Kokomo Murase Wins Women’s Best Style and Best Rider Overall | Rip Off Session

Ending the snowboard season with a grassroots event! Monster Energy congratulates team rider Kokomo Murase on earning awards for Women’s Best Style and Best Rider Overall in the invitational Rip Off Session snowboard competition at Kläppen Snowpark in Sweden hosted by Monster Energy rider Sven Thorgren. Murase, 19, from Gifu, Japan, earned awards worth 50,000 Swedish Krona (Best Rider) and 25,000 Swedish Krona (Best Style) in prize money. 

Also taking awards in the event, 22-year-old Swiss team rider Patrick Hofmann claimed the award for Men’s Best Style worth 25,000 Swedish Krona. And rising above the competition in his own event, 29-year-old Thorgren from Stockholm, Sweden, claimed the 25,000 Swedish Krona for Highest Air of the weekend.

On April 19, 2024, Rip Off Session was contested as an invite-only snow sports competition featuring A-list riders from across the world. The event was inspired by the legendary competition Oxborn Session, previously contested annually at Kläppen Snowpark between 2006 and 2010. 

For Rip Off Session, Kläppen Snowpark added a unique hip obstacle to the course that allowed for maximum airtime and stylish tricks. Riders battled for awards in three categories: Best Trick, Best Style, and High Air. Accompanied by DJ sets and fireworks in a festival atmosphere, the event inspired riders to push the limits in an open jam session.

The field of invited riders included X Games winners, FIS World Champions, and Olympic gold medalists such as Sage Kotsenburg, Taiga Hasagawa, Dusty Henricksen, Judd Henkes, Annika Morgan, Torgeir Bergrem, Ståle Sandbech, and more.  

 When the dust settled, Murase stoked the crowd with a huge, stylish Frontside 360 Stalefish while showcasing her deep bag of tricks. Also raising the bar all day in the session, Swiss team rider Hofmann dropped a switch backside 180 Method, a backside roll Japan, and a backside 720 Melon over the hip for Men’s Best Style. Finally, event host Thorgren showed riders in attendance how it’s done by boosting a huge textbook method over the hip obstacle to claim the trophy for Highest Air.