Seppe Smits at Quiksilver Spring Battle 2011

Marko Grilc at the Quiksilver Spring Battle
&copy abs11 (photo Markus Rohrbacher)

Seppe Smits, winner of 4Star Quiksilver Spring Battle 2010

Date: 4.04.2011
Updated: 6.04.2011 05:20

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The 8th edition of the 4Star Quiksilver Spring Battle in Flachauwinkl, Austria saw the Belgian rider, Seppe Smits, take home the slopestyle victory on Friday, April 1st, 2011.  Both the park setup and the riding were impressive at this springtime event with some of Europe’s best snowboarders competing for the $30,000 USD prize purse and up to 500 Swatch TTR World Ranking points.  Slovenian, Marko Grilc, took second place and Finland’s, Ville Paumola, rounded out the podium in third. 

The Springtime Snow Did Not Slow the Riders Down
The 34 riders who came for the open qualifications put on a good show of talent in sunny conditions at the Absolut park. Setting the standard for the super-finals Mario Wanger (AUT) qualified in first with a run that included a huge frontside 1080 and a backside 900.  Slightly overcast conditions greeted the ten riders who made it through to the three-run super-finals taking place on Friday 1st of April.  As the day moved on the conditions improved and the crowds saw some top notch snowboarding, with the riders hitting the two large kickers and the jib section. For the first time at this event a live video judging took place in the evening at the local community hall. The bets were on for Seppe Smits who had nailed a huge cab 1260 and a backside 1080, and Marko Grilc (SLO), who stomped a backside double cork and a double backflip. Hundreds of people turned up to watch and cheer on the as the young Belgian received top scores leaving Marko in second and Ville Paumola in third place.

Seppe Smits, who remains in World No.3, enjoyed the chilled out event and showed off his stylish slopestyle riding skills and solid landings. Taking his careers first TTR event title is a bonus for Seppe, who has had a stellar season. He said after the prize giving “ It’s been a good season and the spring riding is just starting. And it’s great to be here at Spring Battle, I’ve been here for about 5 years and it’s such a fun contest, so to have the first TTR win of my life here at Spring Battle is pretty sick. To finish the season with a first place - with my first place ever that I got at a TTR contest - is pretty sick, so I’m super stoked on this result. ” Also, local riders were nailing some sweet runs, including Clemens Schattschneider who took fourth place and Mathias Weissenbacher, who placed fifth and moved up to TTR World No. 40.  Both Clemens and Herbert Thaler (AUT), who placed sixth, moved into the TTR Top 70, and have set themselves in a good position for next season.

Final 4Star events coming up
With the 4Star Quiksilver Spring Battle in Flachauwinkl wrapped up, one more 4Star event in Europe will take place in Ischgl, Austria, as the rookies head there in mass for the 4Star Protest World Rookie Finals. The final 4Star events of the TTR Season will be the all-girl Billabong Flaunt-It at Sierra-at-Tahoe, USA on April 9th, 2011 and the USASA National Championships happening all this week going down April 2, 2011 to April 12, 2011 at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Full event calendar available on www.ttrworldtour.com