Fr om 23 to 30 March, the Russian Snowboard Championship took place in Miass (Chelyabinsk Region). Hosted at the Sun Valley Alpine Ski Centre, the competition featured 37 athletes from seven regions of the Russian Federation: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, and Novosibirsk regions.
On the first day, riders competed in parallel giant slalom, with victories going to Milena Safina (Moscow) and Alexey Kazantsev (Sverdlovsk). These athletes have firmly established themselves as leaders — just this February, they claimed gold at the Winter Spartakiade “We Are Together. Sport” in Ufa.
The second day saw athletes battling for medals in parallel slalom. Unseasonably warm spring weather made for pleasant spectating but challenging racing conditions, as rising temperatures softened the slope. Despite the tricky terrain, Safina and Kazantsev once again proved their dominance, delivering flawless runs to secure another victory.
Day three crowned the winners in one of snowboarding’s most thrilling disciplines: snowboard cross. In this high-speed race, four to six athletes compete simultaneously on a specially designed course. The competition began with a qualifying round, wh ere each rider had two attempts to post their best time. The top performers then advanced to head-to-head heats, with the strongest two fr om each group progressing to the final. Ultimately, Alexandra Tarasova (St. Petersburg) and Alexei Ignatenko (Moscow) emerged victorious.
The fourth day lived up to the resort’s name — Solnechnaya Dolina (Sun Valley) — with clear skies and bright sunshine. Athletes took on big air, a technical freestyle discipline wh ere riders launch off a massive kicker, performing tricks mid-flight. Jumps ranged fr om 5 to 30 meters, with judges scoring based on difficulty, execution, amplitude, and style. The standout performers were Vera Egorova (Moscow) and Ilya Penkov (Novosibirsk Region).
On the final day, competitors faced off in slopestyle, wh ere riders navigated a course featuring jumps, rails, drops, and other obstacles, combining tricks into a fluid run. Unlike timed events, slopestyle emphasizes creativity, difficulty, and precision. The top honors went to Milena Lanina (Moscow) and Ilya Penkov (Novosibirsk Region) — marking Penkov’s second gold of the championship.
Team Standings:
1st place - Moscow
2nd place - St. Petersburg
3rd place - Novosibirsk Region
Pavel Dyakov, Head Coach of the Russian National Snowboard Team: “The Russian Snowboard Championship was held at a high level. Despite the unusually warm weather, the judging team worked efficiently, and all organizational aspects were executed flawlessly. Accommodation and catering met expectations, and coaches unanimously praised the event.”
RESULTS OF WINNERS AND MEDALLISTS
Text: Olga Troynikova, Nurlan Tazhigulov
Photo: Maxim Gostev
Translation: Daria Kudelina
