The third leg of the For Boarders By Boarders UK tour saw the usual suspects turn out for what is fast becoming the standard bearer for the British indoor snowboard scene. It was a late one at Tamworth, with the jam starting at 10PM. Although slow to start off, the dome became full within the hour with the tempo set down by the FBBB DJ’s. The level of riding was extremely high, with sponsored and un-sponsored rider’s alike, showing off what Birmingham has to give.

The park layout was impressive with three distinct lines, each with 3-4 features. The focus was on the side hit gas pipe, with the likes of John Weatherly and Ross Needham raising the bar with each run. Competition was high, making judging difficult, but 11 finalists were finally chosen and at the "half-time" break, all the riders were called out to the balcony for the presentation of "Rookie of the Night" (Lucy Prior), "Rider of the Night" (Charlie Idda) and the names of the finalists.

When things kicked off again, there seemed a new lease on life in the finalists. Tricks became increasingly technical, with 3-4 star combos, flavour of the night. Trick of the night went to Ross Needham for consistently smooth execution and a particularly sweet nose press to back one out. The girls represented well at Tamworth with a good turn out and consistently top riding, against the back drop of the boys fast-paced spins; their solid but gentle style was refreshing. The night wound down just after 1AM, with first prize and entry into the finals in Milton Keynes going to Lyndsey Ashdown for the girls and Jonny Russel for the boys.

For more info and photos head over to the FBBB site.

Words by Ben Rowland

Pix by Alex Smith