By Press Release

December 6, 1999

Crawford, Gimpl, and Benedek.

It was a tragic ending to a near perfect snowboard contest and concert Saturday night, December 4th in Innsbruck, Austria at the 7th G-Shock Air & Style Snowboard contest. Five female spectators were killed and over 20 people were injured, some critically, while trying to exit the Bergisel Stadium following the all-day concert and snowboard contest. The tragedy was an overwhelmingly sad incident for both the community of Innsbruck and the international snowboarding community, as the Air & Style is one of the most popular and well-prepared contests in the world.

Now in its seventh year, the G-Shock Air & Style snowboard contest and quarterpipe challenge is best known for the huge prize money it awards riders, the amazing amount of media coverage and the high level of competition. Top riders from around the world have been headlining this event since its inception in 1994. This year's event was especially impressive as the top three places were awarded to three young men who have never won an event of this magnitude before.

First place went to Stefan Gimpl from Austria, netting the nineteen-year-old snowboarder $28.000, a Quiksilver surfboard and an Audi Quattro A3. This was Gimpl's second year in the Air & Style straight jump and the first time he made it to the finals. Gimpl's final jumps secured the win when he stomped a backside 720 and then a fakie 900.

Second place went to America's Andrew Crawford for his fakie 720 and fakie 900. Twenty-year-old Crawford was jumping in the Air & Style straight jump for the first time ever. Crawford also took home $28.000 and a Quiksilver surfboard. Third place went to Germany's David Benedek for his switch backside 900s, netting him $20,000 and a Quiksilver surfboard. The G-Shock Air & Style is co-hosted by MTV, who brings in the headline acts like this year's band Ice-T. By the time Ice-T came on stage just before the final jump the audience's enthusiasm could be felt throughout the stadium.

The final jump took place just after Ice-T finished a 30-minute set that included some of his most popular songs like 'Original Gangster' and 'Colors.' Ice-T announced to the crowd that he was pleased to have been invited to the event because he had heard about it a year earlier from Cypress Hill, the 1998 Air & Style headlining act.

Leading up to the finals was a quarterpipe contest for both men and women competitors and Creed played getting the audience ready for the highlight of the show, the straight jump. Canadian Trevor Andrew took the men's division with a perfect Trevor-style Mc Twist and Pauline Richone took first place for the women.

Results

Men's Big Air
1. Stefan Gimpl AUT
2. Andrew Crawford USA
3. David Benedek GER
4. Michi Albin SUI
5. Peter Line USA
6. Roger Hjelmstadstuen NOR
7. Darius Herstchian SUI
8. Kevin Sansalone CAN

Women's Quarterpipe
1. Pauline Richon SUI
2. Nici Pederzolli AUT
3. Anne-Molin Kongsdad NOR

Men�s Quarterpipe
1. Trevor Andrew CAN
2. Joachim Koffler AUT
3. Wolfgang Nyvelt AUT