Roxy Chicken Jam

• The Roxy Chicken Jam was a snowboard competition for women.
• Slopestyle was part of its European editions.
• The fourth European edition took place at Kitzsteinhorn in Kaprun in December 2006.
• Jamie Anderson won that edition, with Cheryl Maas in second place.
• The European contest moved to Saalbach-Hinterglemm in 2009.
• The seventh edition was held at the Nightpark in January 2010.

The Roxy Chicken Jam was a notable women’s snowboard contest. In European editions, snowboarders competed in slopestyle on a constructed park course with jumps, rails and boxes. The format put the athletes’ runs at the centre and linked the contest to the TTR Women’s World Snowboard Tour of that period. It was a snowboard programme, distinct from freeski contests even when both sports used park features.

Kaprun at Kitzsteinhorn hosted the fourth European edition in 2006. Sixteen-year-old Jamie Anderson won slopestyle and the title, with previous year’s winner Cheryl Maas in second place. The contest programme included kickers, rails and boxes. In the jam format at the time, each rider’s best run determined the result. The contest carried a six-star rating; after her win Anderson took the lead in the TTR world ranking. Later editions were held in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, where the Nightpark was about 200 metres from the town centre.

The European Chicken Jam was not tied to one venue. The O’Neill Evolution in Davos was announced as the next tour stop on 2 January 2007. Saalbach-Hinterglemm hosted the event in 2009; the seventh European edition took place there from 8 to 10 January 2010. Riders announced for that year included Cheryl Maas, Kjersti Buaas and Sarka Pancochova.

The Chicken Jam gave women snowboarders a dedicated stage in international slopestyle competition. Its park-contest roots connect it with other freestyle events, but distinguish it from the alpine big-mountain riding of the Freeride World Tour. Other freestyle and freeride events likewise show how park and urban courses differ from freeride terrain.