1998 World Cup of FS, Freestyle & Skysurf

"Stylin' & Surfin' 1998"

Freestyle & Skysurf News and Commentary by Tamara Koyn

(Tamara is serving on the judging panel for Freestyle & Skysurf)

Thursday, 23 September

Welcome to the 1st edition of the Stylin' & Surfin' 1998! This E-newsletter will include brief summaries on what's happening at the World Cup, including jumping operations, routine highlights, and standings.

Brief History...

• September 19: Opening ceremonies and official training jumps, which were judged if they were a compulsory round jump.
• September 20: Competitors completed Round 1, their first compulsory jump.
• September 21: With frequent clouds and rain, freestyle and skysurfing. competitors did not perform any rounds of competition.
• September 22: With freestyle and skysurfing competition beginning in the afternoon, competitors completed their second compulsory jump.
• September 23: The day began with dreary overcast skies with competitors amusing themselves on the tarmac. With 2 metal portable fence structures used as a net, a game of volleyball was in progress and towards the other side, skate boarders were going through a slalom course comprised of water bottles! At 10:30 a.m. the ceiling lifted and the competition got under way under partly cloudy skies. Rounds 3 though 5 were completed and judges judged all jumps through to the end of round 4.

It is today, Thursday, that competitors had the opportunity to unleash their creativity and the initial relative standings became apparent. In men's freestyle, Omar performs a very modern, new age type of routine in which both himself and his camera flyer, Greg, perform relative tracking and circling motions and under/over transitions closely linked with looping rotations. Arnaud of France comes off the plane almost as if making a "breast stroke" into his pike front loops and then executes double twisting back loops in an array of moves which also include under/over transitions with his camera flyer, Tzifkansky.

Please stay tuned to "Stylin' & Surfin' 1998" for more details to come!

FREESTYLE & SKYSURF CURRENT STANDINGS