Relentless London Freeze Festival

It was a clean sweep for the Swedes in the Freeskiing at Sunday night’s London Freeze Festival Freeskiing. Countering the rubbish grey, wet n windy conditions, taking 1st place, and £4,500 was Jacob Wester, 2nd Jon Olosson and 3rd Henrik Harlaut (who got £2,350 and £1,250). Last year’s returning champion, Russ Henshaw pushed the Swedes all the way, and a bit more, resulting in a heavy landing after  stacking his attempt at a switch double cork 1260 in the second part of the finals.

Another big hitter who didn’t hit the podium was Bobby Brown (USA), who failed to nail both of his switch double misty 1260s. Double cork 1080s had been the favoured move in earlier rounds, but as the final approached so the complexity increased. A truckdriver grab add-on saw Olsson beat out Andreas Hatveit (Norway) for a place in the finals. Harlaut’s mute grab on a 1080 double cork gave him 89 points and a lead in the first round of the finals.

The second round saw Wester raise the bar with 91 points for his double cork 1260 mute. Olsson rose to the challenge with a double cork 1080 and truckdriver grab. Harlaut was unable to better his first round effort and so finished in third. Olsson had been trying out triple cork 1440s, in New Zealand, but didn’t unleash one in the London competition.

Pendulum headlined a DJ set to finish off this year’s Relentless London Freeze Festival, along with Hadouken! and Skindred. The audience went home happy if a bit on the cold side.