AIM Series 2004

The highly acclaimed AIM (Artificial, Indoor, Mountain) Series is back for 2004 and kicked off at Halifax last week..

Summer sun
In blasting sunshine and summer temperatures up to 32 degrees, over 100 snowboard and freestyle ski competitors competed over the weekend for the Artificial Big Air Champion’s title at the Orange AIM Series first event of the 2004 calendar at Halifax Ski Centre.

Skiers and snowboarders from all over the country gathered in Halifax to battle it out in the Big Air Championships on one of the country’s biggest dryslope jumps. The event was a success with great atmosphere amongst the spectators and great talent showcased by the competitors. In both the snowboard and ski event a record number of new talents, as young as five years old, took part in the competition, proving the growth of these sports.

Mollie Percival

Richard Campbell

Wayne Taylor

Jamie Nicholls

One of them was snowboarder Richard Campbell, who started snowboarding with his four mates after the Orange AIM Schools Tour visited their Halifax school last year offering the students a free beginner lesson. Richard has been training hard all year and was throwing down 360’s and even 540’s, which earned him the youth men champion’s title, demonstrating how the Series promotes the sport and provides a stepping stone for amateurs as well as established riders.

Top talent qualifiers
After three qualifying rounds eight men and four women had gone through to the final. In the men’s final it was a close race between Halifax boys Wayne Taylor, Tom Percival and Vic Boys, with Wayne Taylor bagging the title, £125 cash and an Orange mobile with his corked back-side 720, indy grab. 11 years old Jamie Nicholls, also from Halifax, came fourth after giving the older boys a run for their money.

In the women’s competition British Big Air Champion Mollie Percival, Bury, added another title to her name after scoring most points for her solid back-side 360. Mollie also won £125 cash and an Orange mobile. Liz Osbourne and Dawn Gamble came second and third respectively.

Ski sunday
On Sunday it was the skiers turn to take over the slope. The fourteen competitors under 13 yrs almost took over the entire event as they attacked the jump and performed fantastic runs to their ability. There are definitely a few future champions out there! There were over 40 competitors in all, heaps more than last year, a couple only five years old.

In the overall competition, however, it was the more experienced skiers that took home the titles. In the men’s final it was the Kneesall massive, Andy Bennett, Paddy Graham and Eddie Thelwell, all local to Sheffield Ski Village and in the UK’s top 10 freestyle skiers that fought for the title. After a display of 360s and 540s, Andy Bennett became the champion with his flawless d-spin 7 (his final jump was the cleanest and looked to be the most effortless jump he has ever done - I was stood right underneath him as he did it and he stalled half way round and gave me a cheeky grin while he was upside-down before finishing his rotation - Ed), taking home £125 cash and an Orange mobile, before paddy Graham second and Eddie Thelwell third.

In the ladies competition there was a close final between British Halfpipe Champion Emma Lonsdale, local Halifax girl Marie Tyler and Becky Hammond, who competed despite injuring herself in the practice. Lonsdale ended up taking the title with a high, clean 360 before Tyler second and Hammond third.

Team challenge
Both days a Team Challenge was run after the Big Air Championships. The teams were made up by three people and based on a 45 minutes jam session. It was the audience and fellow riders/ skiers that voted and named the winners. In the snowboard event, with the loudest cheer from the crowd, it was The Little Giants who won with their innovative formation and variation of tricks. Among a start field of much older and experienced riders this was quite an achievement for a 10, a 12 and a 14 year old.

In the ski Team Challenge there was no doubt the Kneesall Massive were the favourites with the crowd after amazing runs of three way formations and managing to all slide the same rail together!

Orange AIM SERIES RESULTS – Artificial Big Air Championships, Halifax

SNOWBOARD - MEN 1) Wayne Taylor, Halifax 2) Tom Percival, Bury 3) Vic Boys, Bury

SNOWBOARD - WOMEN 1) Mollie Percival, Bury 2) Liz Osbourne, Wimbledon 3) Dawn Gamble, Edinburgh

Snowboard Team Challenge: The Little Giants; William Smith, Jake Leitham, Andrew Thomson

SKI - MEN 1) Andy Bennett, Nottingham 2) Paddy Graham, Sheffield 3) Eddie Thelwell, Sheffield

SKI - WOMEN 1) Emma Londsdale, Settle 2) Marie Tyler, Halifax 3) Becky Hammond, Sheffield

Ski Team Challenge: The Kneesall Massive; Andy Bennett, Paddy Graham, Eddie Thelwell. Team KSM were throwing some nice tricks of the jump (despite almost hitting each other on one run - Paddy and Eddie landing no more than 30cm away from each other), and managed to get all 3 of them on the TransCo rail at the same time.

Next event on the Orange AIM Series Calendar is the Artificial Boarder / Skier Cross Championships at Midlothian Ski Centre, Hillend, Edinburgh, 21 – 22 August.

[All snowboard pictures by Dopeshots.com and all ski pictures by Phil Wigglesworth.]