Oakley and Shaun White present Air & Style Beijing 2011 | Video Recap

Snowboarding’s Air + Style event has been the stage for some major, mind-blowing hammers; while the Olympics and the US Open are arguably the sport’s marquis official events, the Air + Style maintains an energy, atmosphere – and emphasis on style – that neither of those events have been able to match. And the riding is always absolutely mind-blowing, with quadruple-digit and double cork rotations now de rigueur. The annual event has been held in a number of countries, most of them in the deep snowboard talent pool of Northern Europe, but for the 2010/2011 season, the Air + Style contest made the unprecedented foray into China, holding it’s event in Beijing, at the Olympic Sport Center. While the main focus was on the massive jump, the broader context is interesting too: globalization by way of sport. And serving as ambassador, Olympic champion Shaun White. Oakley has put together a travelogue video, showing White’s experience in China, and the experience of the Chinese fans – which is amazingly robust. Worth watching for any Shaun White fans, or those interested in the state of snowboarding in China. Plus there’s some contest footage, so you get to see insane snowboarding. Check out the video after the jump.