BEO 2013 Mega Post

We wrapped up another wunderbar Burton European Open last weekend. Shredders were sending it on the slopestyle course and people were pumping it in the pipe. The weather was a bit hectic this year, which made for less competing and more powder turns (which is never a bad thing at LAAX). There was a mad pow disease epidemic going around and everyone left with infected grins on their pow-covered faces, and THAT is what it's all about! Here are some shots we snapped when the comp was actually on, plus some video recaps. Photos are by Seth Hill, ADT and TAG. Look out next week for our "Comp's Canceled" edit to see what we got into with some of the riders deep in the Swiss Fondue!Morten Kleivdal dropping into the shredosphere looking like Felix BaumgartnerExecutive squad: Hasi, Gary Greenshields, Kevin Keller and MC Patsch on the scene at the slope semisNorway's economy is slipping, RK1 kids asking for spare change, Alek Oestreng, Ståle Sandbech and filmer Olav StubbzAlek Oestreng, Roope Tonteri and Ulrik Badertscher about throw Keller overboard if their demands are not metDoppelgangers lurking in the stands, David Doom and Tom Kingsnorth (is that Danny Burrows behind them?)Jamie Nicholls trying to add some boost to his base
Top of the course stairset press to start things offBrett Moody sending it through the 3 big booters on the world-class slopestyle courseSome intense lapping going on with the drag lift right alongside the courseJamie Nicholls taking you to spin cityEric Beauchemin was making the place smoke with his fiery maneuvsWhen all else fails, do a method! Morten Kleivdal sky-hookingStale Sandbech gapping to switch back boardUFO double wildcatSeb Toots tail grab pole jam into third placeSven Thorgren sets the spin cycle to highStyle, Alek Oestreng's got itEven when he's getting side-swiped by the on-course MINIMark McMorris is on FIRE right now, squared up like a G into 2nd placeHere's a video wrap-up from slopestyle plus some powder footy from the day the finals were canceled, including Torstein Horgmo's winning run from semis which became the official results because of the snow storm. Trust us, no one was complaining about the finals being canceled, least of all us!A pipe dragon came through, tore this perfectly shaped U-ditch on the side of the mountain and then flew awayArthur Longo dropping inArthur Longo getting outJohann Baisamy pops up to check out a line he wants to do after the compDavid Habluetzel sends one from half court......and it's a BRICK!Lucien Koch does his best divebomber impressionI-pod snagging tail and 2nd placeLucien Koch whipping it, real goodUFO pipe drifterTaylor Gold making some noise for the US and A!14-year old Ayumu Hirano with a "mellow" double overhead backside air on his winning run....Yo, peep that pow in the background! That's where I'm headed!
Here are the top 3 pipe runs with wieners Scotty Lago, Iouri Podladtchikov and Mu Mu Hirano, plus a little highlight clip:
Henry Jackson was on a tirade at the media dinner about commencing a "Skihad" and eliminating all infidels and nonbelievers. Check out the sign in the background, apparently it was "time to drink champagne and dance on the tables!"40 beers, please!Sami Tuoriniemi, all-access & unlimited drinks!Apparently Pope Benedict quit to go snowboarding! Lukas Goller with his badass one-of-a-kind Evil Pope snowboard.Henry Jackson commiting random acts of terror in the powder on the last day, backflip into a pack of skiers!Thanks to everyone at Burton and LAAX for some super days full of high-flying action, incredibly fluffy powder and all the free drinks. As always, we shall return next year! Next stop, Vail, Colorado for the Burton US Open.

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