Boardercross
PwC SnowBoard Cross (SBX) Finals
The Competition Format
The UKAFWSA Snowboard Cross Competition follows a structured, fair and exciting format:
- Qualification Runs
Each rider completes time-trial runs down the course. These times seed competitors for elimination rounds and ensure fair heat assignments. - Heat Rounds
Riders are grouped into heats of typically four competitors. The top two from each heat advance to the next round. This continues through quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. - Finals and Podium
The fastest, most strategic and consistently performing riders make it to the finals. - Pairs Relay – An additional unique format was tested this year, with the men & women pairs relay event. Women of the pair race first, as they cross the finish line the Men start and race to the end in a first past the post comp.
Behind the Scenes: Committee, ESF support and Hill Team
A feature that often goes unsung is the incredible work that goes into making the competition happen. From course design and safety rigging to registration, results timing and commentator teams , a dedicated crew of volunteers delivers an event of professional quality. Many thanks to ESF and Meribel Tourism for supporting today’s racing.
This year’s event saw the UKAFWSA Snowboard Hill team and support crew working long days to ensure race integrity, competitor safety and smooth operations for all. Their commitment ensures that boardercross remain a highlight on the UKAFWSA calendar.
Why It Matters
Sport has always played a powerful role in wellbeing, teamwork and mental resilience. For serving personnel and veterans, competitions like SBX deliver more than medals. They foster:
- Skill: Assessing balance, control and explosive power.
- Team Spirit: Encouraging mutual encouragement, shared strategies and friendly rivalries.
- Mental Resilience: Navigating adversity in competition builds confidence that carries beyond the snow.
SBX is a team sport and draws out key features of military leadership. It demands quick decisions under pressure, tactical assessment of dynamic situations and the resilience to recover from setbacks whether on course or in operational contexts.
SBX Results
Adrenaline and Rivalry: Highlights from the 75th Inter-Services Snowboard Cross in Méribel
The 75th Inter-Services Snow Sports Championships recently took centre stage in Méribel, showcasing the peak of military winter sports. At the heart of the action was the Snowboard Cross (SBX), a discipline defined by its “adversarial” nature and high-intensity, head-to-head format. Unlike solo timed runs, SBX pits riders against one another simultaneously, dropping them from a BMX-style gate into a course filled with rollers, “kickers” (jumps), and sharp twists.
A Fierce Tri-Service Scrap
The rivalry between the services is the lifeblood of the competition, with athletes easily identified by their service colours: Army in red, Navy in green, and the RAF in blue. This year’s SBX finals were described as a “personal scrap” for the podium, where tactical manoeuvres such as taking a high line to cut low and overtake on the inside—were essential for victory.
In the Women’s Big Final, the competition was exceptionally tight between one RAF rider, one Army rider, and two Navy riders. Ultimately, the Army’s Jordan Buckley secured the gold medal after executing a “great overtake on the inside,” edging out the top-seeded Nat Fields from the RAF.
The Men’s Big Final was equally dramatic, featuring a four-way battle between the RAF, the Army, and two Navy riders. Patty Morris of the RAF, a former champion known for his tenacity in physical races, successfully defended his position to take first place, followed by the Navy in second and the Army in third.
Pioneers on the Slopes: The Para-Snowsport Demo
One of the most inspiring segments of the event was the demo featuring the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST). These adaptive athletes demonstrated that they could navigate the same demanding terrain as their able-bodied counterparts.
- Win Lewis: An ex-RAF below-knee amputee, Lewis impressed spectators with his rear-foot steering technique, successfully “sucking up” rollers that would challenge any experienced rider.
- Darren “Swifty” Swift: A double above-knee amputee and world-first BASIS 2 instructor, Swifty used the discs in his spine as suspension. He even designed his own carbon bindings on a beer mat, allowing him to hit the “kicker” with immense bravery.
Professionalism and What’s Next
The standard of competition has soared over the last decade, with riders now using super-stiff race boards costing approximately £800 to gain every possible advantage. This professionalisation has made the results “too close to call” as the championships move forward.
