Latest news with #BigAir
The Independent
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
‘I knew I'd come back no matter what': Freestyle skier Kirsty Muir charts her return to the top
Kirsty Muir was in the form of her life when the ground was ripped from under her feet. The talented Scottish freestyle skier, who competes in the slopestyle and Big Air disciplines, secured two World Cup podiums in the first half of the 2023-24 season and was on course for a best-ever campaign. One of those podiums was in the Big Air in Copper Mountain, US in December 2023. She picked up bronze – but the 19-year-old was also troubled by a niggle in her knee. On her return home, an MRI revealed she had in fact ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and sustained meniscus damage. Over a year on the sidelines, including surgery on both the knee and an existing shoulder injury, followed. Her return to action this January was 'emotional', the Aberdeen native tells The Independent, but it was almost as if she had never left, as she qualified for both finals in her first competition back, in Aspen, Colorado. 'Luckily when you're skiing you have goggles so no-one could see I was crying a little bit when I first got back!' she says. 'But it was all from happiness. I was over the moon, quite overwhelmed. 'There were so many different aspects: I hadn't seen my friends in a long time, I hadn't had the adrenaline and the nerves of a comp. Even just comp training is stressful so I had a lot going on in my brain.' But having spent 14 months out of action, neither she nor her team put pressure on her return, and she says the season has '100%' exceeded her expectations. 'Mostly it was just seeing how I'd get on,' she says of her approach to this campaign. 'We obviously knew that this year was the Olympic qualification year so that was one thing on our checklist, trying to get the results to put towards that. 'At that point when [the ACL tear] happened I really did feel like it was the best I'd ever been at. It was a shock to the system for sure. So to come back, and to have got a few [events under her belt], it does make it all feel worth it.' Just two months into her comeback she hit another milestone, notching a first-ever World Cup win with slopestyle gold in Tignes, France. Victory was a 'confidence boost,' but she adds that more importantly, 'You can always have doubts during a rehab that you won't come back as strong, so that eliminated all the doubts. I really did feel like I was properly back and ready to fight at the competitions again.' She set the score to beat in qualifying, and by the time she was in the start gate for her second run – as the last athlete to go – she already knew she had won. 'It was a crazy feeling, I hugged my physio and coach at the top, and got to do a victory lap, which you don't get to do very often! It was unreal, I had the biggest smile on my face.' She adds that while the business end of the competition went well, it required a pep talk from Freeski head coach Jamie Matthew to put her in the right frame of mind to make it to the finals. 'I had the most terrible training ever [before qualification], I hadn't even put a run down that I wanted,' she recollects. 'You only get 45 minutes to an hour and that's maybe four, five, six runs, and that's not much to warm up. I got into the gate [for qualifying] and was really nervous and Jamie was like, 'you don't need to be, if you don't get a run down, it's whatever'. 'He managed to reset me a little bit. It felt like it all came together and I really wasn't thinking too much, which was the best scenario!' Even aged 20 Muir is a seasoned competitor, winning three elite national titles at 13 and going to the 2022 Winter Olympics as GB's youngest athlete, at 17, which she described as a 'surreal' experience. Muir qualified for both the slopestyle and Big Air finals, finishing eighth and fifth respectively, and has high hopes of a podium finish this year. 'I'm excited because I feel like I'll really get the Olympic experience this time,' she says. 'I think it'll feel completely different, but I'll also have a bit of experience from the last one as well.' Muir made her debut on the World Cup circuit aged 15 and recalls, 'I was quite nervous and timid, so I kind of kept to myself. Around the [Beijing] Olympics and just after I came out of my shell a bit. 'I feel like I always used to be so in my own bubble, I was so stressed. I didn't hate it but I didn't enjoy the comps as much as I could have. I'm not just skiing to compete, I'm skiing to have a good time and do what I really want to do. 'So I'm trying to get a good balance between having pressure on myself and being a competitor, because I very much am hard on myself when I'm competing, but also trying to take it chill and enjoy it, because I feel like when I'm more focused on the slope then I ski better.' Muir adds that the adversity she experienced in her long spell on the sidelines has also helped her come back stronger. Her ACL injury was different from that of many athletes, who hear the tell-tale popping sound and instantly realise what's happened. She only discovered the extent of the issue because she already had an MRI booked for her existing shoulder problem. 'You hear about the sound that it makes and they're immediately in agony, but for me, it's like it could have happened at any point, or it could have happened gradually over time, just with the impact of our sport,' the 20-year-old says. 'We do a lot of gym work and we kind of put [the fact that it initially went unnoticed] down to my muscles being able to compensate for it. I went home and got the MRI just in case, but if I hadn't, I would have continued the season, having done all the gym work. 'It was definitely difficult to have the double rehab. Your body uses so much energy to heal something and because it was split, I feel like it took a bit longer to heal than it could have.' Muir tried to 'find who I am outside of skiing' during her long rehab process and appreciate the rare downtime she was offered. She found she loved mountain biking, which had the added bonus of aiding with her return to skiing. 'I could get on the bike way sooner than I could get on skis, and it kind of replicated the flow and feeling you get on skis with the mountain bike jumps. That's something I still do now every time I'm home.' The road back to full fitness took its toll, but she never questioned her future in the sport. 'There were never points when I was like, I'm not going to go back to skiing, but you always think, 'will my knee be strong enough, will I feel back to normal', all these things. Because during the rehab it does feel weird – it doesn't even feel like your knee sometimes. 'But I always knew I'd be coming back to skiing no matter what, because that's the thing I love the most. The feeling of missing skiing spurs you on to keep pushing back to it. If you didn't love the sport you wouldn't have the motivation to get through it.'
CBC
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Norwegian snowboarder goes orbital to land historic quad flip in Swiss Alps stunner
Norwegian snowboarder Oyvind Kirkhus made history over the last week at Switzerland's Swatch Nines by landing the world's first switch backside quad 1620, a gravity-defying manoeuvre that left even its creator in disbelief. "I was in disbelief when I was riding away. I didn't think that I would actually manage to do it, but I did it," said Kirkhus, who completed the mind-bending trick against the stunning backdrop of the Schilthorn mountains. For the uninitiated, Kirkhus helpfully translated the snowboarding jargon: "I'm going into the jump switch, my unnatural direction, and spinning backside. And then I do four flips in the air and then land regular again." The 17th edition of the event transformed the Swiss slopes into a playground of ramps, rails and tunnels where elite riders pushed the boundaries of what's possible on snow. New Zealand's Luca Harrington delivered one of just three-ever switch triple cork 1980 Escos by a skier on the purpose-built Big Air jump. "This jump that the Swatch Nines has provided for us has been absolutely incredible," Harrington said. "We've seen multiple world's firsts, triples, quads, so many things being put down." Britain's Kirsty Muir claimed the best female skier trick award with a backflip onto a rail, and credited the event's supportive atmosphere for inspiring bold performances.
Reuters
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Kirkhus goes orbital to land historic quad flip in Swiss Alps stunner
April 15 (Reuters) - Norwegian snowboarder Oyvind Kirkhus made history over the last week at Switzerland's Swatch Nines by landing the world's first switch backside quad 1620, a gravity-defying manoeuvre that left even its creator in disbelief. "I was in disbelief when I was riding away. I didn't think that I would actually manage to do it, but I did it," said Kirkhus, who completed the mind-bending trick against the stunning backdrop of the Schilthorn mountains. For the uninitiated, Kirkhus helpfully translated the snowboarding jargon: "I'm going into the jump switch, my unnatural direction, and spinning backside. And then I do four flips in the air and then land regular again." The 17th edition of the event transformed the Swiss slopes into a playground of ramps, rails and tunnels where elite riders pushed the boundaries of what's possible on snow. New Zealand's Luca Harrington delivered one of just three-ever switch triple cork 1980 Escos by a skier on the purpose-built Big Air jump. "This jump that the Swatch Nines has provided for us has been absolutely incredible," Harrington said. "We've seen multiple world's firsts, triples, quads, so many things being put down." Britain's Kirsty Muir claimed the best female skier trick award with a backflip onto a rail, and credited the event's supportive atmosphere for inspiring bold performances. "Everyone is so supportive of each other and so hyped when someone does something," Muir said. "When someone's sending, then you get the feeling that you want to send too."
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Monster Energy's Freeski Athletes Claim Podium Spots and Crystal Globe Trophies at FIS Freeski World Cup Finals in Tignes
26-Year-Old Alex Hall from Park City Wins Men's Freeski Slopestyle Competition, Earns World Championship Crystal Globe Trophy in the Discipline 20-Year-Old Monster Army Rider Luca Harrington Takes 3rd Place in Men's Freeski Big Air, Claims 2024/25 Crystal Globe Trophy as First New Zealand Skier in History 27-Year-Old Colby Stevenson Takes 3rd Place in Men's Freeski Slopestyle Rankings 20-Year-Old Monster Army Ripper Ruby Star Andrews Claims 3rd Place in Women's Freeski Slopestyle TIGNES, France, March 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ending the season on a high note! Monster Energy congratulates its freeski team riders on claiming victories and Crystal Globe trophies in Big Air and Slopestyle disciplines at the FIS Freeski World Cup Finals in Tignes, France, on Friday. The heavily contested Men's Freeski Slopestyle final saw 26-year-old Alex Hall from Park City, Utah, take first place and win the 2024/25 Crystal Globe trophy as the new world champion in the discipline. In season rankings, 27-year-old Colby Stevenson from Park City, Utah, took third place. In Men's Freeski Big Air, 20-year-old Monster Army rider Luca Harrington from Wānaka, New Zealand, claimed third place and finished the season as the 2024/25 FIS Crystal Globe winner in the discipline. He made history as the first skier from New Zealand to earn the world championship. In the Women's Freeski Slopestyle final, 20-year-old Monster Army ripper Ruby Star Andrews finished in third place to claim her third career podium in an FIS Freeski World Cup. The season finished with Megan Oldham from Parry Sound, Canada, in second place on the Women's Freeski Slopestyle leaderboards with 213.00 points. From March 11-14, Tignes welcomed the world elite of freeskiing for final Big Air and Slopestyle competitions of the 2024/25 FIS season. The Men's Freeski Slopestyle witnessed Alex Hall take first place. Hall came to France in fourth place on Slopestyle leaderboards with 194 points but rose all the way to claiming the 2024/25 Crystal Globe trophy as the new world champion in the discipline. In his highest-scoring second run, Hall put down left double cork 1620 leading Japan, switch right tail butter 540 bring back to 360 mute, switch right side back swap to 270 out, right 270 Tokyo drift to right slide backside 450 out, switch left Tokyo drift 270 on backside 810 out, and a switch left double cork 1440 mute on the final hit for 90.10 points for points and the win. "I was really stoked on those rails. Those were some of the hardest rails I've ever done in competition. I was stoked that I just risked it all and it worked out," said Monster Energy's Hall upon winning at Tignes. On the strength of 282.00 points in Slopestyle season rankings, Hall claimed the 2024/25 Crystal Globe trophy as the new world champion in the discipline. In Slopestyle season rankings Colby Stevenson took third place. The multiple X Games gold medalist finished the season with 229.00 points. In Men's Freeski Big Air, Monster Army rider Luca Harrington dropped in as a favorite after winning gold in his debut at X Games Aspen in January. When all was said and done, Harrington took home bronze by landing switch right triple 1800 esco grab (95.00 points) and right triple 1980 safety grab (92.00 points) for a total score of 187.00 points. Third place earned Harrington the 2024/25 Men's Freeski Slopestyle Crystal Globe trophy with 390 points in season rankings. He makes history as the first New Zealand freeskier to win the title. Harrington also finished in second place in overall 2024/25 Freeski Park & Pipe Rankings with 470.00 points. The Women's Freeski Slopestyle final wrapped Monster Army ripper Ruby Star Andrews from Queenstown, New Zealand, taking third place. A technical run featuring left cork 900 tailgrab, switch left 540 mute grab, right 270 to forward, and switch right 900 safety on the final obstacle earned Andrews a score of 72.75 points and her third career World Cup podium. The season finished with Megan Oldham from Parry Sound, Canada, in second place on the Women's Freeski Slopestyle leaderboards with 213.00 points. For more on Alex Hall, Colby Stevenson, Luca Harrington, Ruby Star Andrews, Megan Oldham, and the Monster Energy freeski team, visit Make sure to follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok for exclusive updates from the 2025 snow sports season. For interview or photo requests contact Kim Dresser. About Monster Energy Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at Contact: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Monster Energy Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New trampoline and adventure park will open in Burnsville this month
A new play space is leaping into Burnsville. Big Air, a trampoline and adventure park chain, will open a location in the Twin Cities suburb on Saturday, March 29. The latest indoor park to hit the Twin Cities contains 20 attractions throughout its 26,000 square feet, including dodgeball, obstacle courses, "warped walls," and interactive games, as well as a promise that it has birthday packages capable of accommodating up to 250 guests. (You know, in case your child is the most popular individual in the county.) The Minnesota location is owned by John and Paula Sroka, who have lived in the state for more than three decades, per Big Air. "We've invested in technology to make our attractions different from other trampoline parks, and we hope to coin the phrase 'a trampoline park like no other,'" the couple says in a statement. "We also want to be able to give back by becoming involved in the community. Our park is a place that we love, and what can be better than working in a place where family, friendship, fun, excitement, and laughs are the root of everything that goes on at Big Air Burnsville." In addition to its many features, Big Air will also host programming geared toward specific age groups, including Toddler Time and Cosmic Nights, catering to middle schoolers and teens. Meanwhile, parents will be lured by the promise of Big Eats, a cafe with free Wi-Fi and TVs. The new Big Air is located at 14290 Plymouth Ave. and will open at 10 a.m. on March 29 with prizes for the first 75 guests in line.
