Three World Records For Highest Hip Air Smashed At Swatch Nines In Switzerland

A Swatch Nines week of non-stop ski and snowboard action at Schilthorn, Switzerland has concluded with three new snow sports world records as Valentino Guseli, Kim Gubser and Brooke D'Hondt soared to new heights in great conditions. Here is all you need to know:

Swatch Nines was founded in 2008 as a friendly antagonist to traditional contests by providing unique playgrounds for action sports athletes to progress their skills as safely as possible in a non-competitive setting with filmmakers and photographers capturing unforgettable moments.

On a "Perfect Hip" was built on the Swiss summit with the express mission of sending riders sky-high safely with two snowboarders and one skier setting new highest-air world records.

The biggest air of the week was logged by Gubser (SUI, SKI) who hit a high of 14.6 metres (47.9 feet) on Friday April 12, breaking the previous record of 14.2m (46.6ft) set by American David Wise in 2016.

The 23-year-old freestyler Gubser said: "I tested it out a little bit with smaller speed, and then getting faster and faster. We were looking where the limit is, and I found it. I found my limit."

He added: "The Swatch Nines are always very special because you never see features like this in regular snowparks or during World Cups. It's a whole different experience. Everything is way bigger and looks very aesthetic. It's not a competition so there is no pressure. It's just a week of just having fun, being with friends, athletes and filming."

- Just a few hours after Gubser, Guseli (AUS, SNB) flew to a height of 11.5 metres (37.7 feet), topping Swiss snowboarder Christian Haller's record of 11.3m (37.1ft), also set back in 2016. Guseli, 19, said: "I was just going as big as I could. I'd say it's the biggest hip I ever hit. And the thing that's gnarly about it is, when you first hit it, you already have to go big."

- D'Hondt (CAN, SNB) established the first official record for highest women's snowboarding hip air on Thursday after she reached a height of 7.3 metres (23.9 feet). The 19-year-old said: "I always wanted to come to this event, and having a bigger hip feature is kind of playing to my strengths. It definitely does not get easier standing up there. Especially the first one of the day, it's just as scary as the first time ever hitting it. But the feeling of stomping it, nothing beats it."

- The three new world records are among the highlights of a week-long session that saw a crew of 40 invited riders from 13 different countries tackle a custom course of features beyond the Perfect Hip.

- Founder Nico Zacek declared: "The mission of Swatch Nines is to provide a platform for athletes to express their creativity and push their limits in a safe and non-competitive environment. The fact that we're able to break records like these shows that we're doing something right. I can't believe what the athletes were able to achieve on this setup. It's the most gratifying thing to see something that you’ve been planning for so long finally come to fruition and exceed all your expectations."