Canadian Matts Kuli Wins the Billabong Slopestyle Jam at Snow Park, Wanaka
 
Billabong Slopestyle Jam
Premiere International Snowboarding Event
August 25-26: Snow Park, Wanaka New Zealand
$15,000 cash and Prizes
 
The Billabong Slopestyle Jam at Snow Park is the third and final event of the Billabong Freeway Tour which has made its way through Thredbo and Hotham in Australia.  
 
Canadian snowboarder Matts Kuli won the Billabong Slope Style Jam.  In a pattern that became the norm throughout the final day, it was Kuli's first of three runs scoring 23.7 that sent him to the top of the podium.  
 
Kuli's closest opponent was 21 year old New Zealander Stef Zeestraten who scored 22.3 on his second run of the day.  Zeestraten was the only New Zealander to finish in the top three outscoring Billabong's Risto Mattila by a mere 0.3.  Risto placed one better than his 2005 performance when he finished fourth.
 
Billabong's Jamie Anderson (USA) made it a one-two of the major divisions for the international contingent that comprised 14 of the 25-strong field in the finals.  Anderson was the standout female performer of the event going huge on the jumps and throwing in big 360s in doing so.  
 
Mitchell Brown continued his good form from day 1 when he qualified third for both divisions to go on and win the final of the Billabong Junior Men's.  Brown dominated from the outset with the first of his three runs being his highest scoring run - 22.2 out of 30.  For his efforts, Brown gains qualification into the TTR Billabong World Junior Pro Championships in France.

Full results from the Billabong Slopestyle Jam are as follows:
 
Open Men
1st Matts Kuli (CAN)
2nd Stef Zeestraten (NZE)
3rd Risto Matia (FIN)
 
Open Women
1st Jamie Anderson (USA)
2nd Izumi Amaike (JAP)
3rd Claudia Fliri (AUT)
 
Junior Men (U/20)
1st Mitchell Brown (NZE)
2nd James Hamilton (NZE)
3rd Andy Kennerly (NZE)
 
Junior Women (U/20)
1st Rebecca Sinclair (NZE)
2nd Christine Prior (NZE)
3rd Charlotte Trundle (NZE)
 
Grommets (U/16)
1st Ben Stewart (NZE)
2nd Nick Doucette (NZE)
3rd Wes Walsh (USA) Photos: Curl Magazine