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Matt finish

Dave Lawrenson
13/11/2008

ECCLES’ Matt Doyle is walking on ‘air’ after winning a national snowboarding competition.

The 27-year-old lifted the LG Big Air Finals title following a stunning performance in front of 6,000 spectators in London.

He was selected for the competition from nearly 200 skiers and snowboarders at Manchester’s Air Bag event in October.

And he was delighted to see off the challenge of seven other regions in London to win a state-of-the-art KF600 mobile phone from event sponsors LG Electronics for his troubles.

Doyle, who first tried his hand at snowboarding when he was studying at Aberystwyth University five years ago, said: "I love snowboarding and I was stoked to win the LG Air Bag Tour in front of so many spectators. And the phone I’ve won is awesome.

"Competing at the event was a lot of fun and it is definitely one of the best things that I’ve ever done.

"It was quite scary competing in front of 6,000 people and I’ll never forget the experience.

"It is the first snowboarding competition that I’ve ever won. I’d like to enter other competitions now and I’d definitely like to defend my title next year, providing that they organise it again."

The judges in London were looking for the perfect combination of style and skill, which Matt, who works at the Chill Factor-e indoor snow arena opposite the Trafford Centre, achieved with a double front flip and a one footed jump.

And the event was the culmination of the LG Air Bag Tour – the biggest ever free grassroots event of its type in the UK with over 1,500 snowsports enthusiasts practising their ‘big air’ tricks and jumps with the safety of a cushioned landing.