Action-packed final stop of the Rock A Rail Ski & Snowboard Tour 2024
The Rock A Rail Ski & Snowboard Tour 2024 presented by Snowfest is a wrap!
From December 6th– 8th, snowboarders from around the world gather in The Hague (Netherlands) for the 2nd edition of Snowfest The Hague with the 3rd and final stop of the Rock A Rail Ski & Snowboard Tour 2024. After stops in Thun (SUI) mid-October and Innsbruck (AUT) in November this is the final showdown of the tour; 50 riders from 19 countries come together in The Hague. Telma Sarkipaju (FIN) and Leon Gütl (GER) claim the victories in snowboarding. The 2024 Rock A Rail Snowboard Tour champions are Paula Benito (ESP) and Leon Gütl (GER).
The Hague is the birthplace of Rock A Rail, this is where the success story started in 2011 and where the event grew from a small local snowboard rail jam into an internationally known in-city snowboard rail contest. 2024 marks the 11th Rock A Rail edition in The Hague for the snowboarders. In 2024, Snowfest and Rock A Rail find a new home at Koekamp, directly next to Central Station. Just a few minutes’ walk from Grote Markt, the original Rock A Rail location. Rock A Rail is known for its innovative, creative and challenging setups. Standing 43 meters long, 17 meters wide, and 7.5 meters high, the impressive structure features a unique setup, the so-called “Rock A Rail Cage” with distinctive features and a multitude of riding options, setting the stage for an unprecedented freestyle playground.
ROCK A RAIL SNOWBOARD – It’s Telma Sarkipaju’s first Rock A Rail appearance and in her debut, she impresses with a great variety of tricks, including a perfect Backside Bluntslide 270 out, Switch Backside Bluntslide 270 out and an impressive Switch Frontside Tailslide 270 out. A firework of tricks that secures her first Rock A Rail win at her very first Rock A Rail contest ahead of Nata Sanchez (ESP). Nata is a regular at the tour and claims her first podium spot (2.). Hurana Suica Ishiara from Japan – competing for the 6th time at Rock A Rail The Hague – ends up 3rd. Telma is overwhelmed: “I had so much fun, the level of riding was incredible. It was great to watch all the women throwing it down. I am so proud of everyone!” In the men’s field Leon Gütl is the cleanest of all riders, sticks pretty much every trick, shows transfers from one rail to another, and a massive Gap to Switch Backside 270 to forward on the Kink Rail. Perfect execution, smooth, and lots of style. Therefore, he rightfully takes the win at the final Rock A Rail stop: “We were riding all day in the rain, but it was a lot of fun!” The Hague local Senna Van Drunen wows his home crowd and ends up 2nd with the loudest fan club-support on site. Casper Holtzapfel (NED) finishes in 3rd. A successful day for the Dutch riders at their home event.
