The men’s halfpipe competition went OFF tonight. A perfect, fast pipe, the world’s best riders and 20,000 screaming spectators. In a word, it was mental.

A full report with plenty of shots will follow tomorrow, but in the meantime let it be known that the Russian-cum-Swiss rider Iouri ‘iPod’ Podladtchikov threw down an absolute corker of a second run which included the hallowed double McTwist (Shaun White’s secret weapon at the Olympics) to claim 98 points and the victory.

“That was f*cking unbelieveable,” he told roving reporter Jon Weaver right afterwards, as the adrenaline was still flowing. “It was my best run yet. The double McTwist is so gnarly but it feels sooo good. It’s undescribable.”

Last year iPod bought a sweet Porsche convertible with some of his season’s winnings. With another phat cheque in the bank, could a new model be on the cards? How about a nice Aston?

Results – Men’s Halfpipe

1. Iouri Podladtchikov SUI 98.00
2. Mathieu Crepel FRA 95.00
3. Louie Vito USA 92.33
4. Markus Malin FIN 90.33
5. Aluan Ricciardi FRA 86.66
6. Christian Haller SUI 85.00
7. Luke Mitrani USA 82.33
8. JJ Thomas USA 79.66

Photo: Billy Manders

So the girl wonder has done it again. Gold at the first ever European X-Games in Tignes, the resort where it all began for Jenny back in 1998. Could UK snowboarding have a better ambassador? Here’s what she had to say in the wake of another stunning performance:

Were you nervous today?

I think I was more nervous in the qualifications the other day because it was such bad conditions, we pretty much had to straight air every jump which was slightly embarrassing, but that was the only way we [the girls] could get through the course. So when it came to the finals I thought, ‘Well, I’m in the finals, that’s better than nothing.’ All I could do was try to land my run, that’s all I was thinking about. If you think about anything else you’ll get girly legs and fall over.

So what’s next?

Go out tonight, for sure! (laughs) Then I’ve got the US Open coming up, and the Chicken Jam in Mammoth, California. After that it mellows out a bit. I’ve had a pretty successful season so far but I’m really looking forward to spending time with my friends.

Was the first X-Games win the toughest? Do they get easier?

That was harder, I felt. I didn’t wanna let people down. I also felt like, cos it’s the first European one, there was a lot more Brits around to see you riding for the first time. So I guess the pressure – and the nerves – doesn’t get any less.

Strategy wise though, do you know what it takes to win gold now?

I think it’s still a case of landing bolts on your board and keeping your style. I think I struggle on my first runs especially to get the nerves out. I go all stiff and robotic and I lose my style, and it’s embarrassing! (laughs) So I think that’s my thing – just get over that.

Well you did us proud – again! High five!

Wahay!

The British support was out in force in Tignes, and they were loving it!

Jenny takes some time to meet the fans.

In football they say the first premier league trophy is the hardest to win (and as a long suffering Liverpool fan I can vouch for that!). Once you’ve proven to yourself that you can do it and have the heart – as well as the skills – to win, the titles will follow.

That’s the theory anyway, and it’s one that seems to be coming true for the UK’s Jenny Jones. Today she threw down when it counted – yet again – to add the inaugural European X-Games slopestyle gold medal to add to her previous two X-Games victories in 2009 and February this year. Funny to think that just a month or two ago the American TV commentators were questioning her first win since a couple of big names had been missing from the field. Not any more. I believe they call this a ‘THREE-PEAT’, bitches!

In qualification the women had really struggled to overcome a lack of speed and unpredictable gusts of wind on the gnarly seven-hit course. By today, however, both the set-up and the weather had improved dramatically meaning the girls were able to showcase their full bags of tricks.

Kjersti boosts a stylish frontside melon

Jenny’s winning run included a front 5, cab 5 and a perfectly grabbed front 7 on the last booter. She was followed by the ever stylee Norwegian Kjersti Buaas and Switzerland’s Sina Candrien – who attempted a gutsy 900 on the last hit. Cue many a group hug, high fives and general smiles, not just from the riders but from the spectators too. Jenny is always a popular winner thanks to a super friendly attitude and endearing modesty that borders on the ridiculous (the first thing she said to me was, “Did I definitely deserve to beat Sina’s run?”); here in Tignes, she was enjoying more support from ever from a big British contingent in the crowd.

“It was nice to show [the world] that a British girl can ride without looking too retarded!” she explained in the press conference afterwards, to much laughter from the assembled journos (when the MC translated her comments into a politically-correct French version, Jenny said, “Did you translate retarded?!” Classic.).

Jenny lookin solid as ever

Jenny would be the first to point out the lack of grab on this one but who cares - can you spin sevens?

Perfect frontside 720 - WITH grab - to finish.

Since Tignes is where Jones’ snowboarding career began as a precocious seasonaire back in 1998, the victory here at the bottom of the familiar Lanches run was extra special. We caught up with her in the melee for a brief interview. Check it out here.

Results – Women’s Slopestyle

1. Jenny Jones GBR 92.33
2. Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas NOR 86.66
3. Sina Candrian SUI 83.00
3. Spencer O’Brien CAN 80.66
4. Silje Norendal NOR 63.33
5. Charlotte van Gils NED 48.33

Entertaining the press by not riding like a retard.

Back on Wednesday the mens skiers christened the Tignes halfpipe with an epic final in front of a crowd of thousands. They were going so big it was ridiculous, and word filtering back from the competitors was that this is the best pipe ever built in Europe. Expectations were therefore high that the snowboarders in yesterday’s women’s final and men’s qualifiers would be worth a watch!

Dusk was setting in as the women got underway, with newly crowned Olympic gold medalist Torah Bright the clear favourite. True to form she threw down a solid set of runs including those trademark inverts and a massive backside air midway through her run, but when the dust settled she was pipped to the post by relative unknown Katilyn Farrington from Idaho, USA (the same place Napolean Dynamite comes from). Farrington has competed in the X-Games for the past three years but this was her first gold medal – pipping Bright for difficulty with a cheeky backside 900.

Torah spins to silver

She might have placed last but I don't know how - special mention to Kjersti Buaas for going absolutely massive on her first hit with great style to boot.

In the men’s qualifiers – as in the slopestyle – some mighty big names fell by the wayside, including Olympians Greg Bretz, Arthur Longo, Antti Autti and Fredi Austbo. Competition was fierce, and though a certain Shaun White is not here in France the riding level was through the roof. Top spot went to Finland’s Markus Malin, closely followed by Iouri ‘iPod’ Podladtchikov and Christian Haller. Tonight’s gold medal showdown, with a packed crowd and a stunning floodlit pipe, promises to be very special indeed.

“The X-Games is such a huge event to action sports and to have it in France only enhances the culture of action sports on a whole,” women’s winner Katilyn Farrington told the press conference afterwards. “It’s history in the making.” I don’t know if I’d go so far as to put it alongside the Battle of the Somme or Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, but Tignes really is getting into the swing of things now. The late night parties and drunken shouts from the street – punctuated by those old fashioned French police sirens à la Bourne Supremacy – are a sure sign that the X-Games festive spirit is overflowing. Check out highlights of the action so far here.

Women’s Halfipipe – Final

1. Kaitlyn Farrington USA 97.00
2. Torah Bright AUS 95.00
3. Sophie Rodriguez 87.00
4. Mercedes Nicoll CAN 82.33
5. Ellery Hollingsworth USA 79.00
6. Kjersti Oestgaard Buaas NOR 78.66

Men’s Halfpipe – Qualifiers

1. Markus Malin FIN 92.330
2. Iouri Podladtchikov SUI 92.000
3. Christian Haller SUI 82.000
4. Louie Vito USA 79.000
5. JJ Thomas USA 77.330
6. Aluan Ricciardi FRA 68.330
7. Mathieu Crepel FRA 68.000
8. Luke Mitrani USA 68.000

A brand new X-Games event had a brand new gold medalist yesterday, with Colorado’s Eric Willet claiming the honours in the men’s slopestyle final. Willet, who the organizers described as ‘a newly-minted pro from Breckenridge’ beat an impressive field of riders including Travis Rice, Chas Guldemond and Iouri Podladtchikov.

As anyone reading yesterday’s report will know, the slopestyle course has been stirring controversy by including a challenging line of seven hits which the competitors have found doubly tough to complete due to problems with speed. On Thursday, however, the shapers had done some stirling work to improve the latter problem and with Mother Nature providing bluebird conditions the guys were able to put on an impressive show in the final.

Willet’s winning run was super tech, and having spun all four ways he finished things off on the final booter with a textbook double backside rodeo which the crowd went mental for.

“I wasn’t really landing my tricks in practice, but somehow it all clicked and came together for me in the final,” Willett told the press. “I had no idea what I was going to do, and I’m so stoked right now. The course is perfect and the riding level is insane.”

Second place went to the fabulously named American Sage Kotsenburg (hippy parents methinks?) while Marko Grilc’s fantastic season continued with third place. As for Travis Rice? He was way back in 7th! Go figure – maybe pushing the freestyle boundaries in Alaska isn’t the best preparation for a choreographed park run.

Check out highlights of the action so far here.

And in the meantime here are a few more pics from the slopestyle:

Obligatory jib shot...

Results – Mens Slopestyle Final

1. Eric Willett USA 91.00
2. Sage Kotsenburg USA 85.33
3. Marko Grilc SLO 83.66
4. Stephan Maurer SUI 82.66
5. Chas Guldemond USA 70.66
6. Christian Haller SUI 67.66
7. Travis Rice USA 50.33
8. Iouri Podladtchikov SUI 49.33

More Snowboarding >>

First up Mikkel’s run, which had him in first until Torstein dropped…

More Snowboarding >>

…this run, which is out of this world. This man surely has the best afterbang in snowboarding!

More Snowboarding >>

But both the locals were beaten by this killer combo from Peetu – that final straight air over the hip was the biggest of the day.