The Arctic Challenge

In picture perfect, bluebird weather, Shaun White navigated his way through a testing Slopestyle set up in front of a world class rider line up, setting himself up for yet another history making result. Snowboarding was the biggest winner on the day, after 24 riders were cut to 10 finalists in a 3 run, best two count format employed both qualifications and finals for the inaugural TAC Slopestyle contest.

The Arctic Challenge in the past built its reputation on transition infrastructures, always creating massive pipes and even bigger quarters. Terje Haakonsen's event has traditionally drawn an impressive riders list. That hasn't changed this year. The introduction of the Slopestyle and the opening of TAC to Ticket to Ride (TTR) qualifiers has resulted in the event growing in stature, and providing the perfect testing ground for riders who have achieved acclaim during the season, ready to test their wares against the some of the best in the world in a rider driven event.

In TAC's first Slopestyle course, renown shapers, David Ny and Klaes Hogstrom, put together a tight, technical and fun infrastructure. Starting directly with a three rail option it dropped to manual box to rail or kinked rail option. As you came down the course there was a gap to up rail or quarter hip option. Following was 12 meter kicker with picnic table option, or a tight 10 meter kinked rail. Navigation of these left the option of another 10m kicker or jib line consisting of a bonk barrel, down ledge to bender box. Probably the biggest feature was the transfer jump, two 18-meter kickers side-by-side, with rail in the gap. Finishing the course was a backside hip or manual box to C-rail and it was all done. Maybe short of one big kicker to be called the perfect park, it definitely offered technical and testing lines, and immensely fun to ride.

The initial field of 28 riders was reduced to 23 when the Japanese riders, Rio Tahara and Kazuhiro Kokubo, pulled out suffering jet lag having walked directly off a plane onto the course. Andy Finch, Elijah Teter and Tommy Czeschin were forced out when their luggage was lost by the airlines, leaving them rather disappointed spectators. But the 23 riders who were left commenced to tear the course apart. Running a 3 run, best 3 count format, variety, style, stomp and amplitude were big factors in judging. It was not going to be an easy day for judges Mike Ranquet, Sebu Kuhlberg, Mathieu Giraud, Jacob Wilhelmson, Tomi Toiminen and head judge Ola Sundequist On a long narrow course, but there were no complaints by the end of proceedings.

Qualifications saw riders testing and tearing all components set up for rider's pleasure on the 800-meter course. With 23 riders to run before cutting the list down to the 10 finalists, riders kept warm by talking laps between judged runs, most having 20 runs through the day. The course offered two main lines that were interchangeable at almost every section of the park. While there were moments of brilliance from all of the riders on at least a couple of components on the course, the top 10 riders after the first round stay ostensibly the same through qualifications. Shaun White injected a little humour into the day when leading after the first two runs, he sent a ninja clad Mikkel Bang with wearing the white jersey for his third qualification run. Mikkel, stoked on being Shaun for the day, fooled started and TV crews while the real Shaun took lunch. Either way, Shaun headed the standings going into the finals with an ever improving, Hampus Mosseson close to the mark, Finish freestyle powerhouses, Eero Ettala and Heikki Sorsa following and an impressive Nate Sheehan on his first European and TAC appearance. The remaining finalists, Steve Gruber, Travis Rice, Nic Muller, Mathieu Crepel were joined by Quentin Robbins who appeared out of nowhere this season, but has placed to 5 at every event he entered since the start of the season, making the final into the 10 man final.

The course was so long with so many options that naming a complete run is almost impossible. In brief, Mathieu Crepel fell on two of his runs putting him in 10th place, but he still nailed parts of the course, most memorable combo a b/s5 to switch b/s5 on the main kicker and transfer kicker. Nicolas Muller's first run included switch b/s7 to b/s7 to cab7 combo over the main kicker section with a solid b/s off the hip finishing with the tree ride. It was not enough overall, Nic making it to 9th in the finals. Travis Rice was solid on all moduals, from kicker s transfers and rails. His best combo was probably a board slide to fakie on the top rail, followed by a f/s board slide to b/s board slide on the kink, to stylish b/s 180, to inverted 7, cab 5 to transfer. Again, he was solid all day but it was not enough to see him place higher than 7th. Quentin Robbins and Steve Gruber used the whole course the whole day. Both had touch downs in at least one run, Steve lucky to escape injury when reverting out of the hip he didn't spot the C-rail and fractured his edge in 12 places. From rails to the small quarter, switch b/s 7's were impressive. Likewise, Quentin took the step up rail 50/50 to f/s 180 off and threw in a couple of inverted cab 9's to boot. Steve just fell out of top 5, and Quentin a more than respectable 7th.

Hampus Mosseson was a contender all day, and would almost be in the money for the Rookie of the Year in anyone's books. From the Quiksilver Slopestyle Pro to The Battle in Falun, Hampus has torn slopestyle's apart everywhere he has turned up. From the top rail he eased through switch f/s board slide, to a buttered f/s board slide to b/s 270 off to 50/50 on the kink, b/s 5 nosegrab, cab 9 b/s grab to f/s 5. He was definitely in the running, all day but finally came into 5th. Eero Ettala tore the rails apart, buttering the top rail and basically destroying everything that came his direction all day. In one word, Stylemaster! C-rail to fakie topping it all off. Nate Sheenan carried the flag right up until the final run, making the podium with a cab 270 to fakie, switch b/s 7, cab 9 stalefish and b/s 5 mute. Sick introduction to Europe and stomped it all, all day! He was did it all and was only outdone by two riders under 20 years of age. Heikki Sorsa's 9 _ meter air at the last Arctic quarter is legendary, but Heikki is definitely one of the world's sickest rippers. It's almost impossible to describe Heikki's runs. He ruled the rails, every direction, span both ways going forward or backwards and generally blew people's minds. But it was the indomitable Shaun White who took out the inaugural Arctic Challenge Slopestyle, with a bag of tricks including a nose press to b/s lip slide, switch b/s 5 to f/s 7 to b/s 7. Almost too easy, the Slopestyle contest was sick and a great opening to TAC 2004.

Slopestyle Results

1. Shaun White 2. Heikki Sorsa 3. Nate Sheehan 4. Eero Ettala 5. Hampus Mosseson 6. Steve Gruber 7. Quentin Robbins 8. Travis Rice 9. Nicolas Muller 10. Mathieu Crepel

Next to come, the halfpipe contest!

For instant info, photos, downloadable videos and results visit our new website www.headew.the-arctic-challenge.com