The World Rookie Tour already started in the Southern Hemisphere with a bunch of 1star events in Australia and Chile, and is now ready to kick off in the Northern Hemisphere for a full season calendar. The Tour will culminate in April 2010 with the Swatch TTR 4star “Protest World Rookie Finals 2010” in Ischgl, Austria. Then we will move south for a new event: the “Freeride Rookie Fest”, a photo&film trip in Chile reserved to the best rookies of the season.

The format of “Rookie Fest” was consolidated throughout the years and it includes slope style competitions, sport, fun, didactical activities and get-together moments for riders of different nationalities. Rookie Fests are a perfect example of the “from-rookie-to-pro structure” created by the great cooperation between WSF and TTR. But the Rookie Fest are not just competitions: they feature loads of other activities to help rookies grow in the field of professional snowboarding, such as photo&video shootings, avalanche and rescue clinics, meeting with photographers and international team managers, parties and big big prizes.

Riders who take part to the rookie fests can win a great range of prizes:

- for the World Rookie Champion: a filming session with Pirate Movie Production, a Ticket to the Billabong Air&Style Rookie Challange 2010, an international photo shooting, a freeride trip to Chile and a ticket to a world class event
- the winners from Livigno, Ischgl and the number 1 of the World Rookie Rank will win an all-inclusive trip to the “Freeride Rookie Fest 2010” in Chile to live a one in a lifetime freeride filming experience with international RedBull pros.
- At every stop, winner will get “Tickets to Ride” higher level events
- Before every event many other amazing prizes will be announced, which will support the career of the best rookies who wish to become professional riders.

Updated International Rookie Fest Stops 2009.10
Protest World Rookie Fest - Livigno, Italy - 3Star - 16.20 january 2010
Protest Pyrenees Rookie Fest, Vallnord, Andorra - 2Star - 29.31 january 2010
Protest Balkan Rookie Fest - Iver Mokra Gora, Serbia - 2Star - 12.14 february 2010
Protest East Rookie Fest - Splinderuv Mlyn, Czech Republic - 2Star – 5.7 march 2010
Protest World Rookie Finals - Ischgl, Austria - 4Star – 7.11 april 2010
Summer Rookie Camp – Val Senales, Italy – 26june.3july 2010 – www.rookiecamp.eu
Freeride Rookie Fest - Valle Nevado, Chile - 2Star - august 2010
In addition to these, the Oceania Rookie Fest in Australia is next to be confirmed for summer 2010. In addition, many local rookie stops 1Star will be organized by WSF National Snowboard Association all over (check www.worldsnowboardfederation.org for complete calendar)

World Rookie Tour Rules
The title of World Rookie Champion will be awarded to the winner of the Protest World Rookie Finals reserved to the top riders from previous Rookie Fests, plus selected riders from National Snowboard Associations and the top 20 riders from the World Rookie Rank. Check it on www.worldsnowboardfederation.org

Age Groups
All rookie stops are reserved to Rookies (born from 1st january 1992 to 31st december 1994) and Grom (born from 1st january 1995 and up), both guys and girls. All contests of the World Rookie Tour will generate valuable results for the Swatch TTR Ranks and for the new World Rookie Rank developed by WSF in association with the Swatch TTR. Full list of rookie events, further press releases for each stop, details about the World Rookie Rank will be soon available on www.worldsnowboardfederation.org

The World Rookie Tour is organized by World Snowboard Federation and its member nation snowboard associations. The tour is made possible thanks to Protest Boardwear and Ride Snowboards, supported by Pirate Movie Productions, energized by RedBull. Watch it on www.freecaster.tv or read it on Onboard European Snowboard Magazine.

For info and media request
Marco Sampaoli - WSF Board of Directors
marco@worldsnowboardfederation.org
mobile: +39.340.32.85.569

Check out the video from last season Protest World Rookie Finals 2009

ABOUT WORLD ROOKIE TOUR & WORLD ROOKIE RANK
Only the best rookies in the world will be granted access to the World Rookie Tour big final: the Swatch TTR 4Star “Protest World Rookie Finals” in Ischgl, Austria, from 7 to 11 April 2009. Only the winners of the previous qualifiers will be able to go to Ischgl, together with the best 20 athletes of the World Rookie Rank on April 1st , and the wild cards that single nations give to their most promising rookies. The World Rookie Rank is a classification for under 18’s only and it is developed by the World Snowboard Federation (WSF) in collaboration with TTR. At the end of the World Rookie Tour, the final winner will be awarded with the title of World Rookie Champion. He will be offered a unique opportunity to enter the world of professional snowboarding: an invitation to a Video Shooting with the Pirate Movie Production, an International Photo Shooting, a Freeride Filming Trip to Chile and an invitation to an event which is still kept secret are awaiting the winner. Info on www.worldsnowboardfederation.org

ABOUT THE WORLD SNOWBOARD FEDERATION
WSF is the only international organisation working uniquely to develop and support snowboard at all levels, including competitions and education, disable and adaptive snowboarding, activities for riders of any age. WSF is a network of national snowboard associations cooperating worldwide for the development and promotion of the sport. Members find in WSF a source of inspiration and support to their activities. WSF can create added value for everybody involved in snowboard on national level and offers ideas, handbooks and initiatives, the result of an organization whose components share the same goal: progression of snowboarding at all levels. Official website: www.worldsnowboardfederation.org

ABOUT THE SWATCH TTR WORLD SNOWBOARD TOUR
Founded by Terje Haakonsen and industry innovators in 2002, the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour is a non-profit, rider-driven organization with the mission to create the highest quality competitive snowboard environment in the world, using authenticity, accessibility, innovation as guiding principles. Since its foundation, the Swatch TTR Tour has been developing into the most popular snowboard tour worldwide featuring global grass root and key independent freestyle snowboarding events over a ten-month period from Southern to Northern Hemisphere locations. The top male and female rider based on an average of their best seven results of the season is crowned Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion. Official web site: www.ttrworldtour.com