You’ll no doubt have peeped the shots and read our blow-by-blow account of the madness at Saturday night’s O’Neill Evolution Big Air, but as they say: if it ain’t on video it didn’t happen. It is; it did. Watch Maxence Parrot’s winning backside triple cork 1440, Kyle Mack’s frontside triple 14, and the front double 10 of Emil Ulsletten. Oof.

Maxence Parrot on his way to stomping the most perfect backside 144o triple cork ever seen. Photo: Burrows.

Maxence Parrot lands triple cork 1440 to win the 6-Star O’Neill Evolution in Davos.

Max Parrot putting down a back 12 dub in training. Photo: Burrows.

Mind. Blown. Yesterday we mentioned how the absence of a raft of big name kicker specialists could have affected the quality of this contest. Bullshit. The riding was monumental and not only did Parrot put down the most textbook triple cork 1440 we’ve ever seen (even having the nonchalance to afterbang the landing), 15-year-old Kyle Mack manned up after a brutal slam to land a front 14 triple off the toes.

Seb Toutant. Back 10 double. Photo: Burrows

But let’s rewind. Proceedings began with the girls’ Big Air which was taken out by 14-year-old Japanese sensation Miyabi Onitsuka, sending a huge front 3 before polishing off the rails with a lipslide and a front board.

Celia Miller. Photo: Burrows.

Next on the agenda was Gian Simmen’s Legends Session in the pipe – a gathering of Gian’s friends from his long career in pro shredding. With guys like Giom Morrissette, Pascal Imhof, Xaver Hoffmann, Michi Albin and more the session was full of huge straight airs, binding-creaking tweaks and a whole lot of style. For the ageing media scrum at least it was definitely a highlight of the event and served as a nice counterpoint to the stratospheric level of technical kicker riding that was to come as couple of hours later.

Gian Simmen bossing it in his Legends Session. Photo: Burrows.

Jan Scherrer, a Swiss kid who’s grown up being influenced by Gian Simmen, throws down in the Legend Session for the legions of Instagram addicts. Photo: Burrows.

Drew Stevenson pays respect to his good bud Gian. Photo: Burrows.

But as much as respecting the legends of snowboarding past is important, this game’s fundamentally about the kids pushing the limits at the apex of the sport and there’s no doubt that in the Big Air finals the level was pushed way the hell out there…

Emil Ulsletten’s front 10 doubles were rad, but on a night like tonight, not enough. Photo: Burrows

After his well-documented triple cork stomp in training we were expecting to see 18-year-old Maxence Parrot in the final and a flawless back 12 double later he’d netted the points he needed to ratchet up expectations of a triple-trading ender with teammate Seb Toutant. But, oh, drama! Clearly Kalle Järvilehto hadn’t read the script and his saurian-sized back 12 double and front board through the kink saw Toutant and his cab 12 dub heading for a early bath. Kyle Mack had impressed in the earlier rounds and the 15-year-old Yank upped his game to take the third spot in the final with clean back 10 doubles and a front double toedeo edging him past Antonio Trouchon, while Emil Ulsletten rounded out the final spot, dispatching Swissman Markus Mathis with a solid front 10 double after a particularly brutal slam.

Kalle Järvilehto came out of nowhere to blow minds. Photo: Burrows.

So, finals. Would we see a triple? O’Neill’s beamer was asking the same question on the side of the jump and it didn’t take long to answer. On his first run Parrot dropped, popped, dipped three times, spun round four times, and landed, albeit a tad sketchy. Everyone went nuts and some called it curtains for the rest. How could anyone match that? Turns out he could but they couldn’t – on his last run Parrot landed another triple but totally perfect, even managing to give his stomp some afterbang. Insane. It feels lame describing guys who can land perfect doubles as also-rans, but with the triple landed that’s essentially what Kalle and Emil became. Kyle Mack certainly came close, having a pop at the front 14 triple toedeo a la Jørn Simen Aabøe. He gave himself a proper beating but was undeterred, went backup and duly stomped it, causing the crowd to explode again. Maxence looked a little nervy waiting for Mack’s score to drop, but the judges rightly penalised his slightly scuffed landing and the 25k went to the Canadian.

Kalle was consistently making front boards through this kink look like the easiest thing in the world. Photo: Burrows.

All in all, despite many opting for a FISting in Quebec, this edition of the O’Neill Evolution is one that will certainly live long in the memory. If this is becoming the benchmark then the future will be frankly silly. Thanks for the goodtimes, O’Neill.

YES Torgeir Bergrem. Photo: Thomas Copsey

Last night Davos erupted into a mind-blowing display of kicker riding as the first couple of rounds of the Big Air got underway. Check the gwaan in words, pictures and video…

While, prior to the action getting underway, the talk around town was all about how all the big name contest freaks had sacked this contest off in order to battle with hunks of Canadian ice and chase the Olympic dream when the Big Air action kicked off last night we can only say that – names aside – they weren’t missed. The list of tricks put down by this field of admittedly less marquee-named dudes was as heavy as you’ll find at any contest anywhere. Front 10 dubs, back 12 dubs and the ubiquitous back 10 double – proper, mind – were stomped with ruthless efficiency and, not for the first time this year, we were left cradling our heads at the level that contest shredding is today.

Max Buri. Photo: Thomas Copsey

After the afternoon’s qualifiers, the evening stomp off saw the 13 who made it through face-off against the 11 invited riders. There were some epic battles, like Kyle Mack and Boris Mouton – both just 15 – trading flawless doubles and Markku Koski getting denied by Markus Mathis on his final jump by finally putting down the back 10 dub, plus there were some individual performances that shone white hot – specifically Dash Kamp’s round-the-corner jibbing (he even tried a mind-blowing gap from the corner rail to the down rail but came up short and spannered himself), Seb Toutant’s reliable smooth yet megatech riding, and Maxence Parrot who makes landing double back 12s look as easy as stomping a back 1.

Boris Mouton. He is 15 and can stomp more back 10 doubles than you. Photo: Thomas Copsey

But all that was just a prelude. Tonight it’s finals time and we imagine we’ll be seeing a triple or two no doubt. See, madness.

Markku Koski. Photo: Thomas Copsey

Watch the video of yesterday’s pipe contest at the O’Neill Evlution, where Gian Simmen took 6th in his last competitive outing, and protégés Verena Rohrer and Jan Scherrer reign supreme.

In what turned out to be an emotional and significant send-off, Swiss snowboard legend, Gian Simmen, stood the test of time by scoring a solid 6th place in his last competitive event here at the O’Neill Evolution in Davos, while two of his young protégés, Verena Rohrer (SUI) and Jan Scherrer (SUI), took out the Women’s and Men’s 5 Star World Snowboard Tour Halfpipe titles respectively.

Men’s pipe winner Jan Scherrer. All photos: Danny Burrows.

Today in Davos, snowboarding was witness to a changing of the guard. As Swiss legend Gian Simmen bowed out of competitive snowboarding, two more stepped up to the plate with eyes on carrying his torch into the future. The vibe here was all time. Read what went down…

It was an emotional day here in Davos on the four day of the O’Neill Evolution. As well as being the finals of both the women’s and men’s pipe, it was also the last contest that homeboy and Olympic gold medalist Gian Simmen would compete in: A swan song to a 23-year career in snowboarding, which has seen him win his fair share of medals and praise.

Gian still has the skills. Back 5 to 6th place in his last ever contest.

He described it as being “like the closing of a circle”. It was here that he first strapped in; it was in Davos that he won his two World Championships; and it would be here that backside 5s, front 7s, Cab 7s, a front 900, stalefishes and a massive Backside Air would place him sixth in the pipe finals.

Gian Simmen and Mini Simmen.

The start list for both the girls and boys pipe were not what they might have been, as the über pros were in Canada chasing the Olympic dream. Their loss, as the pipe was on form, there was a little pow on the hill and they had left the field open for the strong local contingent of rippers and smattering of internationals.

Celia Miller.

It would be true to say that the girls competition was far from being the best pipe final ever seen in the history of snowboarding but there were a few highlights, including a handplant by American Celia Miller, which raised a cheer from the gathered media and crowd. For many of the girls competing it was the first pipe contest that they had entered. Local lass Verena Rohrer was pretty stoked and a little surprised by taking the number one spot, which according to the TTR rankings has pushed her up to third place in the Pipe table. She summed it up pretty well: “I’m really blow away with this win. I didn’t really have any expectations when I arrived in Davos, I only wanted to put my run on the ground and let people see what I can do.” She was closely followed onto the podium by Clemence Grimal and 39-year-old Akiko Miwa from Japan.

Yannick Imboden.

The Swiss also topped the table in the men’s contest with Jan Scherrer giving it his all to earn himself the lion’s share of the winnings. He put down two solid runs and a victory lap, that included tricks of the caliber of back 9 mute, Front 10 Tail and Front 9s. “This is the biggest result of my career,” after receiving a chilling Champaign face shot from second place Kyle Mack and Japanese ripper Hiroki Suwas, who came third, “and it’s pretty special to do it at home here in Davos.”

Post-event release for Jan Scherrer and Kyle Mack.

Tomorrow’s offerings include the qualifications for Big Air as well as rounds one and two of the contest real. Stay tuned!

[Check the highlights of last season's pow-filled finals.]

The countdown is ON and the O’Neill Evolution 2013 is ready for blast off as the world’s best male and female riders prepare to head to the Jakobshorn in Davos, Switzerland from January 14-19, 2013.

This progression-fueled, maximum rated World Snowboard Tour contest has been pushed back a dozen days in the contest calendar to guarantee even better snow conditions, and an even bigger kicker and obstacles. And that’s music to the ears of the 15,000 spectators expected to attend the event.

Last year’s O’Neill Evolution winner, Mark McMorris.

The 6-star Big Air event will see the return of Seb Toots among dozens of other leading riders. As a former O’Neill Evolution Big Air Champion, Toots knows what it takes to win in Davos, and will be looking to recapture the crown he lost last year. But with world-class talent peppering the field, including the likes of compatriot Antoine Truchon, it won’t be an easy ride to the podium. And as the only Big Air event on tour with open qualifications, who’s to say the O’Neill Evolution won’t shine a spotlight on the next big name in snowboarding? Although chances are our next champion will have to have triple corks on lock.

The O’Neill Evolution will also bring the city to the slopes with a heavily street-inspired rail set up located at the foot of the men’s and women’s Big Air course. Taking inspiration from the world of street skating, the set up of rails and transfers offers up tons of possibilities, and will no doubt feed and test the imagination of every rider present.

Seb Toutant on the end section.

The 5-star men’s and women’s Halfpipe contests will be back after last year’s hiatus due to challenging snow conditions, and you can be sure Davos will continue its long-standing tradition of showcasing some of the best pipe riding in Europe.

So with everything primed to go off, it’s anyone’s guess who will claim the lion’s share of the $125,000 total prize money and ranking points available.

The new site is up and running, so keep checking back for more details in the coming weeks. And while you’re there, watch last year’s highlight clip to remind yourself why this is one contest you can’t afford to miss. For those of you that can’t make it to Davos in person, rest easy – we’ll have live web and TV broadcasts streaming the goods into lounges across the globe.

www.oneill.com/evolution

If reporting from a snowboard contest always meant shredding pow all day and having no access to the internet we would fight over our individual attendance. The O’Neill Evolution 2012 in Davos was such a case, and despite the heavy snowfalls the level of riding was “holy guacamole” according to event speaker Henry Jackson. Here’s the full report and two videos:

Spencer O'Brien

The world of professional snowboarding kicked off 2012 with a bang as hard fought O’Neill Evolution victories by Canadian, Mark McMorris, and compatriot, Spencer O’Brien, capped a week of dramatic action in Davos, Switzerland. 

Despite significant weather challenges throughout the contest, the first major event on the 2012 TTR World Snowboard Tour once again brought the cream of international riders and the highest level of performance to the picturesque Alpine resort of Davos. Pushing the highest known technical limits, competition was fierce as riders vied for a share of the $125,000 prize purse, TTR Ranking points and seeding into the World Championships.

The venue of the O'Neill Evolution 2012 finals

The Women’s Final was blessed with the best riding conditions of the week, and the eight competitors who made the final took no time in demonstrating massive progression. Despite stiff competition, Spencer O’Brien raised the bar from the outset, and continued to set the standard for the remainder of the 3-run finals.

O’Brien’s first run, a stomped frontside 720 nosebone to gapped lipslide, caught the imagination of the judges and saw her take home $20,000 USD and direct qualifications to the World Championships. Sina Candrian(SUI) was always dangerous, but failed to land her final run leaving her in 2nd place while Anna Gasse(AUT) managed to fend off podium-hungry challengers to secure third.
There was an electric atmosphere enveloping the huge crowd at the foot of the Jakobshorn as an incredible light show welcomed in the 16-man Night Final. Every person present was treated to a rarely seen level of progressive freestyle snowboarding.

Seppe Smits

The atmosphere intensified as the lead was swapped between Eric Willet(USA) and Mark McMorris. Willet scored what looked like an unassailable 95.30pts with a switch backside doublecork 1260 to lipslide 270 in his second run, only for McMorris to edge in front of him with a score of 95.60pts thanks to an even bigger backside doublecork 1260 to lipslide 270. Seppe Smits(BEL) turned up the pressure, landing a cab 1440 mute to cab 270 fronside boardslide in his final run, but it was not enough to change the order of the podium, with McMorris pocketing a cool $40,000 USD for his efforts.

The results also saw major Tour Lead changes on the TTR World Snowboarding TourRanking system. Eric Willet now moves to the top of the TTR Big Air Ranking, Christian Haller(SUI) moved into the TTR Overall lead while Sina Candrian(SUI) and Seppe Smits(BEL) booked places at the World Snowboard Championships.

Mark McMorris

In what will be remembered as one of the most incredible O’Neill Evolutions to date, the celebrations are set to start and look certain to go well into the night.

For all addition details for the Women’s or Men’s Finals please check:

http://www.oneill.com/evolution/

Norwegian, Stale Sandbech powers into finals with strong showing from Canadians, Mark McMorris and Antoine Truchon while compatriot and defending champion, Sebastien Toutant bows out in bizarre circumstances. Semi Final Friday here at the TTR 6 Star O’Neill Evolution will go down in snowboarding history as one of the most unique on record.

Mark McMorris hitting the 'pow kicker'

Continued record heavy snowfall in Davos hit the contest for the sixth straight day, as a massive storm credited with breaking records across Central Europe continued to pound the area. The resort was closed Friday morning as controlled avalanche blasting attempted to dislodge the approximated 50cm of fresh overnight snow while the shaping crew once again undertook the monumental task of digging out the course. Organizers pushed Women’s Qualification to Saturday morning with the hope of finishing Men’s Qualification in the afternoon.

Riders took the opportunity to head up as soon as lifts opened, all whom eventually returned claiming the best powder day ever. Continued snow and gusty periods saw training curtailed and a subsequent riders’ vote that resulted in Qualifications merging directly into a single 46 rider Semi Final starting at 18:00 when event lighting would take effect and improve visibility.

While by no means perfect and with heavy snow continuing to fall, conditions eased somewhat and wind died sufficiently for the Semi Finals to commence on time. Making the 16-man cut in a two run, best run counts format was the single goal for competitors – waxing and speed as critical as trick selection. With the optional line to rails the only feasible option; riders attacked it with vigor, chasing major TTR Ranking points and a share of the $125,000 prize purse.

An almost perfect first run from defending champion Seb Toots(CAN) including a Double Cork 1080 Mute to cab 270 on the wall ride would have been enough to claim the run of the day were it not for his legs inexplicably letting him down on landing. Meanwhile solid first runs from Marc McMorris(CAN), and Charles Reid(CAN) put them into solid Top 5 territory while Stale Sandbech(NOR) stormed into the lead with a stomped frontside 1080 to frontside 270 to lipslide out. Current TTR Big Air leader, Roope Tonteri(FIN), posted solid points leaving him within striking distance of the top 10, while powder rookies, Jamie Nicholls(BGR) and Seppe Smits(BEL) continued the form that has been turning heads.

With everything to play for in the second round, Werni Stock(AUT) powered into the Top 5 while the shock of the night arrived when pre-event favorite, Seb Toots, seemed to hang up on the coping of the kicker. Fortunate to avoid injury, the incident nevertheless resulted in Toots bowing out of the contest. Christian ‘Hitch’ Haller(SUI) made it inside the 16-man cut, only for Eric Willet(USA) to edge him back out in the 2nd last run of the night with a frontside Double Cork 1080 mute to backside lipslide on the down rail, enough to propel himself into 4th.

For the complete list of the Top 16 qualified riders in the Men’s Finals and for Saturday’s schedule for the Woman’s and Men’s Finals, and for all the details for the live webcast, check: http://www.oneill.com/evolution/

As you know, the O’Neill Evolution is on right now in Davos. And as you’ll also know from all the smug posts by people there, there’s more powder than they know what to do with. There’s half a foot on that frickin rail!

Erm, so there’s a good chance that this Big Air contest will be the first in history to be decided by who’s got the best powder turn on the landing. You can watch the faceshots live from 18.00 Euro time tonight on the O’Neill site.

Heavy snow arrived as forecast this morning at the TTR 6 Star O’Neill Evolution Big Air and Rail event in Davos, coinciding with the first round of Men’s Qualification. All three Round 1 Qualification Heats were completed, cutting the Men’s field from 75 to 30 riders who move on to the second round. At times, the fresh snow created speed issues, but did little to dampen the level as British rider, Billy Morgan, put down the score of the day with a double backside rodeo to gapped cab 270 on the kinked rail.

It’s hard to describe the atmosphere here in Davos for the O’Neill Evolution. It’s even harder to imagine how hard it is snowing. A testament to an immense effort from the organizers, shapers, event staff and above all, the riders, the first round of qualifications were completed on schedule. It was a surreal experience to see the look of concentration on competitors’ faces as they focused on their heat, soon replaced by a look of elation as they arrived back at the contest site after a powder run.

The Night Final event lights were illuminated from the start of the first 09:00 training session and remained switched on all day to assist visibility. Before the snowfall intensified, the overnight fine-tuning of the main kicker was tested with broad approval from riders, before speed became an issue resulting in the optional line to rail set up favoured by the contestants.

Lucas Baume at the O'Neill Evolution 2012 Davos

In a two-run, best run counts format, the top 10 riders from each heat made it through to Round 2 of Men’s Qualification. Some of the runs of the day as scored by the judges included:

Heat 1:
Sven Thorgren(SWE)- Backside Double Cork 1080 to gapped stalefish to nose press
Jamie Nicholls(GBR) -Backside 540 crail to gapped Cab 270 to frontside boardslide
EthanMorgan(GER) -Frontside 720 tailgrab to frontside tailslide on the down rail

Heat 2:
Markus Mathis(SUI)- Backside Double Cork 1080 mute to frontside tail slide torevert on the wall
Petja Piiroinen(FIN)- Backside Double Cork 1080 mute to frontside 50-50 on the wall.
Emil Ulsletten(NOR)- Frontside 1080 melon to frontside tail blunt to 270 out on the down rail

Heat 3:
Billy Morgan(GBR) – Double Backside Rodeo to gap cab 270 on the kinked rail
Ville Uotila(FIN) -Frontside 1080 Mute to gapped backside lip slide
Rocco Van Straten(NDL) -Backside Double Cork 1080 to frontside boardslide on the down rail

With the Women’s night training session now underway, the O’Neill Evolution returns tomorrow morning with Round 2 Men’s Qualification, Women’s Qualification, and Men’s Semi-Final scheduled to commence at 18:00. More snow is in the forecast.

For today’s results, schedule changes, videos and updates check: http://www.oneill.com/evolution/

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