These days there are less drugs, more professionalism (judges aren’t allowed to drink or pack bongs) and probably most importantly, the standard of riding is incredible.

The UK Armed Forces always make a strong showing in the SBX, but despite the intimidating title they’re a lovely crew who race and party with the same intensity. Clare Collis, Ian Sanderson and Patrick Morris all left their mark on the qualification – as did Aimee Fuller, who banked the fastest womens’ time to go into the elimination as the number one seed. But as we’ve seen so many times before, fast times don’t always equate to racing skills once people go edge to edge, and so it was for Aimee in the finals when she fell at the last turn and gifted Maisie Hill gold, while Joanna Szczyglowska from the UKAF took silver. In the men’s, it was the under 18 Huw Nightingale who upset the seeding times to sneak the gold out from under Pat Morris’ nose.

Big Air and Slopestyle are pretty intimidating days because they both take place on the Laax Pro Line – exactly the same jumps and rails as the Laax Open. These are the disciplines that Britain’s Olympic team excels at, and watching the finals this fact is all too clear. Anyone not from the UK, let me make this crystal clear: Billy Morgan, Jamie Nicholls, Jenny Jones and Katie Ormerod are not exceptions; these days their ability level is the rule.

For me, getting to see our emerging talent in action is a real treat, especially in the Under 16 category where the ‘L Force’ of Liam Tynan, Lewis Moore and Leon Drynan – alongside George Waite – are pushing each other so hard that they are starting to give GB Park and Pipe coach Hamish McKnight a headache, albeit a good one.

“Let me make this crystal clear: Billy Morgan, Jamie Nicholls, Jenny Jones and Katie Ormerod are not exceptions; these days their ability level is the rule”

In Slopestyle, Billy Cockrell’s dub 10 became the centrepiece of a great run that made it two for two in changeable conditions. The kid from Castleford is starting to make some serious progress, not just in terms of tricks but also consistency, so is definitely one to keep and eye on.

In the Women’s, Cerys Allen and Maisie Hill had a proper battle for the ages. Knowing she needed something special in the final to overhaul Cerys Allen’s big-hitting run, Maisie opted to send a huge backflip, much to the joy of the crowd. It wasn’t enough though, and Cerys took her maiden British Championship title.

 “It has to be said that our days of producing world class pipe riders appear to be over”

That left just the halfpipe, and while the famous Laax U-ditch always provides a great spectacle, it has to be said that our days of producing world class pipe riders appear to be over. The fact that Lesley McKenna’s run to take gold in the Masters (over 30s) would have put her on the men’s Open podium tells you everything you need to know about the strength in depth of the men’s field. Indeed, the very talented Lewis Courtier-Jones was able to win despite a fall, which only confirmed that with the retirement of Ben Kilner and Dom Harington, we have waved goodbye to competing on a global level for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, Liam Tynan showed that he’s far from just a kicker machine with some lovely board control to take silver, and could yet be the man to make me regret that last sentence.

Maisie Hill made it two golds for the week with a banging run in the Women’s that managed to push the three-time Olympian Lesley McKenna into silver (though find me another woman in her 40’s who can consistently go six feet out and casually drop a 7!) while rounding out the podium was Mia Brookes. No doubt Mia will have her eye on the top spot next year.

With the RK1 boys in town, Friday night offered those with livers of steel the opportunity to go big in the Riders Palace, but most were still too bent from Tuesday night’s quiz with the evergreen/washed up Monsieur Poudrueuse. Maybe the debauchery is still present after all…

Thanks go out to Laax for being so rad, and Spencer Claridge, Stu Brass and their incredible crew for putting on another brilliant champs. See you next year.