Under grey skies that threatened to puke snow at any moment, the first day of the BRITS 2008 kicked off in Laax, Switzerland on Monday March with a pair of impressive finals: the Trespass British Snowboardcross Championships and the SNO!zone British Halfpipe Freeski Championships.
With the Brits moved to the end of the season this year - to avoid the annual clash with the US Open - the Snowsports GB teams were able to attend as the FIS season had finished. So, after missing last year's event, Zoe Gillings dominated the comp from the start - busting out of the starting gates straight into first with her custom made board, to make one of the fastest Women's Snowboard cross times the Brits has ever seen. New team member Ivy Taylor was close behind her however, with super fast skills, followed by halfpipe Olympians Lesley McKenna and Kate Foster.
Despite being a relatively new addition to the annual BRITS champs, the Women's SNO!zone Halfpipe Freeski Championships still impressed. Two Yorkshire lasses topped the podium as Emma Lonsdale took the gold with some massive stylish grabs and an alley-oop 540, and Becky Hammond came second with some big alley-oops and grabs. Scotland's Claire Hughes came third, also pulling out some alley oops. The day finished with all 45 competitors hiking back to the top of the pipe, and taking a tandem downhill style run through the pipe.
To see highlights of both competitions watch the videos above courtesy of Soulsports.
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