Water Ramp season kicks off with FIS Freestyle Austria Cup in Hohenems

With summer in full swing and water-ramp training sessions happening all over the world, the time has come to dive into the summer competition season. The first FIS Freestyle aerials water ramp event of the year took place this past weekend in Austria’s Hohenems, marking the beginning of an exciting series of competitions.

The event was hosted at the beautifully located water ramp venue in Rheinauen Hohenems, right on the border between Austria and Switzerland. Built in 2019, this venue saw its first FIS Freestyle aerials competition, making history in the picturesque alpine region of Vorarlberg. The event enjoyed splendid summer weather and attracted great interest from spectators.

Athletes from Germany, Ukraine, and Switzerland competed alongside numerous Austrians. The crowd erupted with enthusiasm whenever one of the young Vorarlberg athletes prepared to jump. Eurosport commentator Guido Heuber kept the excitement alive, skillfully guiding the audience through the competition.

In the women’s event, young Swiss athlete Lina Kozomara impressed with her Lay-Tuck in the finals, taking the top spot with 62.66 points. German world-class jumper Emma Weiss, no stranger to competing on the biggest stages of the FIS Freestyle World Cup, performed a double Full, earning 62.32 points and securing second place. Ukraine’s Oksana Yatsiuk rounded out the women’s podium in third place with 57.73 points for her back Full. Katharina Ramsauer, representing the host nation and a seasoned Olympian and World Cup competitor in the moguls discipline, also executed a successful back Full, fighting hard for a podium spot and finishing fifth.

In the men's competition, the dominance of the Swiss junior team was evident from the training sessions. Their experience and knowledge of the international judging criteria, coupled with well-executed double flips, were key to their success. At the end of the day, it was Neville Erb who claimed victory with his Lay-Tuck, scoring 73.84 points. His teammate Andrin Laber followed closely in second place with 72.80 points, also for a Lay-Tuck. Austria’s Michael Krojer thrilled the home crowd by breaking the Swiss podium sweep, finishing third with 70.98 points for his Lay-Tuck in the finals. The other Vorarlberg junior jumpers also delivered impressive performances, demonstrating their rapid progress in just two years of training and keeping the points gap with the Swiss athletes to a minimum.

The full results from the event can be found HERE.

Upcoming Events to Watch

This event in Austria is just the first of many exciting water ramp aerials competitions scheduled for August and September. This coming Sunday, August 18, the annual Freestyle Masters event will take place in Mettmenstetten, Switzerland, with a highly competitive field of athletes expected to participate.

Among the men, Swiss stars Noé Roth, the 2023 World Champion, and Pirmin Werner, runner-up in the 2023/2024 overall World Cup standing, are expected to deliver standout performances. They will face tough competition from athletes representing strong nations like Canada, Ukraine, China, and the USA. Host country athletes Fabian Bader, Andrin Laber, Andreas Isoz, and Neville Erb will also be in the mix.

On the women’s side, Canada's Marion Thenault and Australia's Laura Peel, the top two finishers from 2023, are expected to make waves. Swiss athlete Lina Kozomara will also be showcasing her skills, alongside competitors from China, Ukraine, Germany, and the Czech Republic, all vying for podium positions.

Another highlight of the summer water ramp season will be the event at Utah Olympic Park (USA) on August 24, followed by a double FIS event at Acrobat Park Štíty (CZE) on August 31-September 1. The season will conclude with a double event in Qinhuangdao (CHN) on September 21-22.

The full calendar of aerials water ramp events can be found HERE.

With a few months remaining before the aerialists transition to snow, the summer water ramp events offer an exhilarating preview for the aerials community. As the summer season unfolds and more events take place, we’ll keep you informed with the latest updates and reports from these thrilling competitions.