WARM UP FOR PROFESSIONALS

Red Bull Warm Up Session // Snowboard-rail-contest in the middle of Innsbruck // 500 spectators watched the best 18 rail-riders of the world // Eye witnesses at the Tivoli: Marc Swoboda (AUT), Werni Stock (AUT), Dustin Craven (CAN), Andy Finch (USA) and Niki Koppola (FIN)   

Normally, as the saying goes, only one spark is necessary to light the fire. The stars of the Red Bull Warm Up Session didn’t settle with just one spark. They lightened a real firework of stunts and gave a fulminate starting shot to the party weekend around the Billabong Air&Style Tirol Innsbruck 09. In the final the six best athletes drove the visitors crazy with Backflips, 270-Outs, Bluntslides and many other amazing tricks. It wasn’t an easy decision for the judges Marc Swoboda (AUT), Werni Stock (AUT) and Niki Korpela (FIN). In the end the victory was taken by Gulli Gudmunsson (ISL), followed by Herby Thaler (AUT) and Gerben Verweij (NED). 

500 spectators didn’t want to miss out the Red Bull Warm Up Session on Friday. In the middle of the city of Innsbruck, right beside the Tivoli soccer stadium, 18 of the best rail riders of the world met for an unique acrobatic showdown. Austrian talents and international stars enjoyed their personal urban playground, like Fips Gruber (AUT), Wojtek Pawlusiak (POL), Dimitri Fesenko (RUS) and Alexey “Osa” Osovitskiy (RUS), who performed an incredible step up backflip by using a winch. Dustin Craven (CAN) and Andy Finch (USA), top-class stars of Saturday’s Air&Style, also dropped by and witnessed the stunning tricks of the 18 athletes.

Straight Rail, Double Kinked Rail, Wallride and a Step Up Step Down Jump have been the athletes’ tools in their private outdoor-office – and the willingly made use of these tools. So it only took some minutes until the visitors have been on fire, too. Pushed forward by an excitedly cheering crowd the riders performed a massive firework of risky tricks, ignoring the obviously great danger of getting hurt by the stairs and rails. In the end Gulli Gudmunsson from Iceland won the ultimate showdown in Innsbruck and was rewarded with a two-week-surftrip to Balicamp. Herby Thaler and Gerben Verweij both finished on the second place and received 750 Euro each. After the prize giving ceremony the Red Bull Warm Up gave his encore in the near Testa Rossa Bar until the early morning.

Results:

1. Gulli Gudmunsson (ISL)
2. Herby Thaler (AUT)
2. Gerben Verweij (NED)

more:
Wojtek Pawlusiak (POL)
Baszi Takacs (HUN)
Philipp Gruber (AUT)
Gerben Verweij (NED)
Dominik Wagner (AUT)
Steve Grumser (AUT)
Tobi Strauss (GER)
Dimitri Fesenko (RUS)
Michael Zirngibl (GER)
Alexey „Osa“ Osovitskiy (RUS)
Paz Gruber (AUT)
Florent Marot (FRA)
Alex Tank (GER)
Michael Schatz (AUT)
Jonas Mustoonen (FIN)
Moritz Neuhäusler (GER)