Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour

All applications have been filled, and the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour is all set to head downunder with over $2,500,000 USD up for grabs as prize money, during a course of ten months.

Swatch TTR has already started the fun-filled snowboarding events in the mountains of Australia. This year we will see two new events being showcased- the Boost Mobile Sno Sho in Perisher Blue, Australia, and the Billabong Snow Stock in Snowpark, New Zealand, have sent their applications to be a part of the Swatch TTR Tour. If the applications are accepted, they will join the Burton New Zealand Open, Oakley Stylewars and the Burton Australian Open, making the chances of international riders traveling downunder higher.

The Southern Hemisphere Tour will begin with the Burton New Zealand Open in none other than NZ. The BNZO is known for one of the world’s best half-pipes, precise slopestyle set up and huge quarter pipe, making it a must for transition riders to take part. This serves as perfect practice for riders wanting to take part in the Northern Hemisphere Tour.

After the BNZO, the tour will stay put in NZ and get ready for the Billabong Snowstock; one of the new events this year. This event will include the Straight Jump and Quarterpipe competitions. After the Billabong Snowstock, the Oakley Stylewars will follow. This will consist of three slopestyle competition days, one night-rail event, seven judged sessions and four nights of music. All the participants will be competing for the title of Stylewars Grandmaster.

The Stylewars will come to a halt as the Boost Sno Sho starts with a huge one-night showdown. This is the world’s longest rail event. The ending of the Southern Hemipshere Tour will be marked with the Burton Australian Open.

One can expect to see top-notch riders such as Torstein Horgmo, Jonas Karlsson, Sani Alibabic etc. And we can also expect to see ten months of jam-packed entertainment!

World Heli Challenge

It has been announced that New Zealand’s legendary World Heli Challenge will return on August 9^th through August 24^th, 2008, after a gap of six years. This challenge is considered on of the most legendary freeriding and freeskiing events to have ever been started.

The World Heli Challenge will bring New Zealand’s Mt. Cook National Park the best riders and skiers in the world along with seven top-notch snowboard brands and ski brands. Each brand will consist of two elite athletes that will compete against one another through the various events.

Three days of helicopter-accessed events will take place on Mt. Cook National Park’s ‘Big Mountain’. This portion of the mountain designed for snowboarding and skiing consists of 3000 feet of terrain and a 50-degree slope average over cliffs. The Backcountry Freestyle realm will allow riders to showcase their potential and talent. And the rules are simple- first one to reach the end of the 3000-foot terrain wins!

But the high-end athletes that will be taking part in the Challenge will not be spending their entire two weeks in snow; they will be treated to jet boating, bungee jumping, golfing, surfing and various other things New Zealand is famous for!

The World Heli Challenge trophy is considered one of the most prized trophies in the world. But winning the trophy is not easy either; one must be the overall winner in all three combined events. Winners from the past include skiers Chris Davenport, Kent Kreitler, Andrea Binning, Seb Michaud and Guerlain Checerit. Among the snowboarders, Matt Godwill, Karleen Jeffery, Gilles Voirol, Steve Graham and David Pujol have bagged prizes in the past. This year, a new World Heli Challenge title for the best overall ski brand and snowboarding brand will also be awarded.

Created by Tony “Harro” Harrington, let’s see if the World Heli Challenge can restore the fire after six years!

West Coast Invitational

For the seventh year in a row, West Coast Invitational (WCI) returned to Mammoth Mountain on May 2^nd and May 3^rd. WCI is an award winning group consisting of all the former Olympians and promising up-coming snowboarders.

The riders of WCI competed in the Vans Fiesta de la Pipa and the Village Rail Jam for a prize purse of $20,000 USD. There were also special performances by My-G and Talib Kweli, ensuring non-stop entertainment for the crowds. They wanted to make sure the weekend would be similar to a spring party with Mammoth Mountain only ready for the best!

WCI generally has a line-up of high-profile riders. The one’s that took part in the event last week were Danny Kass, Mason Aguirre, JJ Thomas and Chaz Guldemond. 30 other riders tore up the slopes on Mammoth Mountain as well. Last year’s Rail Jam champ, Jonas Michilot, was among them.

Prior to the events on May 2^nd and May 3^rd, Oren Tanzer, Director of Youth Action Sports and originator of pipe-rail-music hybrid WCI, said, “I’m super excited about the all-star lineup both on the hill and off the hill. With well-known riders competing against some of the most talented up-and-comers, this year’s event is going to be amazing.”

During the May 2^nd session, Chaz Guldemond etched out a win over Mason Aguirre in the rider judged pipe session. He walked away with a $5,000 share of the WCI prize purse. The other winners during the May 2^nd events were Luke Wynen for a pipe-side piñata, Luke Matrani who performed the best trick with a switch double Micalchuk and Jamie Anderson for her outstanding performances. They walked away with $500, $1,500 and $2000 respectively.

Mammoth Mountain has been rated one of the four-season mountain resorts in California. With such adulation and frequent visitors, we can expect to see this mountain hosting many more such mammoth events in the future.

Vahur Teppan

Senior Vahur Teppan’s skiing carrier gets yet another breakthrough. The Alaskan skier who has just finished his final race as a member of the Alaska Nanooks team, has been invited to be a part of Estonia’s national B team. This team is just one step away from the international level.

When asked about the invite, Teppan said, “It is nice that Estonia contacted me and to know that they kept an eye on me. They have really good coaches there, and it’s a good opportunity to train with the best Estonia guys. I am going for sprinting, so it’s a lot of man-on-man racing: it’s not like you will be skiing alone in places. So it is really important to be training with the best in head-to-head situations. It’s a lot easier than training on your own.”

Estonia’s national B team will allow Teppan to train with the team and take part in various events, with hopes of catching the attention of coaches who choose the World Cup racers.

Head coach of Estonia’s national B team, Scott Jerome explained how the B team gives an opportunity for skiers to reach the international A team. He felt that Teppan’s career would be going in the right direction if he joined the B team. Jerome also mentioned how most of the B team players fund themselves, but also cruised in the fact that getting sponsors wouldn’t be a problem for Teppan.

Teppan has many achievements to his credit. He took part in the both the freestyle and classic sprint races at the Canmore Nordic Centre, finishing 19^th place overall. He also competed once at the international level, before joining Nanooks. He won the 28^th place in a World Cup event hosted by Estonia in January 2006. He also managed to land two All-American spots at the NCAA Skiing Championships in March 2008.

So sooner or later we can look forward to seeing Senior Vahur Teppan training with Estonia’s national B team.

SOS Outreach

SOS Outreach, an organization devoted to promoting snow events among the underprivileged youth, has already started getting ready for next year’s event, despite Mt. Hood still being caught under 16 feet of snow! SOS Outreach has been establishing itself in Oregon and in the winter of 2007-2008, nearly 100 participants took part in various snowboarding events in Central Oregon.

SOS now plans to start a five-day ‘learn to ride’ program. This program offers professional skiing and snowboarding lessons, snow gear and all other necessary items. The program also wishes to promote values such as integrity, discipline, courage, wisdom etc. Students who complete the program are offered the choice of continuing with SOS for an additional four years. In order to do this, they must complete a ‘University’ program put forward by SOS.

SOS has been able to motivate underprivileged youth and host successful programs due to their carefully-chosen partnerships with local mountain resorts and youth agencies. In the 2007-2008 winter session, Mt. Hood Skibowl became the third resort, after Mr. Hood Meadows and Timberline, to donate lift tickets, equipment rentals, and snowboard instructors to SOS. Counselors and students from Portland Youth Builders, Mt. Scott Learning Centers, Reynolds Learning Academy and Janus Youth Programs, all showed active participation in the program.

Megan Barrett, a Mt. Scout Learning Center’s teacher, highlights the positive aspects of the SOS program- “SOS encourages my students to support one another, and also teaches them self-reliance and discipline. It’s incredible to watch students go from worry and doubt to happiness and pride when they make it down the hill for the first time without falling. Through SOS, these kids learn that they are the type of people who are capable of anything.”

The ski season of 2007-2008 marked the 8^th year for SOS in Oregon. And SOS Outreach wishes to have many more such successful years.

World Rookie Fest

Swatch TTR came out with yet another successful snowboarding event; the 3-Star Völkl World Rookie Fest which once again showcased an assortment of snowboarding talent. The event took place just last weekend with Norwegian snowboarder Gjermund Braaten cruising away with first place. He received 550 TTR Ranking Points, giving him a TTR World ranking of 53 and also the title of World Rookie Champion 2008.

Braaten showcased impressive riding; awing the judges and crowd with a huge switch BS7 and a Cab 9. In addition to TTR ranking points and a world champion title, Braaten was also awarded with a ticket to the Nokia Air and Style rookie challenge in Munich, a trip to Canada for featuring in the next Pirate Movie Production, ‘Boarbegged’ and a ‘Fresh Meat’ profile in Method Snowboard Magazine.

This event was the last of the season adorned with a slopestyle set up with two kickers and several rails. The judges allotted scores to the riders based on a three-run format. The riders had to give an overall impression on both the kickers and rails.

Despite Braaten winning, the best trick was performed by Petja Piiroinen from Finland. His huge BS 7 on the 20 meter kicker was a visual treat. Italian rider Giorgio Ciancaleoni performed a series of 720s on the kickers, one of the most impressive rail tricks and a 270 on the kink, landing him in the second overall position among the male rookies.

A majority of the finalists walked home with prizes, despite not getting a winning position. They won tickets to the World Rookie Fest 2009 in Livigno. Dimi de Jong and Maria Delfina Maiocco, who were voted upon as the best male groms, received a Golden Card enabling them to join every World Rookie Fest of 2009 for free! Among the female rookies, Kari Maeland of Norway came out victorious with her TTR world ranking now being pushed up to 35.

So the World Rookie Fest 2008 finished things off with a bang!

Billabong Banked Slalom

At just 18 years of age, Australian World Cup snowboarder Alex “Chumpy” Pullin proved too quick for his opponents after claiming 1^st place in the Billabong Banked Slalom presented by Panasonic on Sunday, April 20^th 2008. The event took place on Mt. Hotham and is based on snowboarding events that took place in the 80’s and 90’s where all that mattered was who reached the bottom of the mountain first.

Pullin took strong control over the International field which consisted of over 100 snowboarders, all the way from the opening ride to the final event. He won the final ten man decider with a time of 51.80 seconds, earning him $2,000 USD and a Panasonic VDR D150 Digital video camera. The second and third place winners, Taan Robrhan (United States) and Clint Allan (Australia), followed close behind with times of 52.48 seconds and 52.58 seconds respectively.

Despite crashing in the first round and suffering from a grazed and bloodied face, Pullin managed to maintain his form throughout the competition. In a recent interview Pullin said, “I took a hit in qualifying when I caught an edge on one of the banks and fell flat on my chin. I tried not to let that affect my confidence and luckily I kept the momentum going right through to the final.” Pullin also added, “There were a few Olympic team members in this field so I respect a lot of these riders and acknowledge the history behind this event.”

In the women’s division, 21-year-old Stephanie Hickey (Australia) bagged first place with a time of 57.75 on Mt. Buller. Laura Williams (Australia) finished second with 57.77 seconds and Abi Bright (Australia) calimed third with 1:00.77 seconds. A very elated Hickey said, “The course was quite technical in parts and a bit slow in others but overall a wicked event. I love the whole concept of this format and I’ll be back next year for sure.”

So Australia shines once again after bringing to light an age-old snowboarding tradition of reaching the bottom of the mountain fastest!

Shaun White Wins 4-Star Snickers Classic and Popcorn Wallride

Bright sunshine, loud music and fantastic entertainment; the last and final event of the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour could not have gone more perfectly in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. The final event was the 4-Star Snickers Classic and Popcorn Wallride, which took place on Saturday, April 19^th 2008, with the riders displaying their moves in full-swing.

Shaun White, making his second European appearance this season, bagged first place after performing tricks such as FS 180 to a crazy Inverted Cab 9 up top, a BS 9 and a huge Cab 1080. White walked away with 700 TTR ranking points and $10,000 USD. In addition to this, White also received $50,000 USD for his stellar performances in every contest he entered, and also for achieving the number one spot in the Swatch TTR rankings, having received his 6^th TTR result. Though White currently holds the number one Swatch TTR position, his fellow American rider, Kevin Pearce, retains the title of tour champion.

The event took place on top of a glacier in Saas-Fee. The slopestyle course was designed specifically to allow riders to perform their various unique tricks, and impress the judges. The course had a kicker in the middle, a step up kicker in the bottom and a gap to table to feature up top. However, despite all its scenic beauty, the audience’s attention was focused on the riders at all times.

Shaun White was by-far the most entertaining, but the second and third place winners had a few tricks up their sleeves as well. The second place winner, Laivisto performed a Half Cab to BS 7, a jaw-dropping Double Back Flip, a FS 900 and a Switch BS 7. Fredi K., a Swiss legend, bagged third place after performing a Half Cab to FS 3 melon, a Cab 9, a BS 9 and a Switch BS 7. Laivisto and Fredi K. walked away with $6000 USD and $3000 USD respectively.

So, after 10 months of sheer entertainment, the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour bids good-bye to another successful year.

North Face Ski Challenge

The North Face Ski Challenge Tour is an event open to all residents of Europe between the ages of 12 and 18 years. This youth-dedicated event is the only one which mixes free ride and freestyle. The event concluded just last weekend in Val Thorens, with the winner of the final walking away with a two-year sponsorship contract with the North Face.

Throughout winter, 350 hopefuls from Europe gave it their all, hoping to qualify for the tour finals. Over the weeks, the number of participants started increasing rapidly. Finally, 73 young skiers from 11 nations across Europe were selected to take part in the tour finals held on April 12^th and April 13^th. These 11 nations included the UK, Finland, Italy and Switzerland.

Director of the Club des Sports in Val Thorens, Vincent Hudry said, “We believe that the North Face Ski Challenge has the potential to reach a young, new public and demonstrate to the snow sports world how big hidden talents can be. This is, in fact, totally coherent with what we’ve been doing for years during the Boarder Week. This is why this will be our only ski event.”

Sweden’s Tom-Oliver Hedvall was the top finisher in the ‘king’s’ category (16-18 years), and walked away with the sponsorship contract. After hearing the final result, a partly fazed Hedvall said, “I can’t believe this is happening to me. This is like the most magical dream come true. I’m very excited to see what this is going to bring me over the next few years…!” Apart from a kit, the North Face contract also involves helping develop Hedvall’s potential to the fullest, exposing him to the international pro rider scene and gathering support to help him enter other relevant free ski events in the coming winter seasons.

So congratulations Europe, you have once again discovered your skiing ‘king’.

Janica Kostelic Retired

Croatian skier Janica Kostelic announced her retirement from skiing on Thursday, April 17^th, 2008, to put an end to her continuous string of injuries. Although Kostelic has been considered one of the greatest and strongest female alpine skiers, she had to undergo ten knee injuries and three knee surgeries over the course of her career! In a recent news conference, Kostelic announced, “The moment has come to end my career, although I still want to ski. The main reason for this decision are injuries. I have suffered so many injuries and pain and don’t want to go through this again.”

Kostelic has been coached by her father, Ante, and started skiing and the young age of three. So it’s no surprise how good she is! The International Olympic Committee gave Kostelic a scholarship to help her with her training when she was just 13 years of age. Despite many thinking she needed a top-of-the-line coach, her father worked out perfectly for her. At the age of 16, she qualified for her country’s team in the 1998 Nagano Olympics and her best finish was 8^th place in the combined.

Kostelic was raised as a typical teenager in Croatia, watching Die Hard and becoming a part of the Bruce Willis fan club. Now at the age of 25, she holds the status of quadruple Olympic champion and has won nine gold medals from world championships and Olympic games since 2002. Kostelic has also collected three overall World Cup titles and achieved a record points total after winning nine world cup events across all five disciplines.

After a dysfunctional thyroid, knee surgeries and various other persistent injuries, Janica Kostelic now says she wants to focus on her newly-opened beauty parlor, and lead a normal life, keeping her private life away from the media and limelight for a while.

« Previous Page — Next Page »