FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDING AT ITS BEST: Austrian & German Masters 2025 at Kitzsteinhorn with Surprise Winner from Brazil

Austrian and German Championship Titles 2025 Awarded

The fourth edition of the joint Austrian & German Masters wrapped up successfully from March 30 to April 3, 2025 in Zell am See-Kaprun (AUT). The ASA (Austrian Snowboard Association), Snowboard Austria, and Snowboard Germany are pleased, as the combination with the FIS Europa Cup proves once again to work. A total of 120 riders from 25 countries competed across three disciplines – Big Air, Halfpipe, and Rail.

RAIL EVENT – Tuesday was all about the jibbers, who took on the rail setup at the Kitzsteinhorn Snowpark amid snowfall and freezing temperatures. In the women’s event, Lena Müller (SUI) impressed the judges, followed by Herry Meije (FRA) in second and Marie Kuhlmann (GER) in third. In the men’s competition, 15-year-old Ukrainian Dmytro Luchkin came out on top, securing second place in the 2024/25 Rail Europa Cup standings: “It was so much fun riding with all my friends. The weather didn’t even matter.” Leo Framarin (ITA) took second place, with 13-year-old Polish rider Gustav Nawarkiewicz-Wisniewski finishing third. The Austrian championship titles in the Rail discipline, awarded for the first time, went to Selin Lakatha and Till Strohmeyer.

HALFPIPE – On Wednesday, the sun finally made an appearance, creating perfect conditions and high spirits for the halfpipe riders. Anne Hedrich (GER) delivered the technically best run of the day in the women’s event, featuring an Inverted Front 7. She not only claimed the Europa Cup win but also secured the German national title in the halfpipe for the second year in a row. In the men’s event, the riding level was off the charts – back-to-back doubles and nines dominated the show. Battling for victory were Germany’s Christoph Lechner, who recently placed an incredible fourth in the Big Air at the World Championships, and Brazil’s Augustinho Teixeira, showcasing his skills on European snow for the first time. The showdown remained tense until the end – both riders landed all their tricks cleanly – but 20-year-old Augustinho edged ahead with slightly more amplitude and cleaner execution. A historic win, as no Brazilian snowboarder had ever won a Europa Cup before. Christoph Lechner took home the German national halfpipe title for 2025.

BIG AIR – On the final day, the Kitzsteinhorn once again delivered perfect conditions for the Big Air event, inspiring the riders to give it their all. Head Judge Iztok Sumatic was thrilled: “That final was World Cup level. It’s amazing to see how much the riding level keeps improving at the Europa Cups every year.” The Italian women impressed across the board. Marilu Poluzzi claimed victory with a Switch Frontside 10, her teammate Alessia Vergani took third, while Switzerland’s Yuna Scheidegger secured second place. In the men’s competition, the Japanese riders dominated completely, filling the entire podium. Brothers Kira Kimura (1st) and Yuto Kimura (2nd), along with their compatriot Kaito Ichinese (3rd), all threw down flawless Switch Frontside 16s. A standout performance also came from newly crowned World Rookie Tour Champion Xu Zhao Ying (CHN), who placed fifth with a Switch Frontside 18. Austrian national Big Air titles went to Livia Schatzer and Till Strohmeyer, while Janina Walz and Damian Millinger took home the German Big Air titles.