Air & Style
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The Air & Style is a European snowboard contest first held in Innsbruck, Austria in 1994 and now held annually.
[edit] 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 Jump 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 SIX(6)Star event, the highest in the ranking, whilst Air & Style Innsbruck has a FIVE(5)Star 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 5 Star event.
[edit] Chronology
- 1. Red Bull Air & Style, January 17. 1994, Innsbruck,
Winner: Reto Lamm
- 2. Red Bull Air & Style, December 19. 1994, Innsbruck,
Winner: Ingmar Backman
- 3. Red Bull Air & Style, December 9. 1995, Innsbruck,
Winner: Terje Håkonsen
- 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)
- 6. G-Shock Air & Style, December 5. 1998, Innsbruck,
Winner: Ingmar Backman
- 7. G-Shock Air & Style, December 4. 1999, Innsbruck,
Winner: Stefan Gimpl (Quarterpipe Male: Trevor Andrew, Female: Pauline Richon)
- 8. G-Shock Air & Style, December 9. 2000, Seefeld,
Winner: Stefan Gimpl (Corner Male: Mike Michaelchuck, Female: Pauline Richon)
- 9. Nokia Air & Style, December 15. 2001, Seefeld,
Winner: Stefan Gimpl (Corner Male: Markku Koski, Female: Pauline Richon)
- 10. Nokia Air & Style, December 14. 2002, Seefeld,
Winner: David Benedek
- 11. Nokia Air & Style, December 11./12. 2003, Seefeld,
Winner: Shaun White (Freestyle Motocross: Nate Adams)
- 12. Nokia Air & Style, December 11./12. 2004, Seefeld,
Winner: Shaun White (Freestyle Motocros: Ronnie Renner)
- 13. Nokia Air & Style, December 3. 2005, Munich,
Winner: Hampus Mosesson (Freestyle Motocross: Nate Adams)
- 14. Nokia Air & Style, December 6. 2006, Munich,
Winner: Travis Rice (Rookie Challenge: Mikkel Bang, Freestyle Motocross: Wiley Fullmer)
- 15. Nokia Air & Style, December 1. 2007, Munich, Olympic Stadium (Munich),
Winner: Kevin Pearce (Rookie Challenge : Tim Humphreys, FSX: Daniel Bodin)
- 16. Billabong Air & Style, February 2. 2008, Innsbruck, Bergisel
Winner: Kevin Pearce (Runner up: Scotty Lago)
