1997 World Ski and Snowboard Festival presented by the Mountain Zone


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big air
saturday, april 5, 1997
Chris Brown (CAN) goes inverted to take the men's prize and Natasza Zureck (CAN) stomps a 360 melancholy to take the women's title at the Westbeach Big Air Invitational.

The 50 foot table top jump set up at the base of Whistler Mountain with a quarter-pipe and a hot tub at the bottom made for an interesting and entertaining night.
      In front of about 5000 people under the lights of a beautiful British Columbia sky, the Westbeach Big Air was a huge event. The music was pumping out to the square as the Westbeach "cheerleaders" threw t-shirts and everything else out to the crowd. There was even some nudity as local freak David Cashen dropped his drawers and jumped into the hot tub with the Westbeach cheerleaders.

In the competition, it was all Chris Brown. On his first jump, he landed hard on his face and was forced to step up and land one of his next two jumps. On Brown's second attempt, he stomped a rodeo 720 and had the best jump of the night. On his third jump, he did it again, whipping out another rodeo 720. Brad Baxter (CAN) grabbed second with an rodeo 540. Local (Pemberton, BC) Kevin Young took third with a super-smooth backside 540.
      In the women's divion, Natasza Zureck (CAN) nailed a clean 360 in her second run. After she stomped the 360, she adjusted her goggles and charged the quarter-pipe throwing a big McTwist for her friends and the crowd. Roberta Rodger (CAN) took second with 360. And Tina Basich (USA) finished her weekend strong with her second third place of the day. She stomped a 360 to the judges and crowd's delight.