Once you’ve seen Seppe Smits shredding, you’ll never make jokes about Belgian snowboarders again. The former Big Air Junior World Champion did super well in his debut at the Billabong Air & Style Rookie Challenge in Innsbruck-Tirol in 2009, winning the contest with a Backside 1260. At the Air & Style Beijing and Munich he impressed with two, second place finishes and is definitely a candidate for the win at the Bergisel in 2012.

Werni Stock’s home is the mountains. No matter if it’s on a snowboard during the winter or as Mountain-bike guide in the summer in and around his local valley, the Zillertal. The days where he had to borrow his brother’s board to hit the slopes are long gone now. Last season the young Austrian shredder got third at the Billabong Air & Style Innsbruck-Tirol 2011 and now everybody in Austria is wishing him the best and cheering him on for the upcoming Air & Style!

Nils Arvidsson, whose full name Nils Sture Olov Leopold Arvidsson, is a calm character. He’d rather draw attention with his stylish FS 1440 shifties than with a big mouth. Mr. Arvidsson is not a newcomer to the Air & Style, after he competed in last season’s Billabong Air & Style Innsbruck-Tirol, the Nike 6.0 Air & Style Munich and this season’s Oakley & Shaun White present Air & Style Beijing. Each time he just missed the podium’s top 3 and finished fourth. In his part in “Welcome Home II” you can see Nils’ talent in the backcountry. Let’s hope he‘ll manage to climb another notch higher, and onto the podium for the first time in Innsbruck!

Ulrik Badertscher was the first guy to stick a Backside 1620. His specialities: crazy attempted flips and spins! Like the “Ulrik flip” – a backside 1260 rodeo indie - he recently nailed for the win at the Beijing Air & Style 2011. Maybe we should mention that Ulrik spent most of his school breaks at a circus school, which explains his affinity for the mind boggling flips and spins and other fancy tricks he is becoming famous for. Ulrik proved what he is capable of and we are looking forward to the Ulrik “Illrick” Badertscher show in Innsbruck!

You might think being labeled the next big thing in snowboarding by the legend himself, Terje Haakonsen, would have been quite a lot of pressure for Staale. But it was no problem for this young Norwegian who started winning titles, the kind that grownups dream of winning, when he was only sixteen. With the third place in slope style at the New Zealand Open in August 2011 he proved how serious he is.

Since his victory at the World Rookie Finals 2010, Roope Tonteri has been a solid fixture on the international contest circuit. When reviewing the great accomplishments this 19 year old has already achieved, like his win at the European open slope style 2011, it is almost unbelievable that Roope referres to himself as lazy.  Roope is defiantly one of the top riders who will be up front in Innsbruck!

Since his gold and silver medal at the X-Games Slope style in Tignes and Aspen 2010 the name Eric Willett should be in everyone’s vocabulary. In 2011 the young man with the curly hair could convince with countless victories as for the win at the US Open Slope style or the first place at the Billabong Ante Up in Whistler. Eric already is one of the favorites at the Billabong Air & Style Innsbruck-Tirol 2012.

Eero is a solid name in the snowboard scene since almost a decade.
His accomplishments speak for themselves; Eero is a true kicker machine and a beast on the rails. Due to Eero’s absolute clean style the most rigid tricks look so easy that you actually couldn’t believe it. In fact the only thing missing in his trophy collection is the Ring of Glory. Let’s see what the funny Fin is up to at the Billabong Air & Style Innsbruck-Tirol 2012.

At fifteen years of age Yuki is the youngest rider in the competition field. He is Japan's rising talent in big air and slope style and he proved this with a second place at the Ride Shakedown in Snoqualmie USA. We wish Yuki great success at his second Air & Style in Innsbruck.

Even though his name doesn’t sound very German, Ethan is the future of, “made in Germany” snowboarding. After his parts in Isenseven’s “Kaleidoscope” and this year’s Nike 6.0 “The Varpen Session” movie, it is internationally acknowledged that this small guy will go big. Ethan is a true all-rounder, his style is banging and his favorite avocations are kicker and rails. By the way, he is also hitting it in the pipe. Ethan is the man! In this spirit, Schlaaaaaaaaaand!

Even though his name doesn’t sound very German, Ethan is the future of, “made in Germany” snowboarding. After his parts in Isenseven’s “Kaleidoscope” and this year’s Nike 6.0 “The Varpen Session” movie, it is internationally acknowledged that this small guy will go big. Ethan is a true all-rounder, his style is banging and his favorite avocations are kicker and rails. By the way, he is also hitting it in the pipe. Ethan is the man! In this spirit, Schlaaaaaaaaaand!

The young man with the funny name from Idaho isn’t an Indian, but a more than talented snowboarder. No matter if in the backcountry of California, street rail-sessions at night or massive kicker lines in Colorado, Dash kills it! With his second place at the Billabong Ante Up in Whistler he drew international attention on himself for the first time. Not only will he bring his smooth style but a collection of smashing tricks as well. Dash definitely has the potential to become one of the night’s sensations.

Torgeir Bergrem is an all around talent and never hits the slopes without his ninja suit. He is always up for a joke and has been known to jump off a cliff into a glacier lake just because his team manager says that Torgeir wouldn’t dare. The 20 year old Norwegian already participated last season for the first time at the Air & Style Rookie Challenge and won. Qualified for the top 16, he ended up earning an impressive sixth place finish. With his talent, his unpredictability and his willingness to do crazy things on a simple dare, Torgeir could be quite the exciting guy to watch in Innsbruck!

When Grilc does something, he does it right. In his first international performance, the junior world championships in 1998, he won the title. In 2009 he just made it into the Air & Style in Innsbruck as a backup rider and went with a perfect Switch Backside 1080 Doublecork all the way to the Ring of Glory. Since then the Slovenian womanizer and party boy has been a solid fixture on the Air & Style riders’ line-up.

A country with an abundance of mountains, such as Austria. is sure to produce tons of pro-riders. For example Clemens Schattenschneider, a smart young 19 year old that Austria can definitely be proud of. Really proud! Cause "Clemi" didn't just finish ninth at the Billabong Air & Style Rookie Challenge 2011 but also rode into the finals next to really big names at the 2011 O'Neill Evolution. Clemi’s favorite mountain though, is still Stuhleck. So much love for his home country will certainly pay out big at his second appearance at the Billabong Air & Style Innsbruck-Tirol.

It’s not always easy to be compared with your older brother, especially when he’s one of the best snowboarders of our time. But regardless, Petja Piiroinen makes his way and has already achieved some proper results at the age of 20, not the least of which was being crowned FIS Big Air Champion in 2011! Stay tuned which of the brothers will be the better one- maybe the youngest?

People who don‘t have mountains in their front yard due to the geographical conditions of their home country often develop an especially great love for winter sports. This definitely applies to the Brits, especially to Jamie Nicholls. Halifax just isn’t Verbier or Whistler, so he learned on a dry slope and didn’t know for years that you usually snowboard on the snow. He’s an all-rounder who can present a whole list of contest results. In 2011 the young Brit won the Ride Shakedown in Garmisch Partenkirchen and the Burton Rail Days in Tokio. Last year he made his appearance at the Billabong Air & Style Rookie Challenge in Innsbruck-Tirol; however this year in Innsbruck he will compete for the first time for the Ring of Glory.

If you grow up in a valley with the best parks of Austria and had 365 days a year of shredding possibilities, you’re destined to become a pro rider. He definitely has fun doing what he does best - snowboarding. If you need convincing, just watch his part in the Isenseven Flick "Kaleidoscope". The Air & Style 2012 is this 23 year olds 4th time at an Air & Style.

Tom Klocker is one weapon in the arsenal crafted from the Zillertaler snowboard-smithy. In 2009 at the Air & Style Rookie Challenge, taking a second place in the rookie final, Tom showed off what he is made of. Moreover Tom is a firm part of the Isenseven movie production and with the flicks “don’t panic” and “Kaleidoscope” he delivered some great stuff. Anyone who hasn’t seen them is seriously missing out! Tom has plenty of style and loves kickers and rails, both the same. Yet another Austrian layin’ it down for his home country crowd in Innsbruck, and we wish him all the best!

Christian „Hitsch“Haller has been a name on the scene for years now. At age 14 he won his first title at the Junior Burton European Open in Livigno 2004. Since then Hitsch has been part of the elite world-snowboarding scene – he has always been inside the top 10 of the TTR World Tour riders in recent seasons. The likable Swiss rider is not only one of the world’s best pipe-riders but also rocks almost every big air and slopestyle event too. Although his calendar is packed full of events, he was able to deliver a stunning part in the last Isenseven movie “Kaleidoscope”. Respect! We will be curious to see what he’s gonna throw at the Billabong Air & Style Innsbruck-Tirol.

Everyone thinking “What’s the little chap up to? “should keep those thoughts to themselves. This young man is one of Switzerland’s upcoming snowboarders. Pat rocks the pipe, crashes rails and hits the kicker like a monster.  Don’t forget that Pat has landed the first switch backside triple cork 1440 ever. Last year he got second at the Billabong Air &Style Rookie Challenge in Innsbruck. After all we are pretty thrilled to see what he is doing this year in the main event.

Raised in Southern Tyrol, Markino grew up surrounded by the best snowboard parks the Italian Alps have to offer, and he put his talents to good use taking full advantage of the opportunities his home region afforded him!  In Italy, Marko has already become a superstar, and one of the hottest snowboarders of his generation.  Last season, at the tender age of 16, Marko competed in the Air & Style Rookie Session in Innsbruck, taking home top 5 honors.  With that strong showing and some stellar off-season advancement, Marko has earned a shot at riding with the big boys this year at the Billabong Air & Style in the Bergisel.  Best of luck to this rising young star as he shows the judges and the greatest fans in the world of snowboarding what he's got up his sleeve!

Niklas who? Niklas Mattson is Sweden’s hope in snowboarding. 2010 he won the Oxbom Session, the contest with the most progressive riding level in Scandinavia. 2011 is not lacking trophys though. Niklas is slope style vice-world-champion, got second place at the Pleasure Jam 2011 and ended the six year abstinence of a Swedish snowboardchamp with the victory at the Winterjam in Stockholm. Niklas crashes rails and kicker like no other – he has all 1260’s flat rotated and double corked in his repertoire - and that’s no joke! Let’s see how the underdog with sensation potential is doing at the Billabong Air & Style Innsbruck-Tirol 2012.

Aleksander is yet another one of the rising Norwegian stars assaulting the snowboarding scene.  Like Torstein Horgmo, Stale Sanbech and Gjiermund Braaten, his talents were honed at the elite NTG Geilo Snowboarding School.  Aleksander earned international attention for the first time at the Andreas Wiig Invitational in 2009, where he placed 3rd behind Halldor Helgason and Torstein Horgmo.  Since then Aleksander has been rocking all the big contests, and laid down a solid part in this year's Forum Flick, "Vacation" - a must see!