Saturday, December 11, 1999 -- Snowshoe, WV
Big Air Contest
Story and photos by Marty Lamp

[Coverage] [Pic Set 1] [Pic Set 2] [Pic Set 3] [Pic Set 4] [Pic Set 5]
[Overall Results] [Results by Class]

Here's lookin at you...

On December 11th, Snowshoe Mountain Resort was once again the place to be to soothe all your snowboarding and skiing ills. With the "Demo Days" taking place all weekend, everyone had plenty of opportunity to test all the latest equipment from industry leaders such as Burton, Airwalk, and Morrow.

However, the most entertaining event of the weekend was undeniably the Big Air contest. Over fifty snowboarders and skiers, with skill levels ranging from wary intermediates to fearless professionals, gathered on Snowshoe's aptly named "Airport" run, preparing for the 1:30 launch time under a cloudless blue sky.

Whitney McVeigh flying with ease

Snow conditions were better than what might be expected for this time of year. With temperatures dropping well below freezing at night, and a wet bulb temperature that has been consistently below freezing during the day, the snowmakers have been keeping busy laying down a solid base.

All competitors had their choice of two jumps: a left-side 4 foot tall launchpad, or for the more adrenalin deprived, a right-side snow ramp that stood roughly 8 feet tall. Everyone would have three runs to get their best score, and would be judged on the difficulty of the their tricks, style, their amplitude, and use of transitions and landings.

Big cheers for some big air

For the men, Shawn Batzer racked up the most points enroute to his overall win. Batzer showed no fear as he launched from the more intimidating right-side jump, and spectators were cheering and screaming as he was spinning throught the air, landing some 50-60 feet downhill from the jump.

Also putting on an impressive display of snowboarding skills, Whitney McVeigh was the overall female winner. McVeigh also gained enough points to finish 7th overall.

Other class winners include crowd favorite Jarod Minghini for the Men's 9-12 year-olds, third place overall finisher Adam Cumashot for the Men's 13-16 class, and 2nd place overall finisher Ryan Dobbins for the Men's 17-20 class. Kelly Bostian won the Men's 31-over class.

Rashida Hussein finished 8th overall while winning her Women's 18-22 class, and Caryn Cairns took top honors in the Women's 23+ class. Brian Eisman won the ski exhibition class.

If you missed out on all this good fun, don't sweat it, this was just the first on a long list of great events Snowshoe has planned for the 2000 season. Remember, WVOutside will be there for each one, so smile for the camera!