By Anna Thompson Winter sports editor

Gillings finished eighth in the world last season

The youngster from the Isle of Man triumphed in the first race of the season, which was held in Valle Nevado in Chile.

Gillings said: "I'm super happy because this was my first World Cup victory ever."

She finished eighth in the World Cup standings last season and won the British title.

Snowboarder-cross is similar to motorX in that competitors race over bumps and around corners in a series of knock-out races.

It is an Olympic sport and Gillings is aiming to represent Great Britain at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

She added: "It's a big motivation for me. I enjoyed the course because there were a lot of different possibilities to ride."

In the men's race, Drew Neilson from Canada beat current champion Xavier Delerue from France.