Nationals final stop VIDEO

The new 2011 Latvian champion - Lauma Ildena! 

The link for 3rd stops photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karte_foto/sets/72157627470831825/

Here's the video resuming all three Nationals stops!

Enjoy! :)

Nationals stop 2

So last week-end was the Nationals 2nd stop, had an official training on Saturday where it went really good, nailed all the tricks I wanted. On Sunday when the competition started, in the beginning was going easy with grabs & 180s, finishing the 1st distance with a sweet Backroll which I was stoked to ride away in competition again. Had in on training runs after Worlds all times but one on Saturday morning when took a set at the lake before the official training when it cost me a mysterious good morning sunshine back edge.

Then for some reason I decided I could throw a Frontroll without really pushing off the wake which ended up with a just drank half the lake fall. Went for another toeside jump, followed by a Tantrum (which is no doubt my favourite invert now!) and then into a Scarecrow where I once again forgot to take off, haha.

There's so many tricks now I want to go out there and try while riding, but I can't figure out where to start from and the worst thing is once I start riding I keep forgetting I was up to try something new. Instead I just keep drilling my existing tricks to perfection. Have to remember the next time! Another trouble is that autumn is coming so quick, the water temperature has dropped to +19 C which is not exactly the kind of water you want to stick in for too long despite all the wetsuit opportunities. And it's getting hard to fall in too. But I'll be giving it my best as long as I can.

Now here's some pictures, enjoy! 

World Wakeboard Championships

My first World Championships and I got into the finals, finishing 6th, not bad at all. I was a little dissapointed for not being able to show my best run (qualification, semi's and finals). Obviously it wasn't my week and I still managed to get through, that's still good! What I need to work on is getting the tricks consistant for 110%, because a 100% is not enough as I checked with my backrolls. Been landing them for 4 years, but fell on it twice in the competition. Annoying for sure.

I'm really happy that I coud go to this competition to have the experience for further events.

Wow, time is flying! Been riding a lot and working hard to get the tricks dialled consistant. Though some of them are on a bit of question sign, I'm quite happy with what I have achieved during this month of training. Mostly I have been riding behind a ski boat with no ballast, but as my dad says the jumps are the same height as 2 years ago on the photoshoot behind a fully loaded Tige Z1. That's a bit of improvement I guess, haha. Also had a couple of sets on the big boat to get the tricks dialled with more air.

Fantastic news is that I've became a Ronix Latvia rider and yesterday I tried out my new Faith Hope Love board & bindings. It rides so much different from the previous board, I couldn't believe the difference could be that big! The landings were softer and more stable, toeside edging became way easier and it pops from the wake quicker too. And ofcourse, the graphics are stunning, I love the snake's skin pattern on the bottom. 

Other news? Tomorrow I'm flying out to IWWF World Wakeboard Championships in Milano, Italy. Thanks to Cultural Bridges International for helping me with some of the costs. My goal? To teach myself to stay calm and relaxed in my mind during such a large competition. If that'll end up with success I should rank somewhere higher. There's still a lot of riding coming up ahead to become a really good and stable rider, but I think just the experience of this competition will push me a large step forward.

Stay tuned!

~ LI

Nationals stop 1 VIDEO

First FIS Europa Cup review

My first Europa Cup start in snowboardcross which was also the first time for Latvia to hold the great event. I have to admit that it didn't go quite as well as expected for me due to an unexpected cold I caught on Thursday which forced me to pass the Latvian Youth Olympic Festival with PSL competition on Friday where I would have had great chances of stepping the podium.

However, I decided to rest as much as possible before the important SBX start. I had heard about EC happening in Latvia long before the winter started so there was no way I would let it pass by. As I had already skipped the official training on Friday it was a hard task to learn the slope during the 1 hour on Saturday morning, yet to save power for the qualification runs. 

I guess I had quite a big motivation to prove my best while still fighting with the terrible running nose and rising temperature. Both days I had the best qualification time in between the Latvian female riders. On Saturday I ended up 10th, on Sunday I stepped one place higher and came 9th which was right out of the semi-finals. Realising that I had a great chance of going into the semi's made me a bit annoyed. My muscles felt quite well once they had to work down the slope but my hands refused to work during the start pull, which is where I lost my position, following close after the first two girls yet not being able to pass by for the rest of the slope. 

Although it wasn't more than 2 minutes doing the quad-races I did gain a lot of new experience which is exactly the thing I'm missing to place better. Extremely small experience in racing with others at the same time.

And just a small Post Scriptum. Already last year I had a feeling that the slope is built more convenient for Goofy riders, also all four female finalists were right foot forward, as well as all my most tough rivals when it was about getting into the semi's. It means just one thing - more practise, luck and better health next season! ;)

Official INFOSKI review (in Latvian): http://www.infoski.lv/snovbords/jaunumi/2010-2011-gada-sezona/ozolkalna-eiropas-kausa-snovbordkrosa-triumfe-sveiciesi/

Official FIS results: http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?event_id=29140&cal_suchsector=SB

NC. Chasing Smykala (POL)

EC. Wuffli (SUI),  Kovaleva (RUS), Ildena (LAT)

Winch show VIDEO

Winch show review (Jan'11)

15. janvārī komanda 1080 oficiāli atklāja veikborda sezonu. Bet.... KĀ?

Olimpiskā Sporta centra peldbaseinā ar vinču!

"Šeit ir vasara" bija nudien silts un pozitīvs pasākums, ko vadīja pats Egils Melbārdis! Veikborda šovs, traki capoeiras priekšnesumi, lieliska mūzika, ūdensbumbas, dažādas sportiskas aktivitātes un sacensības.

Kā gāja veikbordistiem? Katrs centās parādīt, ko prot. Puiši, protams, gāja uz pilnu banku, Jānis Siders pat pamanījās nosēdināt Eggroll (Air Scarecrow)! Man izdevās pāris slaidiņi un, acīmredzot, pietiekami eleganti kritieni, jo ieguvu skatītāju simpātijas balvu, hehe.


Foto - Kristiāns Putniņš
(1080 reportāža par "Šeit ir vasara")

Jānis Siders un Air Railey

Mācāmies izrunāt Capoeiras "Oh leh leh!"

Traki puiši. Tās flīzes slīdēja uz vella paraušanu!

Man nav izredžu!

Miķelis Apinis

Lauma Ildena. Disco dejas mēģinājums.

Jānis trako ar bez-stiprinājumu dēli

Protams, paldies Red Bull vinčas komandai!

Cita Capoeira?

Esi ūdenī sauss!

Auglīši. Mmm!

Vietējā volejbola izlase :)

1080 nakts baseinā

Kamēr īstais video vēl top, šeit neliels ieskats ģenerālmēģinājumā :)

Attending the first FIS Europe Cup in SBX in Latvia

5th and 6th February in Cesis, Latvia, I am going to compete in the Europa Cup which for the first time takes place in Latvia.

This is only my second season competing in snowboarding, but I have been giving the passion about the board for a very long time and snowboardcross is something I discovered quite late, but I am very glad I did! What a great way to feel the speed and gravity combined with insane Physics and Chemistry knowledge below your feet!

Wakeboarding season 2011 opens in January

Season opening event. Giving a demo ride in the Olypmic swimming pool behind a winch. The pool is 50 meters long and has 6 lines. Which is.... A LOT of water surface comparing to current amounts of ice and snow outdoors.

Saturday, 15th January 2011. Report coming soon after.