The big season finale of the Swiss championshipThe last tour stop of the Pumking Challenge 2016 took place on the world's first ever pump track in Segnes, Chur. Around 50 skaters rolled around the pump track, surrounded by a crowd of cheering spectators. "Simply a great thing," says PumpKing Thomas Schumann, whose big highlight of the series was his 4 victories and thus the title of PumpKing 2016. PumpQueen Alexandra Hasler, who normally competes as a snowboard pro in the snowboard cross discipline, finds the new PumpKing discipline the perfect balance to winter sports "I think the tour with the different stops is brilliant. It comes very close to my sport. What's more, the people and the atmosphere at the event were unique". She also showed her skills on the concrete and was able to take the crown with 4 podium wins, including 2 first places. Zeno Hermann was the overall winner of the season in the Kids category, Julian Furrer in the Juniors and Daniel Rietmann in the Masters. Gerome Hänni, who won Best Trick for the third time, showed off his skills with a Miller Flip, a Backside Lipslide and a Handplant. "It's nice to be cheered on by so many happy people. Also, the organization of the PumpKing Challenge is really excellent," he says. "Thomas Schumann PumpKing Tour Winner This pleases the organizers Daniel Rietmann from GummiLove and Mathias Rutz from Madrid, who celebrate the event themselves with their passion for skateboarding and were on the podium as first and second place winners at the Masters in Chur. What particularly impressed them about the tour was that the skaters embraced the new discipline so well and took part in the movement. "There were an incredible number of people at the start, who then traveled with us from stop to stop. It was also admirable that so many young skaters from Chur helped to make the event happen." As the PumpKing Challenge should be something for everyone, Gorilla offered workshops at the beginning to learn how to ride the pump track. Patrick Switzer and his wife Tamara Prader, the world champions in downhill longboard skateboarding, were there in person as coaches. "It's great that children can learn something new, that it's so much fun and that everyone is welcome," says Patrick. For Tamara, the crowning glory of the event was the band Kind Zebra, who played in Chur at the end of the season finale. "The band fits in perfectly with the PumpKing Challenge. The whole thing was great fun and I was able to learn something completely new on the skateboard."Patrick Switzer Workshop The supporting program of the tour had a lot to offer. Dj Simix, Dj Prinz Boogie and bands like Basement Saints and the glam rock band King Zebra made the atmosphere complete. Michael Mutter,King Zebra 's base player , says : "A new, long overdue format of skateboarding was created by the PumpKing Challenge. It's great that we were also able to celebrate a premiere here in a new formation."KingZebraGummiLove Ambassador Jonny Giger, the flatground king and worldwide YouTube star, visited the event for a meet and greet with Jonny and was pleasantly surprised that the challenge was more about good vibes than winning. "Skateboarding is alive and evolving" says Jonny Jonny Giger & Tamara Prader Meet and Greet The challenge was commentated by Tom Lehmann, who provided some laughs and the perfect tension in the race. His empathy for the riders was infectious. He takes home a few lasting memories of the tour "The kids in Kriens really stepped on the gas in the final. It almost knocked my socks off that such little skaters could go so fast. The family groove of the whole tour was unique and Schumi's runs, with his times and his fighting spirit, were always something incredible".
Sudden Rush is supporting the PumpKing Challenge with the main prize, a week's surfing vacation in Lanzarote."It's great that board athletes from so many different sports are united. The roots of surfing are particularly close to the discipline. The inhibition to take part is not so great, as it's all about the riding experience. Another plus is that the tour has taken place in different cantons and so there have always been participants from all kinds of regions."
