slopestyle : Nike ACG Team Blog : News from the snowbard team

02/04/2008

Rudi Kröll - 2nd Grandvalira Total Fight 2008

El Tarter. On the 26th of March i made my way to Andorra for the 4 Star TTR Contest Grandvalira Total Fight. It was the second time I have been there. We (Louis Purucker, Michi “Stani” Stanschitz) arrived with the shuttle on Thursday afternoon in El Tarter (Andorra) while a snowstorm was hitting the Area. Just right for a afternoon wellness session. Unfortunately it got already warm again in the evening and it started to rain up the mountain. There went our Pyrenees powder turns.

On Friday it was Bluebird again and temperatures were climbing rapidly to 17°C at the park. Friday was qualifying day and so I could just go get some slush powder lines and ride the park during training. There were 2 different lines to go:
- Pipe -> Gap Kicker (18m) -> Step up Butter Box Step Down
- Big Kicker (20m) -> Gap Step up Transfer (MotoX Jump) -> Step up Butter Box Step Down
So we had a fun day riding and got ready for the final day on Saturday.

On Saturday about 50 riders were competing for 16 Spots in the K.O. System. We had two runs and the better one counted. I did cab 9 on the big kicker, Bs Air over the Step Up Gap and Fs 180 to Sw Bs 540 at the butter box. I qualified first for the K.O. System. First round and quarter finals we had just one run each. The guy with the higher points decided who goes first.
I won my battle in the first round. Quarter finals were next which I had to go against Jaakko Ruha. I had more points from the first round so I let Jaakko go first. That moment I was thinking about doing a cab 9. Then Jaakko dropped in and did a BS 10 to Backflip and to Fs 360 down the butter box. Damn, nice run. I was standing up there and had to change my run in seconds if I want to beat this. So I dropped in normal and went for a Fs 10 Mute which I stomped perfectly before I did a Backflip over the Step-up Gap Jump and a Fs 180 to Sw Bs 540 on the butter box! I guess my trick on the butter box made it clear and so I kicked the first finish rider out!

But what a surprise, there was the next finish kid waiting in the semifinal. Now we had two runs and the better one counts. I was dropping first with a Cab 9 on the Big Kicker. Ville Paumola went straight for the Fs 10 but he slide the last 90° and couldn’t land it clear. 2nd run Ville went for the Fs 10 again but from up there I didn’t see the landing. So I went also for the Fs 10 in the second run and stomped it perfect like the backflip and the Sw 540. Turned out that Ville just did a Fs 9. Sick, I just kicked out the second finish guy.

And guess what, there was another Finish guy waiting for me in the Final. Ville Uotila made it also to the Final. 2 runs each again. I went first and I really wanted to take the title so I went for risk. I did already two Fs 10’s and stomped 100% so I thought I go for it again and out of two runs I’m going to stick one and the rest of my run. But I couldn’t land the first one and Ville did a nice Sw Bs 9 to Fs 7 to Sw Bs 540. So I had one more run to beat that and my point was that I cant kill that Sw Bs 9 with a Cab 9. So I went for risk and Fs 10 again. Unfortunately I also couldn’t land my second either. I went to big and I guess the 12 would have been easier to land as the 10. So I guess my Tactic for the final was not the best, but you loose and you learn! And a 2nd place on a really high leveled 4 Star Contest is amazing and I’m really stoked!!!

The party was on! There was Motocross action in the evening and a big tent where the party was going off till 1am. Then everyone moved to “Nemo”, the bar that is managed by Merlin Balfour. I know Merlin since the SPC Times in Mayrhofen and from me a big THÄNKS to Merlin for the amazing hospitality all weekend.

In the TTR Ranking I caught up 4 places to 31st position. I got one more chance to climb the Top 30. In two weeks the Snickers Classic in Saas Fee is going down, which is the last 4 Star contest of the season.

So I’m looking forward to some nice spring sessions!
Greets from the Chillertal
Rudi

27/03/2007

Rudi Kröll - Ästhetiker Wängl Tängl

Ästhetiker Wängl Tängl, Mayrhofen, 22-25.03.07

5* TTR Event

Last weekend the Wängl Tängl 07 took place in my home resort Mayrhofen. The park up on the Penken was in perfect shape and I have not seen a park like this somewhere else this season! The Ästhetiker and the Burton Park Mayrhofen guys did a perfect job! I also helped them shaping the park on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday afternoon the training took place and all the guys checked out the park for the contest.

On Friday was the qualification with about 50 pre-qualified or invited riders. We had sunshine on Friday although the weather forecast predicted bad weather and snowfall. The system was that every rider had 3 runs, 2 got judged and you had to do at least 2 different lines. Like a kicker line and an alternative line (rails, cradles, …) . I got 7^th in the qualification on Friday. I did a kicker line with cab9, bs7,fs7 and a nice alternative line. So I was stoked about that and we had a really nice party that night.

Because of bad weather forecast the semi-finals and finals got postponed from Saturday to Sunday. Perfect decision because we had really nice weather on Sunday again! 30 riders were fighting on an amazing setup to take part in the Final. The riding level was really high. No wonder that the Ästhetiker Wängl Tängl got promoted from a 4 Star to a 5 Star TTR event this season.

Everyone had 4 runs, you had to do 2 different lines and the best 2 runs counted. I did two kicker runs with cab9 to bs rodeo 7 to fs7 tail and fs9 to sw bs 5 to bs 1. And I did two nice alternative lines. As I was pretty unlucky in some of the judge’s decision this season I also was pretty unlucky in the judging decision on the semi-finals. They took 12 guys into the Superfinal and guess what: I got 13^th.

As it really is a very high riding level it’s not a bad result. But for me as it is my local contest and it was one of my season goals to be in the final of the Ästhetiker Wängl Tängl I was really disappointed that moment. But that’s life.

Anyway it was a really nice contest in my home resort and I am happy that I could take part in it!

Yesterday I already was filming again and after a day off today I go to Andorra tomorrow! There is a 3 Star TTR Contest called ”Grandvalira Total Fight” which I will take part in. I’m looking forward for that! I have never been in Andorra before.

So I send u greets from the “Looking like summer again” Chillertal

Rudi