Young snowboarders spray snow into the air as they perform stunts during an extreme sports style competition at Ski Dubai.

The excitement is played out to the background of hip hop and rock music being pumped out through large speakers by a DJ working on a specially constructed turntable.
The event is part of the Mall of the Emirates attraction’s freestyle nights that are running during October and November and are open to anyone wanting to compete for points and prizes.

The competition is being sponsored by ski wear firm Oakley and takes place on October 19 and November 16 and 30.

Competitions will include “Big Air” which allows competitors to take off and perform airborne tricks after launching off a ramp and “Slope Style” where they show off their moves whilst skiing or snowboarding down the slope runs.

Tom Aitchison, 13, originally from the UK has been in Dubai for two-and-a-half years, said: “This is fantastic. I have been doing this for nine months and made a lot of friends.”

He said he first got involved after watching previous events with other friends.

He said: “It’s always a really good atmosphere when they run the events and I wish they did them more regularly.”
Om Jang, 30, from Nepal, has been in Dubai for a year and has been snowboarding at the mall for six months.
He said: “I really love doing it because it’s an unusual activity to do in a country like this.

“I particularly like doing the slide jumps and trying out new tricks and stunts.

“It takes a lot of practice but once you get the hang of it you can do all kinds of crazy stuff.”

The competitions are split into under 16 and over 17 categories and there is no extra fee to take part apart from the normal Ski Dubai entry charges.

Jackie Longworth, a spokeswoman for Oakley, said: “The Oakley Freestyle Nights are all about giving people interested in ski sports the chance to enjoy their passion in a safe and friendly environment.

“This year we are also introducing a points system and a final on November 30 where we will have some great prizes on offer.

“These events are open to everyone not just the hardcore snowboarders and it’s as much about introducing these activities to a wider audience as anything else.”

In general around 20 skiers take part in the sessions with registration taking place at 7pm and the contest lasting around 45 minutes.
Sourced via xpress4me.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

Moving forward in PopCrunch’s 50 Hottest Women of Sports, here are positions 31-40. Athletes have extremely toned bodies that very few in Hollywood can match.

40. Danica Patrick

At 5?2 feet tall, and weighting 100 pounds, Danica is a heck of a sexy racing driver. She was born in Wisconsin, and currently competes in the IndyCar series. In 2005 Playboy invited her to get featured on the magazine, but she decline. Damn!

39. Tanith Belbin

Yeah we also think that ice dancing is a lame sport. You can’t deny that watching the performance of this 24-years-old Canadian-American would be pleasant though. She is five-times U.S. National champion, 2006 Olympic silver medalist, and hot!

38. Francesca Piccinini

Francesca is an Italian volleyball player. At a height of 6?1, she is able to spike at 304 cm from the ground (equivalent to 9?11). She also played over 330 official matches with the Italian national team. The woman is beautiful, but with such an athletic performance you can’t help but admire her.

37. Dara Torres

One of the most famous athletes from the United States, Dara was the first swimmer to compete in four Olympic games. Despite having nine Olympic medals, no one ever gave her one for being one of the hottest swimmers around. We would!

36. Amy Acuff

Amy was born in Texas, 1975. She is a high jump competitor for the United States, and she participated in three Olympic games. Lately she also started a career as model, getting featured on magazines like FHM and Playboy (you should check that…).

35. Natalie Coughlin

Alright, no big boobs, we know. She has a really cute face and a toned body to compensate though. Natalie is a professional swimmer, and she won two gold medals on the 2004 Athens Olympic games.

34. Lokelani McMichael

Man, that is a true Hawaiian beauty! Lokelani has already being featured in several magazines like Maxim and GQ. Ah, in the case you want to know what she does, she is competes in the triathlon.

33. Mary Sauer

You would never have thought that pole vaulters could be sexy eh? Well, take a look at Mrs. Mary Sauer. Born in Wisconsin, 1975, she definitely makes watching this discipline more fun.

32. Jamie Sale

Jamie is one of the prettiest things you will ever see on a pair of skates on the ice. She already won both an Olympic gold medal and a world championship. Unfortunately for us, she is happily married since 2005.

31. Gretchen Bleiler

One of the most famous female snowboarders in the world, Gretchen lives in Aspen, Colorado. I am not a fan of cold temperatures, but if she invited me over I would be booking my ticket straight away.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Mammoth Mountain is one of only a handful of resorts in the world to offer a halfpipe of this size and is the only resort in North America to offer three different-sized halfpipes.

With 22-foot tall walls measuring in at over 500 feet in length and constructed with over 42,000 cubic yards of snow, the Super Duper Pipe is truly massive. The pipe lies on a 16.5 degree slope which was completely re-graded in September 2008 to provide a more ideal surface for the pipe. This will mark the fourth year a 22-foot pipe has been constructed at Mammoth Mountain.

“I’m very happy that we are able to put such a high level of quality and dedication into our world-class terrain parks, even with tightened budgets due to these tough economic times,” said Rusty Gregory, CEO of Mammoth Mountain.

In addition to the 22-foot Super Duper Pipe, located in Unbound Main, Mammoth currently has an 18-foot Superpipe, also in Unbound Main, and a 10-foot Halfpipe in Wonderland Park. Mammoth Mountain offers seven total terrain parks with features ranging in size from entry-level bumps and rollers in Disco Park to professional-level 85-foot jumps in Unbound Main.

Mammoth Mountain has received over 310 inches of snowfall to date for the 2008/09 winter season including 73 in the first half of February. With a current base depth of 8-13 feet, Mammoth is committed to remaining open until Memorial Day, with a possibility of remaining open into June or July if condition permit.
Source www.extremesport365.com

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