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

It’s not difficult to guess that with a name like Iouri, this guy has Russian origins. Nonetheless, „I-Pod“ grew up in Switzerland which he represented during the Olympic Games in Vancouver, coming 4th. 2010 has been his year so far, especially in Pipe, making it all the way to the podium at the O’Neill Evolution, the Canadian Open as well as the New Zealand Open. He is definitely no one to be underestimated at this year’s Air & Style as he already came 4^th in 2009.The party machine is always good for surprises - not only when he invites to his own photo exhibition in Zurich (including pics of high heels…).Hopp Schwiiz!

Elias is one of the good ones. Not just regarding his character but also concerning his snowboard skills. After having a little trouble with his health, the chilled out guy from Allgäu, is fit again and came first at the Pleasure Jam 2009 and 2010 as well as the Cross-Over-Session at freestyle.berlin 2010. At the Air & Style in Beijing he definitely showed off his skills, coming third with a perfect BS 1080 Double Cork. Elias went filming with the Pirates for Hooked. He’s up for anything...

Whoever rides pipe that well has already been granted with enough talent. Unbelievable then that Markus, who describes himself as calm and a bit shy (no wonder, he’s Finnish), does also kick ass in quarter pipes and on kickers. He just finished school and now focuses entirely on snowboarding - and his trip to the event, so there will be tons to watch in regards to airtime and style.

Snowboarding has been in Mikkel’s blood since birth and so naturally he became one of the Burton Groms at a very early age. By now the talent has become a proper grown-up Snowboard-Pro who rocked the 2007 Air & Style when he kicked Travis Rice out in the first round and came second after Kevin Pearce. If he is still as fit as he was at last year’s Air & Style in Beijing the other contestants should be prepared for a fight…and the girls in the crowd for a veeery charming Norwegian. Bang!

If you go snowboarding on Icelandic volcanoes while watching the whales swimming down in the bay, there is definitely nothing that can go wrong. By now Halldor travels around the world, managed to get the perfect score (3 x 100 points) at the X-Games in Aspen in 2010 and filmed for Standart Films "TB20" during the last season. He feels especially at home on rails and kickers which he showed last year at the Nike 6.0 Air & Style in Munich. Let’s see what crazy chap gets up to at the Oakley & Shaun White present Air & Style Beijing 2011.

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 Oakley and Shaun White present Air & Style Beijing.

Kevin Backstroem is one of Sweden’s most promising winter athletes, and though his style is often compared to Mikkel Bang, he truly puts on his own show. It all started when he was a 3 ½ year old boy and stood on a snowboard for the first time. It probably doesn’t hurt when your dad is a snow-cat driver and a kicker shaper either! The 19 year old Swede is invited for the second time to the Air & Style in Beijing. At last year’s training session he broke his arm right before the competition and wasn’t able to ride. We hope that this year it will all go well.