Featured Picture: Joachim Clausen Hansen
One other summer time means one other version of the Scandinavian Workforce Battle at CopenHill. The outside occasion, which takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark, was completely electrical in its fourth version, each metaphorically and actually since CopenHill provides clear power to the town. Regardless of grand efforts from each crew, it was Workforce Sweden who walked away with the win. This cemented them because the undefeated champions, as they’ve now gone 4 for 4, profitable each Workforce Battle for the reason that occasion’s conception. The riders, climate and course had been all unpredictable, ever-changing and performative in one of the best methods. That is far out of your common slopestyle competitors, so we’ll provide the rundown.
This yr’s occasion had just a few adjustments, however the format remained the identical. 5 groups, every from a special nation, competed with two skiers per staff. They rode the course as a pair, tapping out and in from the number of options that had been laid all through the inexperienced, turf-covered run. The groups are listed beneath:
🇸🇪 TEAM SWEDEN: Jesper Tjäder & Emil Granbom
🇳🇴 TEAM NORWAY: Johan Berg & Mikkel BK
🇩🇰 TEAM DENMARK: Jakob Ebskamp & Isabella Tvede
🇫🇮 TEAM FINLAND: Harald Hellström & Elias Syrja
🇦🇹 TEAM INNSBRUCK: Lisa Zimmerman & Tereza Korábová
So far as the variations between this yr and final, the options had been a giant one. This yr’s course was by far probably the most intricate and fascinating one we’ve seen. Essentially the most memorable options, such because the quarter pipe and wall journey to down rail, had been stored round, with new editions added all through together with extra rail choices, moveable elements and even a tiny pool. Sure, you learn that proper. Take a look at the immersive picture gallery beneath for additional proof.
With loads of time and immense expertise, every staff needed to get inventive with how they attacked the course. At one level Emil Granbom jumped into the swimming pool himself making his skis into a pleasant switch rail for his Swedish teammate Jesper Tjäder to journey. Mikkel BK of Workforce Norway went larger than anyone else, tapping Johan Berg’s skis whereas holding an umbrella on the similar time. It was as if Marry Poppins and Pink Bull drew up the playbook. The Fins Elias Syrja and Harald Hellström thought outdoors the field and created a brand new rail themselves utilizing one of many fences meant to manage the group.
The occasion had scattered cloud cowl all through the vast majority of the two-hour showdown, and with quarter-hour left, the rain started to pour. This discouraged neither the group nor the riders, nevertheless, because it merely greased up the astroturf run and gave extra velocity to the riders. As talked about above, Mikkel BK utilized this to his benefit and boosted into the stratosphere to finish the day, sending the group right into a frenzy. However even with the quantity of fashion and creativity, Workforce Sweden couldn’t be stopped. The judges testified that, “they principally nailed each run all through your entire day,” and, with their signature tandem backflips, they stole the present as soon as once more.
“This format is such a sick and enjoyable method to get inventive along with your teammate, and I feel it does an excellent job of as showcasing snowboarding to an viewers who more than likely doesn’t know that a lot concerning the sport coming into it.” – Jakob Ebskamp, Scandinavian Workforce Battle Occasion Organizer and skier on Workforce Denmark
There’s no must cry in the event you couldn’t make it to the occasion. Photographers Joachim Clausen Hansen, Jesper Grønnemark and Carl Ulslev Degn had been on the bottom and snapped a jaw-dropping assortment of photographs which are (virtually) nearly as good as the actual deal. Because of the organizers, workers, crowd and riders for placing on one other iconic version of the Scandi Workforce Battle at CopenHill.
Photographs: Courtesy of Jakub Ebskamp / CopenHill
Images: Joachim Clausen Hansen, Jesper Grønnemark, Carl Ulslev Degn
PHOTO: Carl Ulslev Degn
PHOTO: Jesper Grønnemark
PHOTO: Joachim Clausen Hansen