Last week, with grey skies overhead and blustery conditions Britain’s top freeskiers headed to North Yorkshire to kick start the summer, luckily it was not the sun they were after but the snow. The Armada Summer Heat Railbattle still in only its second year is now the biggest core freeski competition in the UK and is just the start of the UK’s summer ski season.
50 riders from London to Inverness turned out at SNO!zone, Castleford, to hit one of the toughest courses ever seen in a UK comp. The setup was action packed with big technical features that would be at home in any of Europe’s top parks. With the jam format and big features the riders were forced to raise their game and once again British freesking was pushed to new heights.
In the end it came down to a 30‐minute jam session with hot laps from the days top 20 riders. In the top section of the course technical tricks reigned supreme with a combination of 270’s and 450’s on to the down rails but it was the raised rainbow box that seemed destined to be the feature of the day. Notable tricks include Andy Bennett’s 450 transfers, Jamie Lawson’s surface switch up’s and George Walton’s cork 3 hand drag which eventually won him the prize for the days best trick.
In the kids category it was all about the jump and it was 13 year old Tyler Harding who came out on top with some super smooth cork 7's. In the women’s category Katie Summerhayes showed why she is now one of the worlds best with 450’s on and off the rails. In the men’s category Joe Tomlinson came home in third with some super smooth cab 2’s and front 4’s on to the down rail, James Machon took second with 4’s on and off all over the course but once again it was James Woods who was crowned champion. Woodsy put on a master class in rail skiing all day long stomping every trick he could think of, some of the best moments included his 2 on pretzel 2 out of the down flat rail and both frontside and blindside 360 switch up’s on the rainbow.
The Armada Summer Heat Railbattle is back in September for it’s second installment at SNO!zone, Milton Keynes and is another event that is not to be missed, so see you there.
Words by Rob Embling
Photos by Joe Webster, Kerry Daines & Liam Beardsmore
