Add or Update Press Release (Login reqired)

Monday, 15 April 2002

With the rain coming down lightly over Whistler the Ripzone Big Air took place. The cornerstone of the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival. A damp Saturday afternoon was not enough to keep these Pro Snowboarders from throwing down 7 after 9 after 1080 to determine who would go to the top 3 showdown. 26 entrants were cut to 6 after 2 jumps and then cut again to a final 1 jump, 3 man showdown.

There were quite a few big names in this years event such as Todd Richards and last years winner Dionne Delesalle. With the Sims sponsorship having moved on to Mammoth this year the field was lacking the depth that Kevin Jones and Peter Line gave it last year - not to mention that there were no womens field - However the show goes on and it was still an awesome event.

With the qualifiers out of the way there were 3 men standing - An all Canadian line up - Gui Dachine, Jesse Fox and Mike Page. Jessie was throwing down BS 7's and 9's with nice clean nose grabs, Gui Dachine was the BS 900 guy and Mike Page was the super stylish switch FS 7 guy.

The final was a 1 jump affair so it was balls to the wall - The 3 finalists drew straws for their shot at the title. Jessie drew the shortest so he hammered down at the jump and push his 720's to a nose grab BS 9 - Unfortunately for Jessie he didn't have enough speed to spin the last 180 and came up catching his heel edge. Mike Page came in to the jump confident as ever and threw down his switch FS 7 indy boning it out and rotating super slow. STOMP STOMP - as he had been all day. Last up was Gui. Knowing full well by the crowds roar that Mike had landed his trick he was going to step it up. With two 9's amd a 1080 under his belt in qualifiers he was shooting for the BS 9 to win this thing. All was good until he landed and sunk a deep edge in the soft snow which almost pulled him down. He managed to fight it however it was not enought to beat Mikes clean switch 7. Congratulations to all who battled the weather.