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On Tuesday 20 March, Jack Wills brought a unique event to Meribel - the first ever 'Jack Wills Big Air Fashion Show'.
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In a season famed already for its depleted snowbase & unseasonally high temperatures, it does of course make sense that arctic conditions & a surprise blizzard afflicted the inaugural Jack Wills Big Air Fashion show. Not that this put a downer on an event that was clearly designed to appeal to all the primeval instincts of the season worker.
 Everything a season worker could want
So there was the prospect of a free-to-enter open-to-everybody Big Air competition in Meribel Alpina's awesome Moon Park; there was a pumping set of rocking tunes from Dicks Tea Bar DJ, Mike; Picnics on the Piste were there doling out delicious BBQ, hot soup & vin chaud; Red Bull provided cover for the crowds & a load of their sought-after product; and finally 5 of Meribel's hottest girls & 5 of its hottest guys showcased the Jack Wills summer fashion range on a snow and ice catwalk in between the Big Air kickers.
Crowd stoked by prizes, Red Bull & bikinis
The prospect of bikini bottoms, boxers & big air (& Red Bull) meant the turn out was massive on the hill, especially so since the temperature had dropped by 20degrees from a week earlier & it was minus 5C on the catwalk. Jimbo from Red Bull was there in a gorilla suit, gold shades & extravagant beard to stoke up the crowd - the chance of receiving Jack Wills clothing goodie bags or a VIP wristband for the after-party at Dicks Tea Bar just added to the excitment.
Jack Wills Big Air in the Moon Park
 The comp itself was very impressive. A two-hour jam session saw a load of Meribel's best jibbers defying the difficult weather conditions and throwing down some awesome moves
off the Moon Park's double kicker. Jez Carpenter's Switch Backflip was one of the highlights of the day: but Jamie Matthews from Le Pub with his Switch Rodeo Five on skis & Bobby Arnell with a massive Rodeo Seven on his board most impressed the judges [Guillaume from event partner Magic-in-Motion & Phil from Natives]. They walked off with their respective Jack Wills Big Air titles & a load of Jack Wills stash.
Rachel Short just went huge for the female skiers - she rode herself into first place with a classy 30foot mute grab. Hanna Wrixon did the same on the boarding front. She led from the front & no-one could match her big straight Indy grab.
Fashion show in freezing snow
But the crowd weren't just up there to watch the freestylers - they were after style of a different kind. And they certainly got it. Despite it being cold enough
to freeze the nipples off a gorilla suit [just ask Jimbo from Red Bull about that nasty injury], Quincy from Jack Wills had convinced 5 gorgeous ladies & 5 hunky guys from Meribel to strip down to their bare essentials (and occasionally less than that) and parade the Jack WIlls range of summer fashion clothing on a snow and ice catwalk between the kickers.
 Red Bull & Thunder Vodka warm up models
With snow falling & the temperature below zero, Red Bull and Thunder Vodka provided the impetus to don boxer shorts or bikini briefs and strut their collective stuff on the Jack Wills catwalk. Just some of the highlights included Laura in her hot pants, Jean Luc and a strategic sock in his boxers & Nell in bikini briefs and crop top. The show was run through twice and each time all the models came out together for the finale the crowd went wild. Their devotion to
their Jack Wills duty was much appreciated & enjoyed by all.
Purple Lycra and prize-giving at Rond-Point
The prize-giving moved on to the Rond-Point, where Quincy & the models oversaw a best dressed competition for a presentation bottle of Thunder Vodka. After grabbing people from the crowd and showing off their steeze (or lack of it) to the gathered throng, the judges were conferring, when a commotion to the left attracted everyones attention. As if by magic an innocuously dressed individual was peeled out of his clothing to reveal one of the finest skin-tight purple lycra bodysuits the 1980s had ever produced. Competition over and Mattie from Leeds walked off with the title and the bottle.
After-party at Dicks Tea Bar
With Jack Wills and Red Bull taking over the back bar at Dicks Tea Bar for those with the sought after VIP wristbands, the after-party was always going to be a hedonistic affair. It didn't disappoint and with a number of revellers emerging into the murky dawn, Wednesday was a very quiet day in resort.
Jack Wills Big Air Fashion Show - ready for 2008?
And that concluded the inaugural Jack Wills Big Air Fashion Show - a phenomenal event, made even more impressive by the challenging weather conditions. Keep your eyes peeled to Natives for news of the 2008 event - a must for any season worker in or near the Three Valleys next season.
Here's a selection of pictures from the day:
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 Who is Jack Wills?
Rock solid, traditional British heritage, inspired by vintage sportswear, beachwear and a classic aspirational British brand, Jack Wills is the epitome of preppy cool!
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