the evening of December 8 Beijing time, the 2012 FIS Freeski & Snowboard Big Air World Cup — a six-star event on the World Snowboard Tour (WST) — concluded successfully at the National Stadium (Bird’s Nest). After four intense rounds of competition, 16-year-old Japanese rider Yuki Kadono claimed the championship ring with the first-ever triple cork 1440 (three flips while rotating four times in midair) in FIS Big Air history, becoming the first Asian rider to win the FIS Big Air title. Kadono also secured the championship in the newly introduced “Red Bull Airtime” competition segment with a 3.466-second hang time.
Champion Yuki Kadono's aerial tricks
This year’s FIS Big Air Beijing attracted 22 top riders from 12 countries worldwide. The four-round competition followed a single-elimination format to determine the top 16, quarterfinalists, semifinalists, and ultimately the champion. Starting from the second round, judges used advanced electronic timing devices to measure each rider’s airtime (accurate to one-thousandth of a second) after takeoff. The rider with the longest hang time among those who landed cleanly would win the “Red Bull Airtime” segment and a $5,000 prize.
At 4:30 p.m., the first round began. After head-to-head battles, all 12 seeded riders except last year’s Beijing champion Urs Kallen performed steadily and advanced to the next round. In the second round, they started showcasing high-difficulty tricks such as Backside Double Cork 1260 Mute and Cab 1260 Melon, officially kicking off the “Red Bull Airtime” competition. “It’s a fun segment; we also want to see how long we can actually stay in the air,” said 2010 Beijing Big Air champion Sebastian before the competition. When the live screen started displaying each rider’s hang time in real time, the audience cheered not only for the spectacular tricks but also for every new hang time record. Although no rider surpassed 3 seconds in this round, that brief moment was enough for them to complete impressive 1260-degree rotations.
Champion Yuki Kadono airborne
At 7:30 p.m., the quarterfinals kicked off. Amid the deafening cheers of the crowd, Japanese prodigy Yuki Kadono recorded a 3.153-second hang time after his first jump — the first time any rider surpassed 3 seconds in the entire competition. Thanks to his extended airtime, Kadono had ample opportunity to perform tricks, earning a high score of 92.33 with a Backside Double Cork 1260 Mute and taking the lead. In his second jump, he broke his own hang time record with a 3.466-second flight, maintaining that mark until the end. Norwegian rider Torgeir Bergrem achieved the longest hang time of the round at 3.770 seconds but fell upon landing, rendering his score invalid.
Japanese rider Yuki Kadono wins the FIS Big Air Beijing championship
After three elimination rounds, the “super final” among the top four began. Norwegian Torgeir Bergrem got off to a strong start, scoring 92 points in his first jump to take the lead ahead of the other three, including Kadono. The competition became increasingly thrilling. Before the final two jumps, everyone thought the championship was already in Bergrem’s hands. But Finnish rider Pyry Pelkonen stunned the crowd with a perfect Cab 1260 Melon, scoring 93.33 points and prompting standing ovations. In a dramatic final move, Kadono pulled off an “underdog comeback” with an ultra-difficult Backside Triple Cork 1440 Mute (three flips and four rotations), earning a championship-high 97.67 points and clinching the title at the last moment. After his flawless landing, the Bird’s Nest erupted in excitement. As the youngest rider in the competition at just 16, Kadono exclaimed, “I can’t believe I pulled off that super difficult trick.” Since none of the four finalists in the three finals jumps surpassed Kadono’s previous hang time record, he took home both the FIS Big Air championship ring and medal as well as the Red Bull Airtime award.
Red Bull Airtime award ceremony
In a post-competition interview, Kadono, holding the Red Bull Airtime medal in his left hand and wearing the FIS Big Air championship ring on his right, said excitedly, “Winning the championship is overwhelming. I still can’t believe I achieved such great results. Though the process was tough, having confidence at crucial moments helped me perform steadily. Of course, being able to pull off such a high-difficulty trick also came down to having sufficient airtime.”
2012 FIS Big Air podium: Japanese rider Yuki Kadono (center) won the championship
FIS Big Air (Air & Style), as a competition focused on big air tricks in snowboarding, determines scores based on riders’ midair maneuvers during high-speed runs. With only one jump per run, it’s truly a “one-jump, one-chance” format. “The longer the airtime after takeoff, the more time riders have to showcase their skills, and the higher their chances of scoring well,” said FIS Big Air founder Andrew after the event. “The introduction of the Red Bull Airtime segment offers both riders and spectators a fresh perspective on the competition — a very successful innovation.”