Suzuki Nine Queens Highlights
Each and every year, the Suzuki Nine Queens gets bigger and better. Given all that's taken place over the years at the world's premiere female-specific freeski event, it doesn't seem possible, but Nine Queens is about making the impossible become reality. This year was no exception, with a host of new tricks, epic shoots and good times that were had by anyone and everyone in attendance. For those of us who weren't lucky enough to be there in person, dive into the recap below on all the action that went down. And boys... eat your hearts out.
The main mission of the Suzuki Nine Queens is charging ahead by pushing the progression of women’s skiing and snowboarding. The recipe is simple: a perfectly shaped gigantic setup, top athletes and good vibes. 2016 was no exception, and Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis in Austria saw a fantastic week of action with a few cloudy jib days, a glorious sunrise shoot, a Big Air contest and many sunset sessions on the snow chateau from March 13th - 18th.
On the ski side of things, alhough all of the girls threw down technical and stylish tricks throughout the week, it was Coline Ballet-Baz who took home the coveted, peer-voted “Ruler of the Week” title. She pushed herself to learn a cork 900 blunt to safety, and later on, in the competition, moved onto land her first left 900 tail to tail.
Zuzana Stromkova made a mark in freeski history with her flat spin 1080, a never-before-seen trick (in women’s skiing), while Emma Dahlstom landed her personal first switch 1080.
Style master Keri Herman, who has never missed the event and placed second in the Big Air contest behind 17 year-old Swiss rookie Giulia Tanno, said, ”The girls are trying new tricks, landing new tricks, and their personal progression here is always next level. There’s nothing like this anywhere else. Nine Queens is set up in a way that can really progress our skiing.”
With the Suzuki Nine Queens successfully wrapped up, the men are up next, taking on the Suzuki Nine Knights – “The Perfect Hip” – in a new location in Watles in South Tyrol from March 29th to April 2nd, 2016. For more information on both events, be sure to head to www.ninequeens.com and www.nineknights.com.