With the Northern Hemisphere season all but run and won, it’s time to ponder, in no particular order the glory brought forth by our Aus and NZ snowboard representatives over the past season. A chest beat for southern hemisphere snowboarding if you will.
World record-breaking method – Valentino Guseli
There’s much to discuss and to dissect about our wonder-boy’s backside method, be it the speed, the textbook tweak, or the moment Val releases the grab, and kinda just keeps it all together without shitting the bed. It’s another world-rec-record, and deserving of a spot on the Ripleys believe it or not.
‘Yellow’ video part – Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
Although not technically ‘this season’, Zoi’s collective works of footage courtesy of the Burton archives is an offering to this here altar. A curated undertaking by Kiwi countryman Carlos Garcia Knight, Zoi’s riding is reinterpreted with the creative lens it deserves. And when released back in March, it really became a sensation. It’s the video part we needed. Mark it.
Switch Mctwist pull – Scotty James
There’s something about Scotty. A jazz if you will. He’s always tinkering with something, and when he pulled this switch Mctwist-pull for public consideration back in October, he just, you know… played on the snowboarder’s heartstrings. It’s just one of those tricks that he’s decided to integrate into his runs which sits really well with us. You can stand back from it, marvel at it and just say “gee, that looks good”. Like a colourbond roof.
Silver at the Beijing Big Air – Tess Coady
This Northern Hemi Season has been bitter sweet for Tess, with a recurring shoulder injury, seeing it cut short. But before Tess wrapped herself up she undertook a strike mission at the Beijing Big Air – securing a silver medal for her efforts, then onto the LAX Open finishing 4th in Slopee. In the meantime, snowboarding braces itself for her return this coming season.
6th gold X Games Medal – Scotty James
It’ll be cash for scrap soon if Scotty James keeps winning these X Games gold’s. With 6 gold X Games medals to his name, Scotty joins Snowboarding Steven Tyler – Shaun White’s feat with a 3-peat in halfpipe. Sounds mighty sporty doesn’t it “3-peat”?
The next generation – Campers.
Our feeds have been ablaze with daily postings from Aus/NZ snowboard coaches/camps with content of their ‘students’ ripping the bag. Gone are the days when 13-year-olds could secure goggle sponsors with flaccid back-3’s. There’s now a whole army of snowboard spawns doing doubles like a possessed Yoho-Diabolos.
DIYX Street Jam – Andy James
Castle’s are a dime a dozen in Austria apparently, so ‘all good’ if you want to plomp a couple of rails on top of one, and coincidently light part of it on fire also and call it a rail jam. Ethan Morgan’s event went viral, and Andy James not only got the invite to ride these ruins but got to take part in the arsenal activities.
Trans Canada Highway – Mediumsux
Worthy accomplishments aren’t solely reserved for podium places and world records, but rather recognising rail-heavies @mediumsux for their explorations across America and into Canada and representing for our nations in the lands of rope-tows with their snowboarding haberdashery. Things are being tight-lipped here, with only one edit release, which has us tingling for a potential future release to back-up their full length film – ‘Sorry You Feel That Way’.
Putting the X in ANZAC – Tiarn Collins, Emily Arthur, Scotty James
X really had its spot marked this season by the Anzacs. Along with Scotty James taking his 6th Gold medal in pipe, we had Emily Arthur take 7th place in Women’s pipe also. Meanwhile Cardy local, Tiarn Collins flew the flag in both slope and big air, with a 6th and 5th respectively. It’s a big show for the southern hemisphere at snowboarding’s most ‘epic’ competitive spectacle.
Val in general – Valentino Guseli
This is a blanket statement because Val’s accomplishments in the past 6 months alone could have had its own Top Ten. Instead, he’s getting a generalised golf clap for winning pretty much anything that resembled a snowboard contest in the Northern Hemi, including all the FIS riff-raff. It’d be worthy to post all his wins and results right here, but this is no place for a spreadsheet, and in fact at the time of writing – Val’s just so happened to take out Slush’s World Quarterpipe Championship at Mammoth on the weekend.
