NSWIS snowboard cross riders have claimed two silver medals at the World Cup in Montafon, Austria. Adam Lambert was second in the individual event and then joined with Josie Baff for another runner up placing in the mixed team event. The double podium performance gives great confidence for the Australian snowboard cross team heading into the World Championships this week in the iconic Swiss resort of St Moritz.
 
Lambert continued his great recent form to make it back-to-back individual World Cup medals, winning every heat from the round of 32 through to the semi-final to secure his place in the big-final.
 
In the big-final medal round, Lambert faced a difficult proposition against three French riders, Loan Bozzolo, Aidan Chollet and Merlin Surget. Lambert was mid-field for most of the final but worked his way into a strong position for the best run to the finish line, overtaking Chollet for second place and the fifth World Cup podium of his career. Bozzolo took the win, Chollett was third and Surgent fourth.
 
2023 World Championship silver medallist Josie Baff advanced through to her fourth big-final of the season, after crossing the line in second place in her quarter and semi-final heats. In the women’s big-final, Baff finished in fourth place, trailing French women Lea Casta in first, Julia Pereira de Sousa in second and Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain in third.
 
Other Australian results included Cameron Bolton 13th, Mia Clift 16th, Abbey Wilson 18th on debut, James Johnstone a personal best 24th, Jarryd Hughes 28th, Declan Dent 37th, Cameron Turner 46th on debut and Matthew Thomas 52nd.
 
Silver for Lambert and Baff in Mixed Team Event
 
In the mixed team event, NSWIS teammates Lambert and Baff combined for Australia’s second team’s medal of the season.
 
The pair moved through the quarter and semi-finals in second place to advance to the big-final against France 1, France 2, and Great Britain 1.
 
First to drop were the male riders and Lambert had a tough heat, almost crashing out in the middle section finishing fourth, 0.44 seconds behind leaders France 1.
 
Baff rode a super strong and fast leg in the final, making up the time differential from the men  early and then battling it out with the two French teams for the win. Baff fell just short of victory in a thrilling photo finish, missing the win by just three hundredths of a second to the France 2 team of Pereira de Sousa and Chollet. Rounding out the podium in third was the France 1 team of Casta and Bozzolo.
 
The two riders from Jindabyne in the NSW Snow Mountains were excited after  their first team medal together.
 
Lambert said, “anytime one of us is on the podium it means the world, it’s the reason we do this and seeing the hardwork paying off is amazing. Confidence breeds confidence, so coming into the World Championships with a few podiums has me believing I have what it takes to get on the box once again.”
 
Baff commented, “achieving another podium in the team event, this time with Lambo was so much fun, we’ve had a few races together already, the first being at the games and it’s very cool to see how far we have come. Going into world champs these two results give me confidence that no matter how the teams are constructed I believe the Aussie team/s will be up for the fight.”
 
Snowboard cross qualifying at the World Championships in St Moritz is on March 27 and the final the next day on March 28, then the mixed team event on the 29th. Representing Australia in the women’s event will be Josie Baff, Mia Clift, and Amber Essex and in the men’s event Adam Lambert, Cameron Bolton, Jarryd Hughes, and Declan Dent.

NSWIS riders Adam Lambert (second on day one) and Cameron Bolton (fourth on day two) have recorded strong performances at the double World Cup event in Gudauri, Georgia, where there were crashes in both the men’s and women’s events on the fast and demanding course. Unfortunately leading Australian female riders Belle Brockhoff and Josie Baff both fell sustaining injuries.

Day One: Lambert claims first medal of the season
 
Adam Lambert has achieved his first podium performance of the season, finishing second in Gudauri, giving the 27-year-old from Jindabyne in the NSW Snowy Mountains the fourth World Cup podium of his career.
 
Lambert qualified in 15th for finals, and went on to have a sensational day of head-to-head racing winning his round of 32, quarter-final and semi-final to advance through to the top four big-final medal round.
 
In the big-final, Lambert was moving between second and third place for much of the race and was fortunately ahead of a crash on the final feature involving Eliot Grondin of Canada and Elias Leitner of Austria, leaving him in second place behind winner Jakob Dusek on Austria. Grondin finished in third and Leitner fourth.
 
“The men’s big final is always really competitive, I have had a few in my time, I would like to have more, but it’s always fun to race all day and not go out in the early rounds, so I am stoked,” said Lambert.
 
“I think tomorrow I can do what I did today, I don’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on myself, I feel if I race liked I raced today I have a good chance of doing it again, but anything can happen, it’s boarder cross.”
 
In the women’s event, French riders took out the top two places, with Julia Pereira de Sousa in first, Lea Casta second and Italian Michela Moioli in third.
 
Three-time Olympian Belle Brockhoff was in strong form qualifying in third place and made it through to the small-final. Unfortunately, Brockhoff suffered a crash and was taken away by the medical services team on course, ultimately finishing in eighth place. Brockhoff was moved to a hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she is undergoing further assessment with the support of Australian team medical staff.
 
World number three Josie Baff also crashed in the first round of finals finishing ninth and suffering some bruising. NSWIS teammates Mia Clift were 10th and Amber Essex 26th.
 
Other results included Cameron Bolton ninth, Jarryd Hughes 25th, Declan Dent 37th, Matthew Thomas 48th and James Johnstone 50th.

Day Two: Bolton just misses podium
 
Three-time NSWIS Olympian Cameron Bolton was unlucky not to claim a podium performance after a great day of riding on day two in Gudauri, finishing fourth in a closely contested men’s big-final.
 
Bolton advanced through the rounds of 64, 32 and quarter-finals to reach the semi-final round, where he t had an impressive race to advance in first to the big-final medal round against Julien Tomas of France, Austrian Lukas Pachner and another Frenchman Loan Bozzolo.
 
In the big final, Bolton had the early lead but was passed by Pachner and then Tomas, and then with the pack close, Bolton and Bozzolo both went down near the end of the course. Tomas went on to win, Pachner was second and Bozzolo recovered from the crash to cross the line in third leaving Bolton in fourth and uninjured
 
In the women’s event, NSWIS World Championship medallist Josie Baff did not compete on day two, choosing to recover after her crash on the previous day, Mia Clift made it back-to-back top-10’s and Amber Essex was 19th.
 
Adam Lambert finished 18th, Declan Dent had a personal best 23rd, Jarryd Hughes 27th, Mathew Thomas 36th  and James Johnstone 39th.
 
After seven World Cup events, Baff is ranked third on the women’s standings, Clift is 10th, and Bolton is sixth and Lambert ninth in the men’s rankings.
 
The next World Cup is a double event in Montafon, Austria, on March 21 and 22.

NSWIS riders Josie Baff, Cam Bolton and Mia Clift have all finished in the top-eight at the Snowboard Cross World Cup event in Cortina D’Amprezzo, Italy, with Baff the highest placed, winning the small final to finish fifth.
 
Competing under lights in a night of spectacular racing, Baff and Clift both placed second in their respective quarter-finals to advance to the semi-final round. Baff and Clift unfortunately fell in their respective semi-finals, leaving them in the small-final to decide places 5-8.
 
In the small-final, Baff raced well crossing the line in first place and a final ranking of fifth, Clift eighth and Amber Essex was 12th after making it through to the quarter-finals.
 
Three-time Olympian Cam Bolton, won his opening round of 32 heat, was second in the quarter-final and just missed advancing to the big final after crossing the line third in the semi-final. In the small final Bolton was second across the line, giving him a final rank of sixth.
 
Also in finals for Australia was Jarryd Hughes and Adam Lambert who both made it through to the quarter final stage in 10th and 14th. In qualifications, James Johnstone was 40th, Declan Dent 44th and Matthew Thomas 58th.
 
Victory went to Charlotte Bankes of Great Britain in the women’s event and Frenchman Aidan Chollet claimed his first career win in the men’s event.
 
After four events Baff is third on the World Cup standings, Clift is eighth and Essex 10th. In the men’s standings Bolton is in fifth, Lambert 18th and Hughes 20th.
 
The next stop on the World Cup tour is in Erzerum, Türkiye, from February 28 to March 2, including the first mixed team event of the season.

NSWIS riders have competed in a double snowboard cross World Cup weekend in Beidahu, China, with Josie Baff leading Australia on both days of competition with a fifth place  and silver medal performance and personal best seventh place finishes to teammates Mia Clift and Amber Essex.
 
Day One: Baff fifth and Clift seventh in small-final
 
In the first World Cup event in Beidahu, three Australian women finished in the top-10, Baff in fifth, Mia Clift a personal best seventh and Amber Essex tenth.
 
Clift and Baff were drawn in the same quarter-final, advancing to the next round in first and second place. In a closely contested semi-final, Baff and Clift just missed by a small margin at the finish line to advance to the big-final, finishing third and fourth.
 
In the small-final to decide places five to eight, Baff and Clift both exchanged leads, with Baff moving away in the bottom of the course to cross the line first, while Clift was just pipped at the finish line in third.
 
Adam Lambert and Cam Bolton made it through to the top-16 quarter-final round, finishing in 12th and 13th place respectively. Jarryd Hughes was 18th, James Johnstone 39th and Matt Thomas 53rd.
 
Day Two: Baff rides to silver
 
Josie Baff capped off her double snowboard cross World Cup weekend at Beidahu, China, by securing a silver medal, her second silver of the season and eleventh podium of her career.
 
After winning the small final on the previous day, Baff made a great start on day two wining her opening quarter-final heat.
 
In a thrilling semi-final, Baff was in a close three-way battle with Italian Michaela Moioli and Manon Petit Lenoir of France. Baff led for the first half of the race before Moioli made a pass, leaving Baff and Petit Lenoir to battle it out for second across the line to advance to the big-final medal round. Momentum looked to be going the French rider’s way, but Baff found late speed to cross the line in second by 0.03 seconds.
 
In the big-final, Great Britain’s Charlotte Bankes led from start to finish to claim victory, with Baff in second, edging out Swiss rider Sina Siegenthaler by 0.07 seconds and Moioli in fourth.
 
“It’s definitely nice after yesterday, I had some fire in my belly, it was a good result, but I wanted more” said the 22-year-old Baff from Jindabyne.
 
“Two seconds in a row now, I really want to win, I hope I can get that soon, but I was really happy to share the podium with the girls.”
 
Riding to a personal best finish of seventh was 22-year-old Amber Essex in just her fifth World Cup start and NSWIS teammate Mia Clift was 10th.
 
In the men’s event, Adam Lambert was the best placed Australian in 10th, Jarryd Hughes was 13th, Cameron Bolton 25th and James Johnstone 52nd.
 
Canadian Eliot Grondin won both men’s events in Beidahu. 

After three World Cup events, Baff is ranked equal second on the women’s standings, Clift in ninth and Essex 11th. Bolton is the highest ranked Australian on the men’s standings in eighth.
 
The next World Cup will take place in the future 2026 Olympic region of Cortina d'Amprezzo, Italy, on February 15.

At the opening FIS snowboard cross World Cup event in Cervinia, Italy, it was a double podium celebration for Australia, with Baff and Bolton finishing in second place, giving the NSWIS riders their tenth and ninth World Cup medals respectively.
 
Baff qualified in sixth place, and in the finals made it through the quarter-final round in second, then led from start to finish in the semi-final to secure her spot in the big-final medal round.
 
In the big final, Baff was just behind French rider Lea Casta for most of the race, before Baff closed in at the finish to only narrowly fall short by 0.05 seconds on the finish line. Rounding out the podium in third place was Maja-Li Iafrate Danielsson of France.
 
“My game plan for today was just to get out in front, and hope that nobody could catch me, as I knew on a course like this it could get interesting with the girls” said the 21-year-old from Jindabyne
 
“I definitely had some nerves in the first heat, and then I came into my real snowboarding in the semi-final and big-final. I really thought I could get the win in the end but Lea was just too fast and on point today, and I am happy for her to get her first career World Cup win.”
 
In the men’s event, Bolton qualified for finals in 21st place, and then raced well all day, winning his opening round heat and quarter-final, and was second in the semi-final to advance him in the big-final.
 
In the big final Bolton did well to stay clear of a mid-race near collision between reigning World Cup champion Eliot Grondin of Canada and Jacob Dusek of Austria which took Grondin out of the race. Dusek led Bolton for the remainder of the race to take the win, with Bolton’s silver medal his first career podium in Cervinia, Italian Lorenzo Sommariva was third.
 
“Another event in Cervinia and another couple of podiums, happy for Josie and nice to share the podium with her” said the 34-year-old Bolton from the Mornington Peninsula.
 
“Tricky day of racing, it was tight and all the boys were riding well, I struggled in training but then it was good in finals. I actually had some trouble in the semi-final and had a back spasm and wasn’t sure I was even going to be able to ride the finals, so super happy to come away with a second place.”
 
“Great start to the season and great event for Australia.”
 
Also in action for Australia were NSWIS teammates Amber Essex in 11th in a personal best finish, Mia Clift 14th, Jarryd Hughes in 31st, Adam Lambert 46th, and Matt Thomas 55th.

The next Snowboard Cross World Cup will take place on January 31 to February 2 in Beidahu, China.

PyeongChang is over but the Snowboard Cross World Cup circuit still has races to run in the 2017/18 season with La Molina in Spain hosting the tenth out of twelve Cups up for grabs last weekend.

Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin was the best performed athlete featuring again in the final eight riders after placing second in qualifying, ending up in eighth overall in an event plagued by gusty winds, requiring pump track-like riding technique.

“Pretty windy here in Spain,” Pullin said after qualifying. “Qualified in 2nd and looking forward to racing finals today if we get the green light.”

Adam Dickson had one of his two-best events of his season, equalling his career best 12th place from Cerro Catedral, Argentina last September.

Adam Lambert finished 14th, whilst Matt Thomas (33rd) and Josh Miller (45th) did not qualify in the top 32.

Cam Bolton, who is recovering from a wrist injury incurred at PyeongChang did not compete, nor did PyeongChang silver medallist Jarryd Hughes.   

Austrian Alessandro Haemmerle headed up a national one-two on the men’s podium with his team mate Hanno Douschan taking silver.  

After La Molina, Pullin is sitting in third place on the overall World Cup standings with 4,696 points behind Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT) on 4,840 points and leader Pierre Vaultier from France on 6,520 points.

Adam Lambert is currently in 10th on the World Cup Standings and Jarryd Hughes 11th.

The SBX World Cup tour will continue next weekend with an in-city race staged in Moscow on 18 March.  

Ezurum proved to be challenging for the first ever Snowboard Cross World Cup held in Turkey last weekend.After an unusual trip to the picturesque ski resort that required a detour through the mountains, the weather did not cooperate requiring the cancellation of training and qualifications.

Racing went directly to finals without the riders having the opportunity to train on the course and whilst the Aussies put on a good show with five of the six-man squad making it through the heats, the best result came from Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin placing fourth in the small final and eighth overall.

Pullin retained his leader’s yellow bib and overall number one world ranking, now sitting on 3,346 points.

“Chumpy feels pretty positive about the result, more just keeping his points up to stay with the yellow bib” coach Ben Wordsworth said.

Adam Lambert made it to the semi-final finishing overall in 13th, Matt Thomas 22nd, Cam Bolton 28th, Josh Miller 29th and Adam Dickson 38th.

Cam Bolton had been looking to build on his previous tenth place in Italy.

“I had OK result in Italy and was looking forward to building on that for Korea,” Bolton said.

“It was so windy (in Erzurum). Today was the first time that I even went to the top of the course because there was so much snow and wind. It was about who picked up the course the quickest today would be rewarded.”

“The start section was tricky because the first feature was changing because of the soft snow, so, how you rode it completely changed.”

“In the heats I started strongly in the start section. Then I was having a tough time of the heat.

In the second heat I got sucked behind and couldn’t make the pass I was planning on making.”

Getting to Erzurum was problematic after the plane that was carrying many of the SBX World Cup tour athletes was diverted to another airport near the Syrian border.

“It’s been a crazy trip so far and definitely made it a very interesting four or five days. Our flight was delayed and we couldn’t land (near Erzurum) but flew further south near the Syrian border. Then we were all on a bus and had a military escort through the mountains.”

The Australians found an upside in the situation. For Adam Lambert, making another semi in adverse conditions is a plus for the 20-year-old.

“Erzurum was definitely interesting. I’ve never done a World Cup and not done a qualification because of weather. They (the Turkish resort) put on a pretty decent show though,” Lambert said.

“Racing was alright. I did the best I could and put out the runs and ended up 13th.”

“Got a poor start in the quarters but tried my best to get through that heat. The track was a bit small and you do what you can do.”

“I’m happy that I got to the quarters again. That makes it every quarters this year. That’s pretty good.”

The Erzurum World Cup was the final race for Olympic qualification. Selection of the four male Snowboard Cross to the Australian Olympic Team is expected this week.

There are more events on the calendar before Pyeongchang and that’s the focus for the SBX team as they head to Bankso, Bulgaria for the next World Cup on January 27th and then to Germany for another event immediately prior to Korea.

Belinda Noonan
OWIA

Snowboard Cross riders return to World Cup competition this weekend in the last Olympic qualifying event in Erzurum, Turkey with Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin looking to extend his comfortable lead on 3,026 points at the top of the world rankings.

The Erzurum event becomes the first ever Turkish ski resort to host a Snowboard Cross Word Cup and therefore a new venue for Australia’s strong team that includes Alex Pullin, Adam Lambert, Cam Bolton and NSWIS riders Josh Miller, Matt Thomas and Adam Dickson.

Jarryd Hughes is sitting Turkey out, electing instead to train in Whistler, Canada.
 
“We’ve never raced there,” Head SBX coach Ben Wordsworth said about Erzurum. “There won’t be a great deal of snow and we think the course will probably be something close to Cervinia (Italy).”

Pullin, who won double gold in Argentina at the start of the season and a bronze at Cervinia late last year, is an athlete making smart decision says Wordsworth.

“Chumpy is in a good place - a really good place. He didn’t have the results he wanted in December. He wanted to win one of the three races he had, but he managed to pull together some good results and bounced back.”

Coach and athlete have been working together for eight years, with Wordsworth seeing a positive shift in Pullin going towards PyeongChang.

“He’s an older athlete. His decision making is better now and more adaptable to all the situations and he is extremely talented.”

 “He is good at reading race situations, getting into heats and coming out the other end at the final - better than what I’ve seen in the past.”

“Certainly, Chumpy is making good decisions in his racing and it shows. Argentina was back to back (gold). Val Thorens was not so great and then Cervinia (with bronze).  All those decisions make the difference in the long run.”

“One of the big decisions is to stay healthy. (It’s about) racing to your potential.”  

Jindabyne’s Adam ‘Lambo’ Lambert stamped his claim to a potential Olympic selection last season and has only looked forward, now currently fourth on the world leader board on 1,690 points going into Erzurum.
 
According to Wordsworth, Lambert has fitted into the SBX team with ease.

“Lambo’s a good snowboarder and good racer. His results have shown that over the past two seasons,” Wordsworth said.

“There was silver at Val Thorens and he knows what he wants. Lambo is in the sport to have a career and he wants to win races. That’s what drives him – there’s nothing else he’s in it for.”

“He’s the perfect athlete.  He wants results and has fitted in really well - good to travel with and fits into the group. Just got on with it, got results and tried to keep it pretty simple.”  

Australia is looking to qualify four men to PyeongChang and with a strong team, Turkey is the last event to cement a place – a goal that will be high on Cam Bolton’s to do list.

“It was good for Cam being in the top again (Cervinia with a tenth place),” Wordsworth said. “He’s got the skills and we want to see him push toward the small final and final and believe he can do it. It was a super close race in Cervinia.”

“Turkey is the last qualifying. The other three have an opportunity. Should be an interesting race,” he added.

Qualifiers for the Erzurum World Cup stop are on Friday, 19 January from 6.30pm (AEDT).
Finals start at 6.30pm (AEDT) on Saturday. 
 
Live timing links for qualifiers and finals, can be found here
Follow OWIA Twitter for updates here and watch the Finals live on Eurosport from 6.30pm on Saturday, 20 January.
 
Belinda Noonan
OWIA
 

As Australia’s east coast sweltered, two-time World Champion Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin roared back onto the Snowboard Cross podium winning gold at the Feldberg World Cup in Germany yesterday in a dramatic race which saw fellow Aussie Jarryd Hughes claim the silver.
 
The one/two finish by Pullin and Hughes is a first for Australia on the World Cup Snowboard Cross tour.
 
Pullin’s latest win marks seven World Cup victories in a stellar career that has seen the 29-year-old remain consistently at or near the top of the Snowboard Cross world rankings since 2010.
 
Feldberg has solidified the momentum that Pullin says was building and feels “bloody awesome”.   
 
“I’ve had a couple of frustratingly close races this season. It’s really nice to get a win.”
 
The weekend had its ups and downs for Pullin, after he failed to qualify for the finals in the first World Cup on Saturday.
 
“That was a bummer but I learned a lot about the track.”  
 
The proven champion knew what he wanted after the disappointment of the day before.
 
“I came out pretty fired up. It was always going to be a long day and it was really important to put down a fast run in the in the heat.”
 
So fast, that Pullin was the fastest qualifier by almost half a second on a 36 second track.  
 
“To be able to pull that sort of margin gave me a boost. I raced a final in that first heat. To turn Saturday’s bad race day to a good one the next day was important to me. I knew I had the potential and I had to prove it to myself.”

The strong field included the who’s who of  Men’s Snowboard Cross  including the 2014 Sochi gold medallist, Pierre Vaultier (France) and current world ranked number one  Omar Visitin (Italy).
 
“Racing is incredibly close at the moment. One of the best things was that I got to race all the best guys and beat the World Cup leader not once but twice,” Pullin said.
 
“I wouldn’t have wanted to be anyone else today when I was in the gate. Winning was exactly what I wanted. To turn it around after yesterday makes me really happy.”
 
“The best rider is the one who can adapt – even if the course is not in their favour,” Pullin added.
 
Also adapting to the course was Jarryd Hughes, who took the silver but is no stranger to the podium having won a World Cup four years ago at just 17 and took gold in the X Games in 2016.
 
Hughes says his racing style is to focus on what he’s doing and to trust his instincts.
 
Those instincts paid off in Feldberg when ne narrowly made it through to the semi-finals in a photo finish and then fought hard to make it to the big final.
 
“I go in without a set plan and let what I want to do take over. There’s a lot of intensity at the start gate and it’s the people who best deal with it that continue on,” Hughes said.
 
“It was a fun race. I was really struggling with the start and was always in fourth in turn two so it made for a fun day of racing for me and to walk away with two finals is just a cherry on top,” Hughes said.
 
Featuring in the top eight was another Aussie, Adam Lambert who, in his first World Cup events in Germany, won his heat and quarter final but had to settle for the small final, where he finished 7th overall. Cam Bolton placed 21st and Matt Thomas 29th.
 
In the Ladies Snowboard Cross, with two victories already this season, Belle Brockhoff, was unlucky not to medal, having made it to the final four – but she still holds the overall world number one ranking.
 
The fifth Snowboard Cross World Cup will be held in Kazan, Russia from 24 to 26 February. 

It was another successful day of qualifying last night as five Australians made their way through to the finals of the Snowboard Cross world cup in Bulgaria.

The men kicked off the sprint-style event, with Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin (4th),  Cam Bolton (7th) and Jarryd Hughes (19th) all getting the green light after impressive first runs.

Matt Thomas (28th) also made the second round of qualifying runs, with Adam Dickson and Josh Miller just missing the cut for Saturday's finals.

Current world number two Belle Brockhoff then followed the boys, finishing 2nd in qualification with another great run and will take a load of confidence after a tough competition last time out in Solitude.

Coach Ben Wordsworth said the riders have had to adjust to the sprint course, but have done so successfully.

"We try and keep the preparation the same with each event," he explained.

"Good course analysis, plenty of video review and aiming for a fast qualification time for the best gate selection on finals day."

"The times today were all around 19 seconds so it all happens pretty quickly, but the athletes like it technical and it still has some good size jumps which suit our guys."

Another World Cup awaits our Australian snowboard cross athletes, heading across the pond to Banslo, Bulgaria; making its debut appearance on the world cup tour.

World number 2 female Belle Brockhoff will be looking to keep up her strong current form, after finishing 6th in the final in Soltitude.

While in the men's field, current Top 10 riders Alex Pullin and Jarryd Hughes will compete on one of the shorter courses designed for the tour calendar, and will also be joined by Cam Bolton and NSWIS riders Matt Thomas, Josh Miller and Adam Dickson.

​Bulgaria will pose a different test for the athletes than what they have faced so far this season, with a more technical start section which is placed on a steep face.

From there, riders will head into the main features which consist of a step down, triple, table top and final jumps varying in size from 16 to 22 metres.

Speed will be key to success in the shorter form of the track, with qualification starting tomorrow night (AEDT) at 7:45pm for the men and 10:30pm for the women, with live scoring found on the FIS website.

Belle Brockhoff bounced back from a slight fall in qualification to finish sixth in the Big Final of the Snowboard Cross World Cup in Solitude, USA, this morning.

After qualifying in 15th for the finals, Brockhoff placed 3rd in her quarter final and semi-final to book a spot in the Big Final.

A mistake on a feature near the top of the course in the final, put her behind and was unable to make up any ground on the leaders. Eva Samkova won the event and leapfrogged Brockhoff into the world number one spot.

She did not slip far, holding onto the second place in the world rankings after a tough day of snow conditions.

In the men's competition, Jarryd Hughes topped the list of Aussies, finishing the World Cup in eighth overall after placing second in the Small Final.

Hughes just snuck in to the finals after qualifying in 41st place, but backed up last month's fourth placing with another top-10 placing today.

Dual World Champion Alex Pullin (17th), NSWIS rider Matt Thomas (22nd) and Cam Bolton (23rd) were not able to make it past the second round of head to head racing.

Josh Miller qualified for finals to finish in 43rd, while Adam Dickson was 53rd in the qualification round.

A World Cup Snowboard Cross team event also took place at Solitude, with Jarryd Hughes and Josh Miler representing Australia. The team unfortunately was knocked out in the first round of competition, finishing ranked equal 13th.

The next stop on the Snowboard Cross World Cup tour is Solitude Mountain Resort, USA - a new venue for the sport in which Australians have been successful in recent years , inspired in many instances by two-time Olympian and World Champion Alex “Chumpy” Pullin, Current World Cup leader Belle Brockhoff and X Games Champ, Jarryd Hughes.

Along with Pullin, Brockhoff and Hughes Australia’s Snowboard Cross team for Solitude includes Cam Bolton and NSWIS riders Matt Thomas, Adam Dickson and Josh Miller.  

The event, to be held from 19 to 21 January, will be the second World Cup for the 2016-17 season and the first major international snowboarding competition Solitude has hosted. 

That the course will be new to all competitors could well suit the Australians according to OWIA head Coach Ben Wordsworth.

“We’ve never raced at Solitude before and because it’s the first World Cup on that slope, we don’t know what the course will be like,” Wordsworth said.

​However, there’s been lots of snow, which lends itself to building something big and technical – and that generally suits our athletes.”

“We have very high-end athletes such as Alex and Belle who are very good in the technical area.”

“Belle really likes the big rollers, jumps and banks and she’s skilful in that area,” he said. 

Belle Brockhoff triumphed in a thrilling and exciting snowboard cross World Cup opener in mid-December at Montafon in Austria, winning her second career gold in a photo finish in what she described as a challenging course.

After a short break over the Christmas period in Australia Belle re-joined the OWIA Snowboard Cross Team in Ski Cooper, putting in valuable preparation. 

"I had great preparation this week for the upcoming world cup in Solitude and I’m looking forward to the racing this week and starting 2017 strong," Belle said.
​
Alex “Chumpy” Pullin, who began his season in Montafon with a third place, says he is on track for this weekend’s event. 

​"I had a good training camp in Ski Cooper this last week and I am looking forward to getting back to the World Cup in Solitude this week with some solid racing."

For Wordsworth, results count. “We’re staying focussed on what we need to do, which is to get results.”

21-year-old Jarryd Hughes, already an Olympian from Sochi, had a great start to his season in Montafon despite being injured, qualifying second and making it to the final where he ended up fourth overall.

“Qualifying second was really a confidence-booster and great way to come into the season,” Hughes said.

“In the run-up to Montafon I was injured (with bone bruising) and only had 12 days on snow the entire month and that included all the race days.”

Time at home after Montafon provided the youngest team member of the OWIA Snowboard Cross team time to recover, relax, train and enjoy a bit of summer.

“I’d be lost without the beach and the snow.” he said. “I was training at home after I got back, but it’s also good to relax and enjoy the summer while I can.”

​​“I left for Utah on January 10 with a few extra days to acclimatise and be with a few other riders to make sure I’m physically and mentally ready for Solitude. I like to focus on what I’m doing.”

His focus has much to do with personal belief and trusting his instincts.

“Some people have a whole lot of plans,” he said when asked what it’s like to stand waiting at the start gate. “I go in without a set race plan and let what I want to do take over. I trust my instincts.”

“There’s a lot of intensity at the start gate and it’s the people who best deal with it that continue on.”

OWIA athlete Cam Bolton is looking to improve on his season opener.

“Cam is healthy and has trained hard over the Australian summer,” coach Wordsworth said.

​“He’s definitely one of our fastest riders. It was unfortunate in Montafon that he was hit by another rider in the quarters and went out."

The winter wonderland dream results continue for Australia with Belle Brockhoff and Alex (Chumpy) Pullin winning Gold and Bronze respectively in the opening World Cup of the Snowboard Cross season in Montafon, Austria overnight.

It could not have gone any better for the NSWIS athlete Belle Brockhoff who had a near perfect qualifying run on Thursday, finishing second behind Olympic champion Eva Samkova, before winning the Quarter Final then coming second in her Semi to book a spot in the Final.

Trailing by a small margin to Sochi Bronze medallist Chloe Trespeuch coming through the second time-gate, Brockhoff had to work hard to take back the lead in the Final, to claim victory in the end. She was jubilant to start her season off in the best possible way.

“Couldn’t ask for anything better to start the tour off. Thank you for the support, happy days,” Belle Brockhoff said after winning Gold.

​A full-strength field was another tough challenge for the men, but as big names dropped out in the quarter finals, Pullin and fellow Aussie Jarryd Hughes made the most of it to push deep into the finals, with Pullin snaring a podium spot in 3rd.

Hughes got the jump on Pullin in the qualifying round, coming in second with Chumpy sitting in 11th.

But the Quarter Final was where the boys really got going, topping their respective group before moving through to the same Semi, where Hughes pipped Pullin and both progressed to the Final.

The tables were turned in the final when Hughes unfortunately did not finish to place fourth overall as Chumpy raced through in third to join Brockhoff with a podium finish.

Pullin copped a knock to the mouth in the final, but was thrilled with his result and congratulated USA winner Hagen Kearney on his first World Cup win.

“Sick day of racing, stoked to land on the podium at the first stop of the tour after some really tight heats,” Pullin said.

After the races, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia head coach Ben Wordsworth credited Brockhoff and Pullin’s hard work in training and said they were delighted to get a great early result.

“Belle has put a lot of work in through the Australian winter which paid off today. She made a great pass in the final and took a great win,” he said.

“Chumpy also rode extremely well today, putting a lot of work into his equipment and technique over the break. He rode some tight heats and made some great racing moves to get that podium.”

The only other Australian to qualify for finals, Cam Bolton, progressed through his Eight Final but couldn’t move out of the Quarters, finishing 15th overall.
​
NSW Institute of Sport team mates Matt Thomas, Josh Miller and Adam Dickson were placed 33rd, 38th and 56th after the qualifying competition.

A World Cup team event also took place in Montafon, with Matt Thomas and Josh Miller representing Australia. The young team did well placing fifth in the small final.

The athletes will break over Christmas in preparation for the next World Cup event in USA starting January 19. 

A fit and healthy Australian Snowboard Cross team are ready for the first World Cup of the new season, as they take to the snow for qualification in Montafon, Austria tonight. 

The bar is set high within the talented group of Olympians and exciting youngsters, with the season opener acting as perfect ground to showcase some solid early form.

Belle Brockhoff, fresh off winning two Europa Cup events in Pitzal, Austria last week, will lead the charge with New South Wales Institute of Sport team-mate Cam Bolton, who finished 9th last week, and Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin taking to the snow in the men’s field.

Jarryd Hughes, Josh Miller and Adam Dickson will also be competing, as Australia showcases one of its strongest ever fields in the sport.

Confident ahead of this week’s event, coach Ben Wordsworth said his team had been training well and are searching for good results early.

“Chumpy, Belle, Cam and NSWIS athlete Matt Thomas, have been here in Pitzal using the state-of-the-art facilities in preparation for this week,” he said.

“The last three weeks of preparation have been used to fine tune their technique and most importantly their heat racing to prepare for some strong results in the first race.”

Olympic qualification is far from the minds of Wordsworth and his team, with the ultimate goal of PyeongChang in 2018 still a fair way down the track.

“We don’t think about it, we just want to focus on the World Cups,” Wordsworth said.

“Obviously the qualification aspect is in there, but we just want the guys to try and nail each race and get the best results we can and the qualification will follow.”

Varying weather conditions earlier in the week raised some concerns over the start time of the event, but more stable and colder weather in the Vorarlberg Alps have helped ensure the event will go ahead. 

Qualifcation starts tonight at 11pm AEDT, with the finals starting at midnight on Friday to be shown live on Eurosport. You can find more information and program times below.
​
http://data.fis-ski.com/dynamic/event-details.html?event_id=39120&cal_suchsector=SB 

Belle Brockhoff has started her 2016-2017 international season in the best possible way, winning two Europa Cup Snowboard Cross events in Pitztal, Austria.

The event was a good opportunity for Brockhoff to transfer her strong trianing form to compeititon as she prepares for the World Cup season opening event in two weeks time.

Brockhoff’s New South Wales Institute of Sport team-mate Cam Bolton competed in the first day of competition, making it through to the quarter final stage in ninth place.

The first World Cup of the season will take place in Montafon, Austria, on December 15-18.

PHOTO: Belle Brockhoff (right) at the first Europa Cup race with NSWIS athletes Adam Lambert (middle) and Elise Turner (left)

Other Australian Results

Day One
Adam Dickson - 51st
Adam Lambert - 52nd
Matt Thomas - 60th
Josh Miller -71st
Elise Turner - DSQ

Day Two
Matt Thomas - 9th
Josh Miller - 15th
Elise Turner - 17th
Adam Lambert - 33rd
Adam Dickson - 49th

Two-time World Champion Alex “Chumpy” Pullin has finished sixth in the second of this weekend’s two races, at the Snowboard Cross World Cup event in Veysonnaz, Switzerland.

The OWIA/NSWIS athlete made great starts in both his Quarter and Semi-Finals to ensure his progress to the Big Final, but unfortunately couldn’t make it onto the podium for the second time this season.

Fellow OWIA/NSWIS athlete Belle Brockhoff was unable to match her Day One performance where she finished second,  as she just missed out on a spot in the Big Final after finishing fourth in her Semi-Final.

Brockhoff dominated the Small Final though, crossing the line comfortably in first place to finish seventh overall.

​Matthew Thomas had another top 20 finish, placing 19th after reaching the Quarter Finals, while Adam Dickson was unable to progress from the eight final after crashing out in his heat.

Today’s Men’s race was taken out by Spain’s Lucas Eguibar, whilst Michela Moioli of Italy took out the Women's.

With one World Cup event remaining for the season in Baqueira Beret, Spain, Brockhoff is currently ranked fifth on the standings with Pullin in sixth.

IMAGE: Alex Pullin fast out of the gate in Qualifying at Veysonnaz © FIS

Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA)/New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) athlete Belle Brockhoff has finished second at the first of the two World Cup Snowboard Cross events over the weekend in Veysonnaz, Switzerland.

Brockhoff, who also finished runner-up two weeks ago at the World Cup event in Russia, won her quarter final in impressive fashion to qualify for the Semi-Finals.

The 22 year-old finished third in her Semi-Final to qualify for the Big-Final, where she was able to hold off the rest of the field to finish second behind Bulgaria’s Alexandra Jekova.

“I had a really fun day today, the racing was close and I am really happy to get another podium”, Brockhoff said.

In the Men’s, Matthew Thomas was the best placed Australian finishing 16th, with Alex Pullin and Adam Dickson both eliminated in the Eight Finals. Pullin was caught in traffic and fell in his race.

IMAGE: Belle Brockhoff (left) celebrates on the podium in Veysonnaz © FIS

OWIA/NSWIS riders Alex “Chumpy” Pullin and Belle Brockhoff have both finished fifth in the Men’s and Women’s Big Final at the second World Cup Snowboard event in Feldberg, Germany.

Both athletes also reached the final in the first event, where Pullin made the podium finishing third and Brockhoff placed sixth.

Pullin entered the final with confidence after winning his eight and quarter final, before finishing third in the semi, but was disappointed with his performance in the final.

 “I’m disappointed with today, but now looking forward to the next race at the X-Games,” Pullin said.

Brockhoff’s progress to her second consecutive final of the weekend was impressive, after she crossed the line in first place in her semi-final, however, she couldn’t carry that form into the final.

 “Similar to Alex, I’m disappointed with finishing fifth, but also looking forward to heading to the X-Games,” Brockhoff said.

Jarryd Hughes finished the second World Cup event in 28th place while Matthew Thomas finished 38th.

Pullin is the leading Australian on the World Cup standings after the double header in Feldberg, holding down fourth place, while Brockhoff is in sixth place in the Women’s.

IMAGE: Alex "Chumpy" Pullin (middle, red bib) out in front at Feldberg © FIS/Oliver Kraus

OWIA/NSWIS athlete Alex “Chumpy” Pullin has finished third in the Men’s Final of the Snowboard Cross World Cup event in Feldberg, Germany.

After finishing second in his semi-final, the two-time World Champion was locked in a tight battle in the final, eventually crossing the line third behind winner Nikolay Olyunin of Russia and Pierre Vaultier of France.

Pullin was pleased with his performance.

“I feel good about today; of course I would have liked to win, but third is okay,” Pullin said. "I look forward to another shot at it in the second race on Sunday."

In the women’s race, fellow OWIA/NSWIS athlete Belle Brockhoff also reached the final, but an error during the race saw her having to settle for sixth place.

Jarryd Hughes finished in 15th place after making it through to the quarter finals, while NSWIS rider Matthew Thomas finished 44th.

IMAGE: Alex "Chumpy" Pullin (right) celebrates on the podium © FIS/Oliver Kraus

Feldberg, Germany will play host to the opening Snowboard Cross World Cup event of 2016 this weekend. It will be the first time Germany has hosted a World Cup in Snowboard Cross since 2004.

The OWIA Snowboard Cross team arrived back in Europe last week, with all team members training in Leysin, Switzerland in preparation for the resumption of competition.
 
Two time World Champion, Alex “Chumpy” Pullin says he can’t wait to get back to competing.
 
“I’m definitely very hungry to get to the start gate and get racing,” Pullin said.
 
“We’ve had a really good week here in Leysin; we’ve had some good snowfalls and a good little start section that we’ve been able to train on,” Pullin added.
 
Due to unseasonal snow conditions, the course has been shortened, however, head coach Ben Wordsworth thinks this could suit our athletes.
 
“Feldberg will be a sprint like World Cup which is shorter than usual, but it will be full size in terms of width,” Wordsworth said.
 
“We will also be running six man heats for the two World Cup events. We feel that this will benefit our athletes as they have the ability to be fast out of the start,” Wordsworth added.
 
Current standings for our Australian athletes:
 
Ladies:
5th - Belle Brockhoff
 
Men: 
4th - Cam Bolton
9th - Alex Pullin
17th - Jarryd Hughes
22nd - Matthew Thomas

IMAGE: Alex Pullin leading the way  in the last World Cup in Montafon held in December © FIS/Oliver Kraus

OWIA/NSWIS athlete Cam Bolton, was the star for Australia on the opening day of the 2105/16 World Cup snowboard cross season by finishing fourth in Montafon, Austria.

It was Bolton’s best result yet, and while a medal eluded him, to make the final four was an indication of his improvement this season.

In the opening round of 32, four Australian male snowboard athletes were in action, and while Bolton and Alex "Chumpy" Pullin made it through, Jarryd Hughes and Matthew Thomas did not proceed to the next round.

Bolton, who finished second in his heat, followed it up with a win in his quarter final to be the only one of the four to make it through to the semi-finals - the round of eight. Pullin finished third in his second race of the day to join the others on the sidelines.

In the women’s event, Belle Brockhoff, who had qualified fifth fastest, won her opening race in the round of 16. In the semi-finals she crossed the line third to go into the small final, where she in am impressive performance she won her final race of the day to finish fifth overall.

As the country's now sole survivor in the field, Bolton’s great form continued in the semi, where he finished second to Austrian Markus Schairer.

In the final four, which included two Austrians and a Russian, Bolton crossed the line in fourth place to produce the best result of his career, beating the tenth place from Sierra Nevada in Spain in 2013.

“I led the final until the last jump where I made a mistake while hunting for speed," Bolton said. "Hell of a day! Well done to all the riders."

Pullin finished the day in ninth place but was delighted for his fellow-rider Bolton.

"Wasn't the best day of racing for me at Montafon," Pullin wrote. "Won the whole shot in all my heats but got caught up with Nikolay taking an inside line in the last turn before the finish straight."

"So happy for my mate Cam Bolton who threw down four massive runs to just miss the win right at the line and place fourth."

IMAGE: Men's finalists in Montafon, Cam Bolton (right) after the race © FIS