London hosts snowboarding event

A snowboarder during practise for the World Cup big air

Britain is set to host a World Cup snowboarding event for the first time.

The International Ski Federation has confirmed a World Cup big air will take place in London on 25 October.

It will be staged on a specially-built ramp at Battersea Power Station and top boarders including British number one Dan Wakeham will compete.

"It is amazing news about the London big air, and I really look forward to competing against the world's best in front of a home crowd," Wakeham said.

"This is a huge boost as I begin my preparations for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010."

The London big air is part of a four-day winter sports festival between 23 and 26 October and will kick off the northern hemisphere season, and Snowsport GB chief executive Mark Simmers said the event would be a huge fillip for winter sports in Britain.

606: DEBATE Is this a great boost for British winter sports? and will you be going along to watch the event? Anna T

"To stage a Snowboard World Cup in the UK for the first time is a massive boost for the sport and will bring a huge amount of profile to our British snowboard athletes when they compete at home against the world's best," he said.

World Cup big air sees competitors ride down a steep slope to gain speed before launching themselves on to a kicker which sends them high into the air where they perform spins and flips.

They are marked on the difficulty of the jump, the execution and landing.