Air & Style
Encyclopedia
The Air & Style is a Europe
an snowboard
contest first held in Innsbruck
, Austria
in 1994 and now held annually.
from each rider. From there on it developed into one of the most influential snowboard challenges today.
Until 1999 the sponsorship exploded and over 45.000 visitors witnessed the last Air & Style in Innsbruck, when six people died after the show when everybody tried to leave at once and the exits could not funnel the masses. The Contest had to move and the Bergisel
stadium was renovated. In Seefeld, a place near Innsbruck five other contests were held until 2005 it found a new home in Munich
, Germany
where it expanded its program with Freestyle Motocross
. For February 2008 the contest returned to Innsbruck
, and will presumably stay there for the following years.
Also three Skateboard contests have taken place in Innsbruck and Seefeld, even won by Tony Hawk
in 1999. After the end of the International Snowboarding Federation in 2002 the contest joined the newly formed TTR World Tour
, and Air & Style Munich
is now a 6Star event on the World Tour, whilst Air & Style Innsbruck
held a 5Star status until 2009 when it was given a 6Star accreditation. In 2000 the prize money was over 250.000 US Dollars (including an Audi A3
).
On February 2nd 2008, an Air & Style Quarterpipe event was held in Innsbruck in addition to the Straight Jump in Munich. Kevin Pearce
won the event which makes him the first winner of two Air & Style competitions in one season. The organisor has announced that this event will from now on also be held annually as a TTR 6 Star event.
Winner: Reto Lamm
Winner: Ingemar Backman
Winner: Terje Håkonsen
Winner: Fabien Rohrer
Winner: Jim Rippey (Quarterpipe: Terje Håkonsen
)
Winner: Ingmar Backman
Winner: Stefan Gimpl
(Quarterpipe Male: Trevor Andrew, Female: Pauline Richon)
Winner: Stefan Gimpl
(Corner Male: Mike Michaelchuck, Female: Pauline Richon)
Winner: Stefan Gimpl
(Corner Male: Markku Koski
, Female: Pauline Richon)
Winner: David Benedek
Winner: Shaun White
(Freestyle Motocross
: Nate Adams
)
Winner: Shaun White
(Freestyle Motocross: Ronnie Renner)
Winner: Hampus Mosesson (Freestyle Motocross: Nate Adams
)
Winner: Travis Rice
(Rookie Challenge: Mikkel Bang, Freestyle Motocross: Wiley Fullmer)
Winner: Kevin Pearce
(Rookie Challenge : Tim Humphreys, FSX: Daniel Bodin)
Cancelled due to last minute sponsorship pullout.
Winner: Marko Grilc (Rookie Challenge: Seppe Smits
)
Winner: Toutant Sebastien
Winner: McMorris Mark
Winner: Peetu Piiroinen
Winner: Kevin Pearce
(Runner up: Scotty Lago
)
Winner: Colin Frei
Winner: Tony Hawk
Winner: Lincoln Ueda
Winner: Sandro Dias
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an snowboard
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
contest first held in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1994 and now held annually.
History
Charly Weger and his snowboard photographer friend Andrew Hourmont first started the Air & Style Contest in Innsbruck. They only expected some hundred spectators but more than a few thousand showed up to see a single Straight JumpBig air
Big air is a sports discipline where the competitor rides a vehicle down a hill and perform tricks after launching off very large jumps. It is an extreme version of slopestyle. Competitors perform complex tricks in the air, aiming to attain sizable height and distance as well, all while securing a...
from each rider. From there on it developed into one of the most influential snowboard challenges today.
Until 1999 the sponsorship exploded and over 45.000 visitors witnessed the last Air & Style in Innsbruck, when six people died after the show when everybody tried to leave at once and the exits could not funnel the masses. The Contest had to move and the Bergisel
Bergisel
The Bergisel is a hill that lies to the south of Innsbruck, Austria, in the area of Wilten, where the Sill river meets the Inn Valley....
stadium was renovated. In Seefeld, a place near Innsbruck five other contests were held until 2005 it found a new home in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where it expanded its program with Freestyle Motocross
Freestyle Motocross
Freestyle Motocross is a variation on the sport of motocross in which motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts.The two main types of freestyle events are:...
. For February 2008 the contest returned to Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, and will presumably stay there for the following years.
Also three Skateboard contests have taken place in Innsbruck and Seefeld, even won by Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
in 1999. After the end of the International Snowboarding Federation in 2002 the contest joined the newly formed TTR World Tour
Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour)
Founded by Terje Håkonsen and industry innovators in 2002, the Ticket To Ride World Snowboard Tour is a rider-driven organization that aims to represent the progression of snowboarding...
, and Air & Style Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
is now a 6Star event on the World Tour, whilst Air & Style Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
held a 5Star status until 2009 when it was given a 6Star accreditation. In 2000 the prize money was over 250.000 US Dollars (including an Audi A3
Audi A3
The Audi A3 is a small family car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1996. Two generations of A3 exist, both based on the Volkswagen Group A platform, which they share with several other models such as the Audi TT, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Caddy and Volkswagen Touran as well as SEAT...
).
On February 2nd 2008, an Air & Style Quarterpipe event was held in Innsbruck in addition to the Straight Jump in Munich. Kevin Pearce
Kevin Pearce (snowboarder)
Kevin Pearce is an American snowboarder. He was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, and raised in Hartland, Vermont before moving with his parents to Norwich, Vermont.-Career:...
won the event which makes him the first winner of two Air & Style competitions in one season. The organisor has announced that this event will from now on also be held annually as a TTR 6 Star event.
Big Air Competitions
- 1. Red Bull Air & Style, January 17. 1994, Innsbruck,
Winner: Reto Lamm
Reto Lamm
Reto Lamm is a former snowboarding champion from Switzerland.He was born in Samedan and educated at Zuoz boarding school. He was a professional snowboarder , Halfpipe, Freestyle Big air, from 1989 until 2000...
- 2. Red Bull Air & Style, December 19. 1994, Innsbruck,
Winner: Ingemar Backman
Ingemar Backman
-External links:* *...
- 3. Red Bull Air & Style, December 9. 1995, Innsbruck,
Winner: Terje Håkonsen
Terje Håkonsen
Terje Håkonsen, is a Norwegian snowboarder.Håkonsen dominated freestyle snowboarding in the 1990s winning the ISF World Championships in half-pipe three times in a row, in 1993, 1995 and 1997. He has also won 5 European championships in half-pipe , the U.S...
- 4. Quicksilver Air & Style, December 7. 1996, Innsbruck,
Winner: Fabien Rohrer
- 5. Quicksilver Air & Style, December 6. 1997, Innsbruck,
Winner: Jim Rippey (Quarterpipe: Terje Håkonsen
Terje Håkonsen
Terje Håkonsen, is a Norwegian snowboarder.Håkonsen dominated freestyle snowboarding in the 1990s winning the ISF World Championships in half-pipe three times in a row, in 1993, 1995 and 1997. He has also won 5 European championships in half-pipe , the U.S...
)
- 6. G-Shock Air & Style, December 5. 1998, Innsbruck,
Winner: Ingmar Backman
- 7. G-Shock Air & Style, December 4. 1999, Innsbruck,
Winner: Stefan Gimpl
Stefan Gimpl
Stefan Gimpl is a professional snowboarder from Austria. His specialty is the big air and he is the only rider so far who has won the Air & Style Contest three times in a row....
(Quarterpipe Male: Trevor Andrew, Female: Pauline Richon)
- 8. G-Shock Air & Style, December 9. 2000, Seefeld,
Winner: Stefan Gimpl
Stefan Gimpl
Stefan Gimpl is a professional snowboarder from Austria. His specialty is the big air and he is the only rider so far who has won the Air & Style Contest three times in a row....
(Corner Male: Mike Michaelchuck, Female: Pauline Richon)
- 9. Nokia Air & Style, December 15. 2001, Seefeld,
Winner: Stefan Gimpl
Stefan Gimpl
Stefan Gimpl is a professional snowboarder from Austria. His specialty is the big air and he is the only rider so far who has won the Air & Style Contest three times in a row....
(Corner Male: Markku Koski
Markku Koski
Markku Koski is a professional snowboarder from Sievi, Finland. He is well known within the snowboarding community for his consistent showing in half-pipe competitions and for his video parts with Standard Films...
, Female: Pauline Richon)
- 10. Nokia Air & Style, December 14. 2002, Seefeld,
Winner: David Benedek
David Benedek
David Benedek is a professional snowboarder, graphic designer and film maker. He is the co-founder of former US-based production company Robot Food as well as founder of Germany based Blank Paper Studio. David is most notable for his creative approach to Snowboarding as well as for pushing...
- 11. Nokia Air & Style, December 11./12. 2003, Seefeld,
Winner: Shaun White
Shaun White
Shaun Roger White is an American professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He rides regular stance, twelve and negative three degrees on his board.-Early life:Shaun White is an Irish American...
(Freestyle Motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
: Nate Adams
Nate Adams
Nate Adams is an United States motocross rider and extreme sports athlete. A resident of Temecula, California, he attained national fame when he won the World Freestyle Motocross Championship in 2002.-Biography:...
)
- 12. Nokia Air & Style, December 11./12. 2004, Seefeld,
Winner: Shaun White
Shaun White
Shaun Roger White is an American professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He rides regular stance, twelve and negative three degrees on his board.-Early life:Shaun White is an Irish American...
(Freestyle Motocross: Ronnie Renner)
- 13. Nokia Air & Style, December 3. 2005, Munich,
Winner: Hampus Mosesson (Freestyle Motocross: Nate Adams
Nate Adams
Nate Adams is an United States motocross rider and extreme sports athlete. A resident of Temecula, California, he attained national fame when he won the World Freestyle Motocross Championship in 2002.-Biography:...
)
- 14. Nokia Air & Style, December 6. 2006, Munich,
Winner: Travis Rice
Travis Rice
Travis Rice is an American professional snowboarder. He is #13 on Snowboarder magazine’s list of the Top Twenty Most Influential Riders, He has been considered "the Paul Revere" of the big mountain freestyle movement....
(Rookie Challenge: Mikkel Bang, Freestyle Motocross: Wiley Fullmer)
- 15. Nokia Air & Style, December 1. 2007, MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Olympic Stadium (Munich)Olympic Stadium (Munich)Olympiastadion is a stadium located in Munich, Germany. Situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich, the stadium was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics....
,
Winner: Kevin Pearce
Kevin Pearce (snowboarder)
Kevin Pearce is an American snowboarder. He was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, and raised in Hartland, Vermont before moving with his parents to Norwich, Vermont.-Career:...
(Rookie Challenge : Tim Humphreys, FSX: Daniel Bodin)
- 16. Air & Style, November 29. 2008, Munich,
Cancelled due to last minute sponsorship pullout.
- 16. Billabong Air & Style, December 5. 2009, Innsbruck,
Winner: Marko Grilc (Rookie Challenge: Seppe Smits
Seppe Smits
Seppe Smits is a Belgian professional snowboarder and World Championship medalist. Smits rides goofy.Seppe Smits started snowboarding at a serious level in the winter of 2006 - 2007, competing in the Europa Cup...
)
- 17. Oakley & Shaun White Present Air & Style December 4. 2010, Beijing
Winner: Toutant Sebastien
- 17. Billabong Air & Style, February 5. 2011, Innsbruck
Winner: McMorris Mark
- 17. Nike 6.0 Air & Style February 12. 2011, Munich
Winner: Peetu Piiroinen
Peetu Piiroinen
Peetu Piiroinen is a Finnish snowboarder.-Personal life:Living in Hyvinkää, Finland, with his home mountain being Sveitsin Hiihtokeskus, Peetu has been travelling the world competing since 1997....
Quarterpipe Competitions
- 1. Billabong Air & Style, February 2. 2008, Innsbruck, Bergisel
Winner: Kevin Pearce
Kevin Pearce (snowboarder)
Kevin Pearce is an American snowboarder. He was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, and raised in Hartland, Vermont before moving with his parents to Norwich, Vermont.-Career:...
(Runner up: Scotty Lago
Scotty Lago
Scotty Lago is an American snowboarder. He is the 2004 World quarterpipe champion and winner of a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.-Career:...
)
- 2. Billabong Air & Style, January 31. 2009, Innsbruck, Bergisel
Winner: Colin Frei
Skateboard Competitions
- 1. Air & Style Skate Contest, August 19. 1999, Innsbruck, Tivoli
Winner: Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
- 2. Air & Style Skate Contest, June 9. 2000, Innsbruck, Hafen
Winner: Lincoln Ueda
- 3. Air & Style Skate Contest, December 15. 2001, Seefeld, Olympic stadium (combined with snowboard contest)
Winner: Sandro Dias
Sandro Dias
Sandro Dias is a Brazilian professional vert skateboarder. He was born on April 18, 1975 in Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil and currently resides in Santa Ana, California. He started skateboarding in 1986 and turned pro in 1995. He is considered the king of the 540 and one of five people to be...