Eight tiring hours after leaving Morzine, we reached the small town of Kaunatal, deep within the Austrian Alpes.  Little more than a village set at the base of a glacier, Kaunatal seems like a strange place to find the cream of the British snowboarding industry.  But here they are in droves, infact this year is their busiest on record.

The journey was mainly without drama, all three of our cars managing the 550 miles, through three countries, although some were a little slower than others!  With four members of the Girlylegs team onboard, the mood was light and fun.  As soon as we arrived, it was time to freshen up and head out to socialise with anyone we could find!

And find them we did, from top riders to shop owners, everyone was out enjoying a beer with friends and acquaintances.  We all pilled into the hot and rather small bar, to listen to the welcome messages and itinerary for the week, although most people just wanted to get on with the drinking and socialiasing.

Everyone was due an early morning to setup the brand stands and get the event kicked off, so it was off to bed relitivly early for most.  Of course the hardcore among us stayed until the early hours!

Unfortunatly we all woke up to low slung grey clouds, but went up the hill nonetheless!  It takes over half an hour in a car to climb the steep valley that leads to the glacial snowfields.  At t

he top, all the major brands had setup stalls full of next seasons snowboards, bindings and other gear, all ready to be tested by the likes of me!

I spent the day chopping and changing boards and bindings, riding different setups, and cruising with the talent.  I have never really experimented with my snowboard kit before, so it felt very strange at first to be riding boards so different to my own.  I almost had to trust that I was a good enough snowboarder, and that my powers of ride did not lay in my own kit.  Once I had figured that out, I had a whale of a time trying some of the most upto date technologies around.

The crew at Westbeach supplied everyone with bacon butties, while Vans handed out waffles.  The Girlylegs team based themselves at the Head stand, as Team rider Stefani Nurding is sponsored by their snowboards.  While other brands used food to entice the crowds, Head had Parker, the Girlylegs team whippet, who was looking adorable wrapped up in blankets and coats.

Testing ended at about 3pm, the stands were packed down, and the long trip down the steep winding mountain roads back to town began.  Most people then headed to the Whitelines Rail Jam, before hitting the beers once more.