SOL | OBE Presents Snow Job

Kevin Jones Rocks the Snow Job Big Air

It was a beautiful afternoon at Mt. Hood Meadows in Oregon and Snow Job went off. The Bud Light Big Air National Finals offered up some good visual stimuli, while Seattle's Manray played some dark, moody rock, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones cranked out some ska.

Kevin Jones corkscrew 720'd his way into a pile of money. This time he walked with $6000.

Thirteen men and women big air competitors battled in the finals for $20,000 dollars. The snow seemed pretty good, a little slow, but the big air jump built by Stimilon held up well for the for the qualifier and the finals. The contest ran smoothly and the bands cranked all morning while the big air contestants flew on the slope above the stage.

In the final round eight men and five women hucked for the bucks and the Big Air Champion title. The eight finalists for the men were Jason Borgstede, Mike Basich, Allen Traves, Rich Nesshoever, Risto Scott, Myles Hallen, Nick Francke, and Kevin Jones. For the women there was Athena, Michelle Shetler, Amy Campion, Natasza Zurek, and Tina Dixon.

"It was a good jump," said K2's Athena. "A quick steep run in, steep lip, steep landing. The jump was different than the Board Stiff jump." Athena took first in the Board Stiff event last month at Snoqualmie Pass and took third today.

All of the riders seemed stoked on the jump, however, few seemed to be sticking stuff until the finals. Myles Hallen pulled a 1080, Kevin Jones stuck a tailgrab 900, and Mikey Basich layed out a good double backflip. In the end it was anyone's guess as to who would take the men's division, but it seemed pretty clear that Tina Dixon had the women's division landing a perfect backside 360.

Tina Dixon, winner of the women's big air and $3000. Not bad for a day of hucking.

"It was a fun jump," said Tina who flew up from Utah for the contest. "This was my first big air series. Sugar Bowl was the first contest I did this season and when I saw the jump I was scared, but I got used to them. In my last jump today the guy at the top said 'Tina Dixon this is your last run. Make it good.' I hate it when people say that. It made me all nervous but I just went for it and landed."

In the men's division Kevin Jones of Tahoe took first, nabbing a 6,000 dollar check, a lava lamp, and the Big Air Championship title. He took the contest with a frontside 900 melon and a frontside 720 corkscrew. "That was the best big air I've jumped all year," said a smiling Kevin after hearing he had won. I felt like if they did the judging the way they said they were going to judge I would be in the top three."

"It was definitely a smooth jump," agreed second place winner Nick Francke who took his spot with a backflip 180 and a rodeo. "It was a lot smaller than the other jumps this season, but the snow was nice and the sun came out."

In the end winners walked away with smiling, Social Distortion closed out the day while huge snowflakes fell. Tomorrow will be a powder day at Meadows, but Snow Job was the final hurrah for the resort this season.

Board Stiff | Extremely Board | Totally Board | Snow Job

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