Beijing, November 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/
On November 19, the world's top snowboarding event, the 2016 "Air & Style" Beijing, burst to life at the National Stadium, the "Bird's Nest." Sixteen athletes from seven countries performed a series of jumps and flips, each showing off their best tricks, offering not only a spectacular show for Beijing’s skiing fans and audiences but also highlighting the elegance of winter sports. For the first time, the trendy beverage VITA COCO, a natural coconut water brand originating from Europe and America, served as the title sponsor for the Air & Style event. It brought youthful energy to China’s premier snowboarding competition and provided high-energy hydration throughout the event.
Top three finishers at the 2016 Air & Style Beijing celebrate
The Norwegian athlete Markus Kleveland, who led the first-day qualifiers, continued his strong form by landing the most difficult trick of the competition, the Cab Triple Cork 1620 Melon, securing the overall championship with a total score of 177.33. Canadian athletes Sebastian Toutant and Darcy Sharpe took second and third place, respectively.
Markus Kleveland lands successfully
Although several athletes struggled with landings during the qualifiers, in today’s finals, the top 16 qualifiers adapted to the environment through a head-to-head competition format and two runs each, delivering their best performances. Mark McMorris, bronze medalist at the Sochi Winter Olympics, said: “Racing down from a launch ramp over 40 meters high and jumping from a 18-meter platform, while quickly rotating and flipping mid-air, these maneuvers put athletes’ self-control to the test. Athletes often lose control due to mistimed body movements relative to snowboard landings, causing instability upon landing. Penalties are given for falls or even hand touches on the ground.”
Darcy Sharpe, the bronze medalist, expressed satisfaction with his performance: “Today’s course wasn’t as slippery as yesterday’s. Also, after two preliminary rounds, I gradually found my rhythm and was able to perform at my normal level. When executing tricks in the air, besides timing your body movements, you also have to manage your takeoff speed, height, and landing spot selection. I’m happy that I managed all these aspects well today.”
Markus Klahoma performs an aerial spin
On the first day of qualifiers, 17-year-old Norwegian athlete Markus Kleveland stunned the crowd with a Backside Triple Cork 1440 Mute, winning the top qualifier spot. In the semifinals, he attempted the same trick on his first run but switched from the standard Mute grab to the more challenging Stalefish grab (grabbing the back edge of the board), landing perfectly and scoring the highest points of the round with 91.66. In the finals, Markus...-Kleveland got off to a strong start, scoring 88.00 on his first run to lead all athletes. However, he had a major stumble on his second run, scoring just 14.33. With the final score based on the best two runs, Kleveland went all out on his last attempt, pulling off the high-difficulty trick Cab Triple Cork 1620 Melon—the only athlete to complete this move all day. Though he slightly touched the snow with his hand upon landing, the judges awarded him 89.33 points. His bold move in the Bird’s Nest paid off, and he ultimately claimed the 2016 Air & Style Beijing championship.
“Today’s competition was incredibly intense—everyone was going for quadruple corks backward. Winning at the main stadium of the Beijing Olympics is just amazing. My favorite moment was the last jump, which earned me the title,” said a thrilled Markus Kleveland after the event.
Although the three Chinese athletes in the competition did not qualify for the finals, their solid performances gave us hope for the future of Chinese snowboarding. He Wei, nicknamed “Xiaohu,” a Chinese snowboarder, said: “I’ve been training in Japan recently, aiming to challenge myself constantly. I want to perfect every move in competition. But unfortunately, my performance today was average. I hope China continues to improve in terms of venues, coaching, participant engagement, and opportunities to learn from international athletes,” said He Wei.