Air Nation Nationals

Under the sunny skies of Simcoe County, Ontario, the best up-and-coming Canadian freestyle riders descended on Mount St Louis Moonstone and Horseshoe Resort for the 2016 Sport Chek Air Nation Freestyle Nationals. Dozens of athletes took part in the five-day competition which included Halfpipe, Slopestyle, and a Canadian Nationals first - Big Air.

Provincial to national team athletes put on quite a show for the Simcoe County locals during the Halfpipe contest with a world-class pipe that held up under the warm conditions. Whistler local Mercedes Nicoll topped the Women’s Open podium for the first time since coming off a two-year injury recovery.

The Women’s slopestyle contest dropped on Thursday with local product Baily McDonald (Barrie, ON) taking home third on the junior female podium. Elizabeth Hosking (Montreal, QC) took home the top spot in the junior and Open categories.

Saturday saw both the men’s slopestyle final as well as the first ever Big Air competition at a Canadian Nationals, with Francis Jobin (Lac Beauport, QC) winning his first ever slopestyle nationals. “It’s been a dream since I was young” claimed the 17 year-old Canadian NextGen athlete. In Big air, Oceane Fillion (Saguenay,QC) and Carter Jarvis (Calgary, AB) took home the inaugural women’s and men’s titles respectively. Fillion also claimed the Canada Cup slopestyle tour title, alongside Joshua Reeves (Calgary, AB) as the overall tour points leaders.

A special thanks to all of our event sponsors: Sport Chek, Burton, Smith, Simcoe County Tourism, Panda Haus, SkullCandy, Sony, Gawa Clothing, KUU, Sandbox, and King Snow Magazine

Photos by Adam Blalo