Freestyle Skiing - FIS Freestyle World Championships - St Moritz, Switzerland - March 25, 2025 Norway's Oyvind Kirkhus in action during the Men's Snowboard Big Air REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/ File Photo
(Reuters) -Norwegian snowboarder Oyvind Kirkhus made history over the last week at Switzerland's Swatch Nines by landing the world's first switch backside quad 1620, a gravity-defying manoeuvre that left even its creator in disbelief.
"I was in disbelief when I was riding away. I didn't think that I would actually manage to do it, but I did it," said Kirkhus, who completed the mind-bending trick against the stunning backdrop of the Schilthorn mountains.
For the uninitiated, Kirkhus helpfully translated the snowboarding jargon: "I'm going into the jump switch, my unnatural direction, and spinning backside. And then I do four flips in the air and then land regular again."
The 17th edition of the event transformed the Swiss slopes into a playground of ramps, rails and tunnels where elite riders pushed the boundaries of what's possible on snow.
New Zealand's Luca Harrington delivered one of just three-ever switch triple cork 1980 Escos by a skier on the purpose-built Big Air jump.
"This jump that the Swatch Nines has provided for us has been absolutely incredible," Harrington said. "We've seen multiple world's firsts, triples, quads, so many things being put down."
Britain's Kirsty Muir claimed the best female skier trick award with a backflip onto a rail, and credited the event's supportive atmosphere for inspiring bold performances.
"Everyone is so supportive of each other and so hyped when someone does something," Muir said. "When someone's sending, then you get the feeling that you want to send too."
(Editing by Christian Radnedge)
