At the Monster Energy White Style, the European riders clearly dominated the contest this past Friday in Leogang, Austria with TSG`s Sam Pilgrim taking first, TSG ambassador Sam Reynolds and Yannick Granieri taking second and third.
More than 2.500 visitors flocked to Leogang’s Schantei lift to get a first-hand impression of the Monster Energy White Style course, designed by Grant “Chopper” Fielder. After the snow had been too soft for complete runs during Thursday’s training session, perfect weather conditions awaited the riders for the finals on Friday. This year, Kona Clump rider Chopper once again outdid himself: the step-up step-down with humongous drop was so massive the riders referred to it as the “Monster”. The impressive course was so daunting that it inspired awe in the toughest pro.
Obviously, the obstacles’ gigantic dimensions could not scare the riders away and most of the athletes who had travelled to Leogang from twelve nations showed the best tricks in their repertoire. One such trick combination consisting of a backflip table, 360 into the satellite dish and flip off, tailwhip, flip tabletop off the monster drop, and backflip x-up onefoot catapulted British Sam Pilgrim to first place. The second-time winner was super stoked: “The course was really gnarly this year. It’s not easy riding on snow, also because your fingers tend to freeze. But Chopper built an awesome course and I am really stoked to take first place again. I’m starting to become a White Style veteran!”
The riders had good reason to be wary of the Monster’s huge proportions. Only after Sam Reynolds broke the spell with a backflip off the feared mega-drop, one rider after another tricked off the obstacle. Sam completed his winning run with a backflip no hands, tailwhip, flip off the Monster drop and a superman seatgrab.
TSG ambassador Simon Kirchmann ended up 7th.
Congratulation to our riders!
1 Sam Pilgrim GBR
2 Sam Reynolds GBR
3 Yannick Granieri FRA
4 Graham Agassiz CAN
5 Jamie Goldman USA
6 Szymon Godziek POL
7 Simon Kirchmann GER
8 Thomas Genon BEL
9 Martin Söderström SWE
10 Antoine Bizet FRA
11 Andreu Lacondeguy ESP
12 Jan Toth CZE
