The last week in NZ / Queenstown and painting!

My last week in NZ was good fun, riding up at Remarks and hanging out in Queenstown. I managed to get fs9's on the jump, gutted that i didnt get it on film!! all well going to have to do a few more then! :) Had loads of fun in Queenstown wish i could have stayed even longer!

This is the view from Remarks..

I am now back in France catching up with my friends and helping my parents finish the work we have had done on Chalet Merisiers / The Drop Inn, i am an expert painter now!!

Spent the weekend skating my mini ramp in Courchevel 1550 and a BBQ was an awesome day with my mates!!!

Later this week i head to Hintertux in Austria with Team GB, get some more training in for Freeze that is on in London in 2 weeks. Pleisure Holidays will also have a stand at Freeze so should be a good weekend. After the Freeze i will be at the London Ski Show helping out on the Head stand. Then early November it is the O'Neill Pleasure Jam out in Austria.

Looking forward to the next few weeks, hopefully i can also fit in my driving test at some point! oh well better get back to painting..

NZ Wanaka / Snowpark onto Queenstown / Remarks

The last few weeks in Wanaka were ok, the weather wasn't the best, the wind was a problem a lot of days, so had a lot of down days. Went to the cinema a lot and played a load of scrabble! it snowed a load one day and so got to ride snowpark with 30cm of fresh, hitting the knuckles and sides of jumps going as big as you can was so much fun.

The days we did get on the hill were good stoked on my pipe riding learned tricks on my backside wall so i can put a good run together now :) left Wanaka early on Monday and watched the sun rise as we drove to Queenstown.

 

The rest of Team GB where flying off however i am staying in Queestown at a mates place and staff from Pleisure Holidays. Has been a good few days so changed my flights so i could stay for longer haha, the park in Remarks is good so hopefully get some got riding going with Ruben Hubner, Evan Savio, Joel Davies.... fingers crossed the weather is good too.

First week in NZ

After Australia i flew to NZ was an ok flight, i arrived in christchurch and then got a mini plane to queenstown was so weird because there was no passport control or security you just walk on to a plane. Queenstown is one of the scariest and amazing airports to land at as it is in a valley between some big mountains.

Got picked up from Queestown and have been staying in Wanaka with Team GB. The next day after my flight i did my first ever World Cup, which was also the first qualifying event for the 2014 Olympics up at Cardrona. It was supposed to be practice day first however due to poor weather forecast they cancelled practice day and brought the qualification forward. So i only got 5 runs of training and then had to do a run in my first ever world cup event haha, however was all good, a good experience for the future.


We have been going up to Snowpark for the past few days and i have been mainly riding pipe, super stocked on it because i have learnt how to do bs5s out the coping and am starting to get a run together!!!! :)

Snowpark setup, not bad hey..

Unfortunately the past few days have been bad weather so haven't had the chance to be riding it. Have been going to the cinema which has to be the best cinema ever !! all the seats are old sofas so comfy and they stop the movie half way through and you can buy freshly baked cookies they are amazing !!! haha and also we went to puzzling world which is a place with loads of illusions like a pool ball roling up a hill or a room were sam and row are really big and im really small, see pic below!!    

Journey to the other side of the World / World Rookie Fest / Flight to NZ.

Last week i traveled to the other side of the world! first destination Australia with the world rookie fest guys, was a long flight with a stop in Dubai, where we had a 12h wait so we went into Dubai, soo hot 48 at night! and got to see the worlds tallest building :) that was sick!!

Arrived in Sydney the next day and drove up to Thredbo, being back to cold and winter was strange especially after the heat of Dubai! We were in Australia for some filming, a comp and kangaroo hunting!!!! haha was a good laugh, unfortunately though i didnt land my runs in the comp.

On our drive back to Sydney we stopped in Canberra and at a skate shop where we were each given a cruiser skateboard and a beenie, so stocked on that, cheers Adrenalin Boardstore Canberra. We arrived in Sydney later that night, staying at Bondi beach. The next day we went into Sydney to see the opera house and stuff. We skated across the big harbour bridge,  was so funny because we were all on the cruisers zigzaging in and out of people.

Yesterday i got a flight to NZ, only just though as nearly late for my taxi! landed in Christchurch and then onto Queestown, now in Wanaka with Team GB. That is my travelling done for a few weeks, looking forward to some good snowboarding at Cardrona and Snowpark.

our cruiser skateboards from Adrenalin Boardstore

Saas Fee / My birthday / London Olympics / Theory test

The past few weeks i have been busy, Saas Fee, UK, Olympics, Driving Theory Test, Family visits..

I spent 2 weeks on the glacier in Saas Fee Switzerland with Team GB. Was a good 2 weeks, the jumps were good shape was trying some rodeos and underflips on the medium line also got a sb7 and tried fs10 of the big line so stocked on that :)   the pipe was ok for doing some bs5's, not really good enough to try some other tricks i wanted, which was a shame. Also went snowboarding for the first time on my birthday, which was sick!

After Saas Fee i headed to the UK with my mum and dad in Forrest our 1979 vw camper,  stayed in a few places on the way up through France. In the UK stayed at a mates in Ashford for a few days, he has a big garden, i learnt to drive a digger and dump truck and some drifting in a Mazda mx5 :)

We went into london for the day as i had tickets for the Olympic Volleyball, cheers Team GB and sir Clive Woodward who got me the tickets for being in the Youth Olympics. The Volleyball was a good game such good atmosphere. After the olympics we went up to Coventry and i passed my driving theory test and got to see loads of my family which i dont really get to see that often so was a good few weeks :)

Vals Senales Rookie camp, R.I.P Nelson

The past week and a bit i have been at Vals Senales in italy on the Rookie camp was a good few days over there met so many cool people which i hope to see again some time!

 

 On the hill they had a good set up although i didnt get to hit the big jump because the first couple of days i had a really bad sunburn on the back of my legs which had scabbed up so couldnt really walk let alone ride! when my legs got better the weather and snow wasnt so good to get the speed for them, so i stuck to small line you could do 7s so was working on my sb7 and rail setup :)

  The Saturday i got picked up two friends from Courchevel came over to ride for the day as it was one of there birthdays, good day on the hill and then on the way back we stopped off in Chamonix to skate the new bowl, i struggled to skate as i was tired from a long day and week. 

I would also like to say a few words for a friend that has just passed away, Nelson Pratt. I remember the first time that i meet Nelson it was about 4years ago he picked me up in his old land rover from Moutiers and drove me over to Innsbruck to train with the gb team,  he was such a nice guy always with a smile on his face never complained really polite and great snowboarder, always stoked to be riding... he was the nicest person i have ever met. Sooo Sad

                                                                
                                                                     R.I.P Nelson.

Barcelona, The Board Test and Team GB air bag session

This month has been sick! i went to Barcelona with the pleisure crew was a fun few days skating around town, drinking sangria, a segway tour, seeing the sights.. on the last day with my parents, Henry Shackleton and Dan Malin we had a skate tour, we started in Barcelona with a spot from tony hawks 1 and a little park on the beach, next we headed to Montpellier and then to Marseille and finally Grenoble, Grenoble was the best has one of the best bowls i have riden theres diferent lines everywhere it was sick.

Marseille

Crolles nr Grenoble

With my collarbone healing well and doctors giving me go ahead to get back back snowboarding i headed to the board test for the week, was fun got to see loads of people hadn't seen in ages and the park was good.

Here is a link to a short video Head snowboards put together with me and Henry at the Board test http://video.mpora.com/watch/MUGl2ZCWk/

The week after the board test i went to Corvatch / St Moritz with Rowan Coltas, Jamie Nicholls, Jamie Trinder, Ben Kilner, Billy Morgan and Katie Ormerod. Our coach Hamish Mcknight had set up an airbag training session, not only that it was our own private resort with lift just open for us and a good jump setup up to airbag and normal and normal landing so we could try things and take to normal jump. It was a sick week just trying what you wanted into the bag and you wouldnt get hurt, i learnt fs under flips and also tried rodeos and double under flips, it was the first time i have been inverted off a big jump and it was the first time i had tried those tricks so it was an amazing week, loads of fun, but was really tiring, i was suprised how much falling takes out of you hahaha, the shoulder was all good though, cant wait for more summer riding now.

7's, 9's & 1080, Broken Collar bone, The Brits & Junior World Championships

Training in Laax was going well i was riding with henry and jamie on the one camp and on the first day we all went crazy and started throwing ourselves off stuff! in one day i landed all four 7s two 9s fs and sb and a fs 10! it was a good day, however the next day we went up we were aching a lot haha.

A couple of days after i was riding the pipe with dan and henry and i fall onto my shouler and broke my collar bone. : (

I Had it operated and pinned i got told that i wouldnt be able to snowboard for two months. : (

I decided to stick around at the Brits, it was cool to see Jamie & Henry take home the medals in Halfpipe and Big Air. From the Brits i was due to travel to the Junior World Championships with Jamie & Henry, although i cant snowboard for weeks, as my flights and accommodation were booked and i would have just been sitting at home anyway i still travelled with them. Journey from Laax to Geneva airport was a bit cramped!

The Junior Worlds were held in Sierra Nevada, southern Spain, only 1 hour from the beach!!

Our hire car spookily had our initials, Henry, Jamie & Lewis!

not a lot of snow when we got to resort..

Good Halfpipe and Slopestyle set up though..

It was cool to come off the mountain and sit in the sun with a Sangria..

Although i couldnt snowboard been a good few weeks i suppose..

Yesterday i went to the physio and he told me that my collarbone is healing well and that i can go riding if i want, but try to not fall over!! :)

BEO & Nescafe Champs

The past couple of weeks i have been at the Burton European Open and the Nescafe Champs with Henry Shackleton its been a fun couple of weeks in Laax and Leysin Switzerland.

At the BEO it was the pre qualie for slopestyle first. They had moved the slopestyle course to a different place this year it was better because it was a drag lift and not a long chair so the lap of the course was a lot faster :D. The park was good they had a down rail or a up rail to 2 small jumps which were called the flow section because they were really close together then 2 larger jumps and then the creative use of space feature where you had a wall ride to a drop over a mini car or to a poll tap or you could hit the other side and it was a metal bar / hip type thing to a down flat down or a down rail, the person who got the most creative won 5000€. Unfortunately the pre quaies got cancelled due to strong winds and bad visibility so they put everybody into the qualis the next day, i came 22nd in my heat and ended up 72nd overall.

Next up was halfpipe qualies, the pipe is so good at Laax i was really looking forward to this. The top 10 riders went through to the Semifinals, i came 21st and end up 37th overall.

All in all a good week at the BEO, good pipe always was nicely shaped, fun slopestyle course and the rail line down to the chair lift was sick.

After the BEO we headed to the Nescafe champs in Leysin the course was a flat down box to a halfpipe to a jump and then a feature on the bottom me and henry were in the last chance qualifying round were 6 went threw i finished 8th just missing out :( and henry fell both runs.

Has been a good couple of weeks. Been back home was looking forward to riding more of the new park in Meribel, however jump hasnt be so good and other features have been taken down to re build, so i am off to Laax for a weeks training before The Brits.

The world rookie fest half pipe comp in Italy

Over the weekend i was in Italy for the World Rookie Fest Halfpipe comp and Italian Masters Halfpipe comp in Monte Bondone. I travelled over with Henry Shackleton, plus there were a few other GB snowboarders there Max Thidling, Ayla Thindling, Maise Potter and Nathalie Silkstone. The Hotel the Rookie fest people put us up in was sick, 4* with pool, sauna, spa, salt room! food was also good and plentiful we had about 6 courses a night! although there was strange stuff on the menu one night was donkey! i think i was the only one to go for this!!

Me and Henry were looking forward to riding a good pipe, as we were told it was a superpipe and one of the best in europe (which should mean it would be 20-22') however it was about a 12ft haha! it was still fun though.

It was such a good few days, and lots of stuff put on by the Rookie Fest team. We went night riding, which was all good sessioning the park, jam went down on the down flat down box. We also went for day out to Trento, tour of old town and castles, then we went to to a cafe where they laid on hot chocolate and loads of cakes, which was real good.

For the competition The GB team did amazing, with every one of use making the finals!! On the finals day in the girls Maise finishing 3rd and Nathalie 2nd so sick and then in the rookies mens Henry finished 4th just missing out on the podium and I finished 1st I could not believe it so stocked!!

Straight after prize giving we headed to the top of the mountain refuge for food and drinks again laid on by the Rookie fest people, then we got to ride down in the dark!!

We all decided to stay around for the Sunday as there was another competition in the same halfpipe, Italian Masters open. Again Maise finished 3rd and Nathalie 2nd in the womens. In the mens me, Max and Henry were in the rookie age group and all qualified for the finals, it was quite funny because it was the Italian open and in or finals it was just GB and the Netherlands haha! Henry finished 4th and I finished 3rd, and not only in the Rookie age group we also finished 3rd and 4th overall.

It was a really good weekend !! so much fun and some good results wooo :)

Here is a link to more coverage and a little video http://www.worldsnowboardfederation.org/article940-cj-lewis-and-diana-augustinova-won-the-halfpipe-rookie-fest.html

the End off the Youth Olympics :(

The last few days at the YOG were sooo much fun..

Thursday was the first ever slopestyle competition at the Olympics! Course was really good it was a down rail or down flat down to a bonk to a canon, wall ride or flat box, to a down box or a down flat rail or a rainbow, yep thats right 4 jib sections! which then lead in to 2 jumps. It was a fun course to ride and i was sticking all my tricks in training and then in qualification i placed 7th which was good enough to get me into the finals, i was stoked on that. The finals were due to be held the next day, however as the forecast was not good they decided to run the finals straight after the qualies as the bad weather was already coming in. The wind and snow made it really hard to land a run, i think 4 riders stuck there 1st run, i was unable to land either of my 2 runs which was disappointing, i ended up finishing 16th out of 28 :)

This was me done for my events, however there was lots still going on, supporting the rest of Team GB, organised events and parties! was soo much fun and so many people from all over the world all our age group to meet and have fun with.

There was a new skate park right next door to the olympic village which only opened on the 17th December, they had a fun street section, a bowl and a sick mini ramp!! Tyler (freestyle skier), Woody (ice skater) and me spent most of our time in the mini ramp because there was nobody else skating it :) haha it was good fun i learned some new tricks in it which im stocked on and it was only 2€ to get in :). If you are ever in Innsbruck check this place out.

We went to watch Katharine who was doing the ice hockey and had a real medal chance, she ended up finishing 5th the scores were so tight the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th all had the same score, very unlucky. We did get a gold and silver medal in the short track relay and a silver in women's bobsleigh well done guys and girls!!!! It was a fun few days so gutted to be back home !! Missing every one!!

It has been an amazing experience, one i will never forget. Hopefully i can push on from here and get the chance to experience this again at the full Olympics in 2014 or 2018.. Thanks for all the support and messages everyone sent me during the games, made me soo happy!

This is me stoked to have made the finals in the Slopestyle, cool that i was allowed to wear my new O'Neill jacket from the 2012/13 collection.

These are my sick new Head bindings, they even got me them in Team GB colours! next seasons with the new soft base.

This is me in the halfpipe at Kuhtai, the setting for both snowboard comps.

The Youth Olympics so far.

I am currently at the first ever Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, when we arrived at the YOG village we got told who are room mates were and me and Tyler Harding (freestyle skier) got put in a room together with another Lewis (ice hockey)! we were so stocked!!! :D In our room the duvets were Team GB duvets and we got Team GB pillows with or names on them there so sick!!!

I have been having so much fun meeting lots of new people!! It is a really mad experience, the village is for over 1000 athletes all aged 15-18 years old, and just like being at the real Olympics, security and having to hide your sponsors etc is so strange, but amazing fun... haha

I have been riding the halfpipe in kuhtai for a couple of days which was so sick had so much fun, then it was qualies and i made it to the semi finals which was amazing, in the semis i fell on one of the easyest tricks in the book a cab 3 :( fail, oh well it happens.

The finals in pipe were sick with the American Ben Ferguson going massive and doing a double crippler, and cleaning up!!

I have now started training for the slopestyle event, we qualies on thursday, ill try my best to make the finals in that!!! :) The course setup is cool.

I plan to get to a few of the other events and support my fellow Team GB atheltes, in Bobsleigh, Curling, Ice Hockey, Ice Skating. Innsbruck is a great location and an amazing experince for me and i still have nearly a week left!!

O'Neill Evolution 2012

I am currently at the O'Neill Evolution in Davos, this year they have built a 25m jump the Biggest jump i have ever hit was so scary and it was really whippy one of those jumps where every time you get to the top you still get the same scared feeling LOL, but was fun did some back 3s off it, today comp day was really bad weather tipping it down with snow couldn't get enough speed for the big jump so they did the comp on the small one which is still 16m in practice i was landing every thing clean,
but come to first run i fell on my fs7 and second run i stomped my fs7 but did a sketchy fs board slide on the down bar finish in my heat around 20th, the other team GB guys did really good with Billy Morgan qualifying in 1st place over all and Jamie Nicholls qualifying in 2nd in his heat but unlucky to Sam Turnbull finishing 11th and Ben killner 12th when the top ten go throw!!! Its been snowing all day there has been over 50cm of snow so tomorrow POWDER DAY WOOOOOO!!!!