Weekend after new year 6-7.1 I arranged Ankogel X-treme Invitational a freeride and chinese downhill competition. Even if the name is Invitational riders could sign up like for a normal competition. The days before the competition it was snowing really much with hard wind, but on 7th it should be a small weather window and the forecast was right. Still 6th on friday night it was snowing as hell when the ridersmeeting was and 4 of 5 avalanche danger, so around half of the registrated riders inhibited on friday when they thought it could be possible to keep any kind of comp. next day.

But on saturday morning we waked up to bluebird, and all around 20 riders showed up on the morning in the bottomstation and everybody was superstoked. We had to wait around 2 hours before they could open the top section, so we had good warm up pow riding in the forest.

As soon they opened up the top, we started the comp on a “spare” face close to the liftstation when the original place was too dangerous and the bad weather coming in again. We could have the skiers and woman snowboard comp on that place before the storm came in, and we had to move the men snowboardpart to a really short face next to the middlestation but we made the freeidepart even if we had the weather against us this time.

Chinese downhill beerstop.

Just before the slopes was closing we planned to have the chinese downhill from top to bottom, but we had to change it little bit because of no visibility, so the start was on 2400meter down to bottom a 1400 vert meter run, with a stop on the middlestation on 2000meter to drink a half liter beer(and the beer was extremely cold so it wasnt easy) before u was allowed to continue down to the finish in the bottom of the valley..

All riders who took part from 6 different countries was superstoked and said it was one of the coolest comps. ever.. It was like a fun get together “family meeting”. :)

Overall winners top 3.

Good feeling.

On the afternoon we had pricegiving in SportCafe in center of Mallnitz with cool prices from Haglöfs and Ulkoilunmaailma.fi. We also had a good deal with Uli(owner) of SportCafe that all riders had big beers for 3€ on friday and saturday.. :)) So the party was lot of fun after the competition.

The last weeks we have had supernice powder here on Ankogel and the resorts here around we been riding and filmig as much as possible. And on bad weather day indoorclimbing on our small but challenging wall here in Mallnitz.

Last saturday we went with Nives on a tour up to Häusleralm a former skiresort here in Mallnitz what is not in use anymore. It was almost little bit “spooky” up there because of all houses and restaurant was there but no people, what is actually really sad, because its on a north side, with really steep forest for good riding, always snow, the tourists would have much more to choose when they come to Mallnitz and there is much more often sun then Ankogel.. (so for some investor it would be a great place.. :)

The pic text says everything ;)

On sunday we had my parents (they was here visiting for 4 days) ,their friends and our landlord here for dinner, we made sushi for them and it was really popular dish..

Dinner...

Last monday we went to Kitzsteinhorn with Nives and my parents and their friends. Me and Nives for riding and parents for “touristing”. I meet up with some friends there what I havent seen for a long time, for example the crazy supergood freerider Markus Höllwerth. We decided with Markus(he is local there) to check the possibilities to ride down the northface summit of Kitz. a 50 degrees steep wall. We hiked up to the peak from the topstation and snow looked good so we decided to ride down and the run was a nice experience in good stabil snow.

Kitzsteinhorn north face.

The best sentence of the day was from Markus when his friend couldnt decide if he will join or not:

“Its not so steep, it just looks like that, if u can ride a steep slope u can ride this”

His friend joined, had a small tumble on a no fall zone but he controlled it and made the run it really good and was superstoked afterwards..

Yesterday we ride and filmed a little bit in Sportgastein, and did first time of this season Sportgastein north to Böckstein, it was supernice snow with big pillows in the forest and I didnt see anybody on the whole run down, what is pretty strange, normally its filled with “lost” tourists..

Niklas