Slovakia Snowboard Fest in Oravska Lesna

Sony Ericsson Snowboard Fest in Slovakia has an eight-year-long tradition and his quality is still getting higher from year to year. The proof of this fact was demonstrated by a great step of organizer to widen this-year event by another contest making so mini series altogether.

The first contest of Sony Ericsson Snowboard Fest took place in Oravska Lesna and it was ranked by Swatch TTR as 2 Star Event. The second contest of Sony Ericsson Snowboard Fest was voluminous by not only more participating riders but also by getting more Stars by Swatch TTR***.

The fact that Oravska Lesna is the coldest place in Slovakia was confirmed also during the event. Thermometer was showing -23°C at night and -10°C during the day. Even the weather was pretty inscrutable all the devils foregathered on a slope. Wind was crazy blowing all day long and sometimes it was snowing as well which was a big threat for a contest!

Finally a great contest of riders from Slovakia, Czech rep. and Poland took place on a precisely done jump with 13 meter-long table. Severalfold champion of Slovakia Matej Matys got ready properly before the contest by waxing his board and then he started to dictate trick by trick. First backside 720 and cab 360, then by getting more safe he showed his backside 900 and cab 540. Still improving 28-year old rider Rado Dubovy won the second place by performing his fs rodeo 720. Czech riders were also getting on well but still not enough for the winner´s rostrum. Tomas Tuzar reached the nice 4th place and right after him Ben Cristovao on the 5th place. Neverending coldness and frost closed the contest at 2 o´clock in the afternoon. Equipment, judges, spectators, staff and everything around were freezing. Only tireless Polish riders Tomasz Tylka and Tymek Mroz competed on the last round for Style Jump. All sixteen riders split up the prize money of total 2 500 USD. As women´s category was cancelled, the total amount of prize money were mounted by some more units. The most succesful riders took deserved money and also Sony Ericsson mobile phone.

1. Matej Matys /SVK/
2. Radovan Dubovy /SVK/
3. Tomasz Tylka /PL/
4. Tomas Tuzar /CZ/
5. Ben Cristovao /CZ/
6. Tymek Mroz /PL/
7. Erik Butora /SVK/
8. Michal Husar /SVK/
9. Ludko Snovak /SVK/
10. Viktor Vecan /CZ/

A level of Snowboard Fest still moves higher from year to year and it´s getting to bigger awareness of foreign riders. Not only their attendance supports the progress of this event, but chiefly the successfulness resides on hands of the organizers, Jozef Murin and Slavo Kapa with their team. It´s not easy to arrange any kind of big event, moreover the event ranked into the World Snowboard Series such as Swatch TTR. To manage something like this and furthermore twice in one season is a sign of great succes!