Alex Chumpy Pullin is Australia’s first world champion

Alex Pullin celebrates as he wins the men’s snowboard cross final

Alex Pullin has become Australia’s first snowboard world champion after taking out the snowboard cross event in La Molina, Spain.

Pullin, who’d stood on the podium in four of the past five World Cup events but had recorded just one victory in his career, edged out two-time Olympic champion Seth Wescott and Nate Holland, both of the United States.

Pullin won his first heat in the mild conditions at the Spanish resort, backing it up with a quarter-final victory.

Wescott then edged the Victorian in the semi-final but when the pair formed half of the four-man final, Pullin turned the tables and took out the event.

The 23-year-old had confirmed himself as a rising star of the sport when he qualified first during last year’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

But his hopes of Games’ glory were quickly dashed when he took a spill in the first head-to-head heat of the sport.

Snowboard cross involves ‘boarders racing against each other on a steep course with banked turns and jumps and is often referred to as motocross on snow.

Pullin joins freestyle skiers Dale Begg-Smith, Alisa Camplin, Jacqui Cooper and Kirstie Marshall and slalom skier Zali Steggall as Australia’s winter sports world champions.

Full article: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/pullin-wins-snowboard-gold-20110119-19vix.html

Awesome result for Chumpy.

All round nice guy who has worked hell hard for this. Good on ya Chumpy !!!!

legendary

Yeah!!! Awesome. Well deserved, especially after what happened at the Olympics.

Congrats!! =)
Keep it up!