[UPDATE - NOW WITH VIDEO!]

The kick-ass park from the top. On course are the self-proclaimed 'worst team in the contest' - the Fat Ankles. Or Serge's Sputum. Or one of the other 300 names they seemed to have for themselves.

The Ästhetiker’s flagship contest wrapped up early due to heavy snowfall, with the team comprised of the elder statesmen of Austrian snowboarding – Steve Gruber, Friedl Kolar and Rudi Kröll – coming out victorious in the innovative Gäng Jäm. Read more…

If there’s one ‘contest’ on the planet that sums up the true spirit of snowboarding best, it’s the Wängl Tängl. In its 9th year, this bro-down in Mayrhofen is in turns fun, drunk, chaotic, progressive, innovative, confusing. And more. But when boiled down you can encapsulate the whole shebang in one word – AWESOME.

Adrian Krainer. Photo: Alex Papis.

Let’s face it – if we wanted laser precision and sobriety we’d be ass-banging the FIS till the cows came home. And then we’d get the cows involved themselves. The beauty of the Wängl is that it manages to combine the creative passion most snowboarders can relate to with the chaotic elements of living on the fly that all snowboarders can relate to. Hell, the contest was wrapped up a day before it was supposed to start due to imminent bad weather, but as they say: “It’s on when it’s on!”

As has become the norm with the Wängl, the Ästhetiker boys had been given free reign of the Vans Penken Park and set about sculpting a masterpiece of innovative shred terrain. Regular straigntforward booters, transfers, jibs and a double hip/cradle/wallride/gap-over endsection meant there was a multitude of lines riders could take and though triple corking mega spins were absent the riders were ensuring that the pedigree of style was continued as they destroyed the setup.

Gäng Jämmin.

The call it a contest. That’s a pretty loose term. The official line is it’s a team event with 3 riders per crew competing for a slice of the eurodollar shaped pie. In reality it’s all about buddies shredding together, getting stoked on each other’s efforts, and trying to emerge unscathed when there’s 2 other duders hitting the park at the same time. Seriously, it was all about the gameplan at the top of the course, with teams plotting who’d hit what where and in which direction in an effort to prevent spanking into each other as most teams tried to ride only a couple metres apart. “On you’re left!” “Spinning right!” that was the kind of stuff you’d hear on course. Now imagine this with a belly full of schnapps from the Evil Dr Fenkenstein. Danger, Danger.

Mone Monsberger. Legend!

But these guys are true pros and although there were a couple of injuries most teams emerged unscathed. It has to be said that this was by far the most enjoyable contest we hit up this season. Maybe it’s something to do with becoming desensitised to the double dipping übercoptering that is so hot in major events these days but here, although Clemens Schattschneider was dropping double 10s into his team’s run, most guys seemed happy to send slow 3s, 5s and 7s and get their jib on. Special mention must also go to the UK’s Billy Morgan for his awesome Miller Flips over the end section’s wallride; Andre Kuhlmann‘s huge pop tarts on the hip, Mone Monsberger‘s one-footers on the wallride, and a dude who’s name we missed throwing double backies with gay abandon.

Tobi Strauss. Photo: Erwin Polanc.

To be honest, it was a nightmare to try and follow what was happening in the comp. Figuring out what one guy’s doing down the course it no biggie but when there’s three on course at once it’s pretty hard to keep up. God only knows how they managed to judge it. But judge it they did and despite some strong challenges from last year’s winners, Team Absolut, and another team of locals, The Djudes, the crack team of veteran Ästhetiker hombres known as Team 96 (named so as their combined age is 96-years-old) – made up of Steve Gruber, Friedl Kolar and Rudi Kröll – had the style, the synchronicity and the stomps to see them top the pile.

Then it was time to check the insane skateboarding, bop heads to the beats and skull a couple cold ones with friends celebrating the spirit the Ästhetiker live for. Next year’s gig, if we’re not mistaken, will be the 10-year anniversary so we’re looking forward to what they come up with for that already.

Results Wängl Tängl 2011

Snowboard:
1. TeÄm 96 (Steve Gruber, Rudi Kröll, Friedl Kolar) AUT
2. The Djudes (Chris Kröll, Mario Wanger, Flo Heim)AUT
3. Team Absolut (Michi Stanschitz, Philipp Gruber, Thomas Minichberger) AUT

Here’s how Mone Monsberger breaks it down:

“Last year we filmed a lot in Zillertal again, in the ‘Ästhetiker Playground’ the whole crew made it to some sessions. Check out: Herby Thaler, Simon Schweiger, Rudi Kröll, Ck, Beckna, Wolle, Steve Gruber, Walter Fanninger, Friedl Kolar, Jocki Köffler, Anne Flore Marxer, Georg Huber, Michi Stanschitz… in action! enjoy!”

Click play to enjoy some pow pow funtimes this Friday arvo.

Guess what: The new HOTZONE.TV team movie „THE DUDE V“ is out – and you can get your own movie absolutely free of charge! And here’s how to get hold of this Austrian gem:

Out now, the current HOTZONE.TV team movie is ready for download. Get yourself the new „THE DUDE V“ movie and follow our HOTZONE.TV teamriders to the best spots and locations around the globe. Up from amazing locations like Chile and New Zealand our journey goes on to Italy and of course to the topspots of Austria! The best HOTZONE.TV Snowboard team movie of all times only waits for you! Look forward for the spacy sound track and the great shots of the HOTZONE.TV team riders like Werni Stock, Georg Huber, Friedl Kolar, Tom „Beckna“ Eberharter, Rudi Kröll, Lars Oesterle, Andreas Monsberger, Seppe Smits, Alex Walch, Reini Rieser, Daniel Mösl and friends Johan Olofsson and David Larsson!

You want it now? It is that simple and absolutely free of charge: go to http://www.thedude5.com and you´ll find the download links for IPhone, IPod, HDV movie or  smaller resolutions for Quicktime and Windows Media Player. Click on the one you´re about to download and you´ll get it sent via e-mail.

Check the latest webisode from the Zillertal crew documenting the old dogs and the young guns of the Ästhetiker clan mixing it up.

For 2010 the Ästhetikers have planned a new format for their well-known boardsport-shows. In the new productions the ‘old dogs’ and the ‘young guns’ come together to create a new era in the Ästhetiker Tell Ä Vision history.

The crew. Photo: Tom Eberharter.

The ‘old dogs’, Steve Gruber, Chris and Rudi Kröll, Tom “Beckna” Eberharter, Friedl Kolar, Jocki Köffler, Gogo Gossner and many more shred together with the ‘young guns’ like 15 year old Georg Huber, Alex Walch, Werni Stock, Marc Swoboda, Herby Thaler, Phips Gruber, Flo Heim and Simon Schweiger. Also new in the project will be the first girl on Tell Ä Vision ever, namely Anne-Flore Marxer!

By snowboarding together they will support each other. The ‘young guns’ profit from the experience oft the ‘old dogs’ and the ‘old dogs’ can pick up the ‘young guns’ motivation.

Young gun Georg Huber. Photo: Christian Eberl.

The Ästhetikers are not only going to present a huge variety of snowboarding shots, they are going to show the emotions of all the riders, the discussions about powderlines, how to build a kicker or how to improve their riding! What the Ästhetikers want to show as well is an impression of how snowboard shots get produced!

Old dog Rudi Kröll. Photo: Toom Eberharter.

Every two weeks during this season the Ä-Crew will produce a newsblog webisode to introduce the new riders and advertise some of the footage, which will be broadcasted in their shows in Fall 2010!

In Fall 2010 the Ästhetikers will present eight podcasts with the best footage of the season!

You better not miss it!