A whole host of snowboarding stars descended on Manchester’s Chill Factore on Friday for a special viewing of Homies 2 – probably the biggest snowboard film to come out of France this season. If you haven’t see it for yourself yet, check out the teaser here and buy the current issue of Whitelines – it’s free on the cover.

The stars of the movie, including French legend Nico Droz, and young jib genius Pierre Rue, paid a visit to our sunny shores to promote the film, and got an indoor shred session going alongside Manchester’s finest.

The evening kicked off with a signing session, which saw the boys – all of whom are sponsored by Advita clothing – making their mark on T-shirts, posters and DVDs for all and sundry. They then took to the slope for an hour-long demo, sessioning a box and stair set which they themselves had designed. Manchester’s shaping team, led by Col Mytton, had also built a fine kicker for the occasion.

Later on in the evening, various members of the Homies crew took to the slopes alongside the general public and a whole clutch of UK pros. Ride Snowboards, Nico’s major sponsor, had brought a load of new kit to the party which people could test, and Andy Nudds and Matt Macwhirter journeyed down from Yorkshire to join the likes of Col on the slope. A special mention has to go to a kid called Tomski Robinson, who – despite being just eight-years-old – was hitting the main kicker with the big boys.

With the session finished and the slope cleared, it was time to head up to the bar, where quite a crowd had gathered to watch the film. Monster had laid out some sofas so the Homies could pimp it up in style. The film got a great reaction, with the well-oiled crowd wooping at every stomped trick and cringing at every stacked rail.

All-in-all, it was a great night, and a worthy welcome for some top foreign pros to the UK scene. Nico and the boys put on a show to be proud of, stoking out locals and visitors alike, and the Manchester scene was as welcoming as always. The film itself is an awesome one, marking a clear step-up from last year’s effort. And the best news is, Nico let slip that there will be a third Homies film coming out next year. We can’t wait.