Author: Elisa

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World Snowboarding

The 2018 World Snowboard Tour Season Has Kicked Off

The competitive snowboard season 2016/17 is behind us. It was filled with amazing moments of progression, creativity, consistency and upsets. Riders travelled the globe to compete at Slopestyle, Halfpipe and Big Air events, always collecting WSPL points. Today we are crowning the 2016/17 WSPL Champions:

SLOPESTYLE WSPL CHAMPIONS – MARK MCMORRIS & ANNA GASSER
Anna Gasser (AUT) came out swinging this season and scored a spot on the podium at most of the events she participated in. As a result she is crowned the Women’s Slopestyle WSPL Champion!

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Mark McMorris (CAN) has killed it all season with podiums at Laax Open and Burton US Open. He takes home the Men’s Slopestyle WSPL Champion title.

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HALFPIPE WSPL CHAMPIONS – CHLOE KIM & SCOTTY JAMES
With titles at the U.S Grand Prix Copper, Laax Open and Burton US Open, nobody was able to take the Halfpipe WSPL lead away from 17-year old Chloe Kim (USA). She is the 2016/17 Women’s Halfpipe WSPL Champion!

5 podiums in one season at the world’s best snowboard events will get you to the top. Scotty James (AUS) was the man to beat this season and he was determined. He is the Men’s Halfpipe WSPL Champion 2016/17.

BIG AIR WSPL CHAMPIONS – MAX PARROT & ANNA GASSER
4 wins and 7 podiums, Max Parrot (CAN) really couldn’t be beaten this season. Max rode consistently to the top and is crowned the Men’s Big Air WSPL Champion.

Anna Gasser (AUT) not only topped Max’s podium statistics, she’s a 2-time WSPL Champion this season! With 5 wins and 8 Big Air podiums, she can be more than stoked on her season and the Women’s Big Air WSPL Champion title.

THE 2018 WORLD SNOWBOARD TOUR SEASON HAS KICKED OFF!

Down Under and China will see the first events of the 2017/18 World Snowboard Tour season. The Playstation Slopestyle Championships at Perisher went down on July 15th as the first of a pack of events happening in Australia and New Zealand the next weeks. Following up are the Australian Junior Freeride Championships, the Thredbo Series – Slopestyle and Big Air – the Toyota One Hit Wonder as well as the great Audi Quattro Winter Games New Zealand.

At the same time China will welcome riders to the Banana Open Summer Big Air in Wanda Indoor Snow Park July 20th-23rd, with a remarkable USD 50.000 prize purse up for grabs.

Expect the current WSPL standings to change with these bangers – the race for the 2017/18 WSPL leaders is on!

Check out the WST Planning Calendar to see what’s coming up!
Check out the current WSPL standings to see who’s top and what may change!

Categories
Events World Snowboarding

SSA Park & Pipe Series Starts this weekend!

SSA is excited to confirm the events for the 2017 SSA Park & Pipe Series.

Australia’s biggest park & pipe skiing and snowboarding series for 2017 kicks off this weekend with the Playstation Slopestyle in Perisher 15 July.

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Introduced in 2016, the SSA Park and Pipe Series brings together five competitive events that have been running independently of each other for many years. Through international sanctioning with the Association of Free Ski Professionals (AFP), the World Snowboard Tour (WST), and the International Ski Federation (FIS), the series supports a comprehensive national competition pathway where every athlete registered for the series will be added to the World Ranking lists.

In creating a series with international event sanctioning, the level of quality and consistency can be applied across the domestic events, attracting a larger pool of athlete talent.

“With these events, athletes no longer need to travel to gain valuable competition experience.” SSA Park & Pipe Coordinator Richard Hegarty said. “The events also attract big name international athletes and teams to Australia, improving the competition landscape and experience for all competitors.”

The Series allows young athletes to compete with the best in the world in their age groups; a positive way to nurture and develop kids in the sport. It will create a stronger competition scene and give kids experience at home that they would have had to spend a fortune in the past to gain overseas.

“The sport becomes so much more interesting to the wider audience if it has a tour structure and World Wide ranking systems,” Hegarty said.

The series begins with the Playstation Slopestyle event in Perisher and finishes in Thredbo with the One Hit Wonder, which will include Snowboard for the first time this year.

The One Hit Wonder event is an AFP Gold sanctioned event as well as an International World Snowboard Tour event, boasting the largest Big Air jump anywhere in the world.

“It will be a display of the very best progressive freestyle you will ever see in a Big Air event” Hegarty said.

Live Scoring of these events will be available through SSA’s new Snowracer website. This will allow family and the public to follow the events and results live from anywhere in the world.

To register for the events visit www.snowracer.com.au

SSA Park & Pipe Series events:

SSA Park & Pipe Series is sanctioned by:

  • AFP (Association of Freeski Professionals)
  • WST (World Snowboard Tour)
  • FIS (International Ski Federation).

Registration and Membership:

  • All Free Ski competitors need to be SSA licensed members of the AFP
  • All Snowboard competitors need to be licensed members of the WST

Athletes can sign up for these registrations via the Ski & Snowboard Australia membership portal.

Please ensure that you are a current member of SSA and when registering or renewing that you select the appropriate AFP or WST registration. Visit the SSA membership page for more details.

Registration information for all events can be found directly on the resort or event websites.

Categories
News

A bright future for snowboard is awaiting!

The results of years of work and the three intense days of joint sessions between WSF and TTR will lead to a unique, powerful joint organisation. The new organization will represent all snowboarding stakeholders, finally coming together to shape a bright future for snowboarding.

Working Groups and their leaders where appointed by the joint TTR and WSF Board of Directors and the updates and progresses in the merge will be sent out to all nations, riders and event representatives.

‘I am very happy that this merger has been agreed upon. Both organisations have been working towards this common goal for many years. We at the WSF organise stimulating and fun activities that grow and develop snowboarding in the true spirit of the sport. Combine that with the vast history of all of the sports greatest events that have grown alongside TTR Pro Snowboarding makes the new organisation very powerful` says Meinhard Trojer, World Snowboard Federation President.

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Committee report

Within 2016.17, WSF functioned as service provider for event applications and rankings of Regional and National World Snowboard Tour events, with 66 Regional Events and 70 National Events, for a total of 136 events in 17 different nations around the globe. Looking at the largest and only youth snowboard series in the world, the World Rookie Tour: more than 1000 Rookies and Groms out of 31 nations participated in 12 stops. Another emerging project is the Banked Slalom: with a very easy concept, it was able to get 19 events on board in 6 Nations.

Thomas Wagner from IJC, presented and showed the work done during judge clinics and presented the dates of the next one: in Sofia, Bulgaria from 22nd-24th September 2017 and in Park City, USA in October, from 13th-15th.

The education committee was involved in different areas, from the WSF Pro Women Project (two events, Finland and Nepal), production of, publishing and presenting scientific articles and organizing clinics during World Rookie Tour Stops.

Finally, an overview of the media activities from WSF was provided, showing results and reports from the season of the website, Facebook page, twitter, newsletter, press releases and internal communication.

More info: anna@worldsnowboardfederation.org

Categories
Features News World Snowboarding

TTR Pro Snowboarding and World Snowboard Federation Create One Joint Organisation

Effective immediately, the two powerhouses of competitive and grass roots snowboarding, TTR Pro Snowboarding (TTR) and the World Snowboard Federation (WSF) have decided to become united and form one joint organisation.

By combining the passion and the assets of the TTR and WSF, snowboarding will now have a majority share of the ‘whole of sport’ platform that will be further developed in the best interest of the riders on all levels for the seasons ahead.

The joint organisation will represent Nations, Event Organisers and Riders, with all key stakeholders finally coming together in one organization to shape the future of snowboarding.

This fusion of both organisations will aggregate a network of people with vast ‘whole of sport’ knowledge, key assets like the World Snowboard Tour, the WSPL (World Snowboarding Points List), the Global Season Calendar, the Planning Calendar, Sports Data and Stats Center, Officials’ Education Program and Event Certification resources. Most importantly, this merger will bring together the largest collective of competitive snowboarders and snowboarding events on the planet!

‘I am very happy that this merger has been agreed upon. Both organisations have been working towards this common goal for many years. We at the WSF organise stimulating and fun activities that grow and develop snowboarding in the true spirit of the sport. Combine that with the vast history of all of the sports greatest events that have grown alongside TTR Pro Snowboarding makes the new organisation very powerful.’

Meinhard Trojer – World Snowboard Federation President

‘This step is one of the most important ones in the history of snowboarding. The fusion of TTR and WSF will give relevant weight and room for the future development of snowboarding as an independent sport and lifestyle culture. All members of TTR and WSF have jointly built the stepping stone for the future of snowboarding with an overwhelming sense of fairness.’

Reto Lamm – TTR Pro Snowboarding President 

STRENGTH IS IN THE NUMBERS

The current worldwide competition landscape is extremely vital. By becoming one organization we are uniting a vast number of events and serve a growing number of snowboarders who compete on the World Snowboard Tour. Over 1000 events and in excess  of 10,000 active competitors, the new WSF represents snowboarding like no other organization in the world.

‘The ability to represent grass-roots competitive snowboarding worldwide, is well in line with our mission at USASA.  We are looking forward to continuing with the momentum from the WSF General Assembly 2017 in support of the proposed merger’

Mike Mallon Executive Director USASA

‘The alignment of WSF / TTR is a great next step in the evolution of the sport. For athletes, coaches, event delivery, partners and producers there is a clearer pathway for participants and competitions at each stage of the pathway. Now, national federations can see where events and athletes can develop more concrete plans to continue to progress both event evolution and athlete skill progression.’

Dustin Heise Sport Development Senior Director Canada Snowboard

Following the General Assembly in Verona, Italy, the merging process has been brought to its final phase after years of hard work to align the multiple shareholders and members of both organisations. As of today the work begins on the day-to-day administration of the major combined assets the World Snowboard Tour and the WSPL with the help of all member nations and their event organisers. In October 2017 an Extraordinary General Assembly will be held in Zurich, Switzerland, where the final pieces of the puzzle will be legally joined and the new board and new combined association President elected.

WSPL – SNOWBOARDING’S WORLD RANKING SYSTEM

The WSPL, the core component of the World Snowboard Tour platform used by athletes to check their results and world ranking position, by all International and Elite events for seeding athletes, and by NSOs for selecting National and Olympic teams and by the media for clarity of sport communication was deliberately restricted in January 2017 by TTR Pro Snowboarding. This drastic move, which temporarily handicapped the WSPL’s value was aimed at triggering action from the snowboard community into financially backing a service that until this merger was fully financed by TTR Pro Snowboarding and its event members. With the merger complete and all NSOs in agreement the WSPL is now going to be reinstalled to its previous functionality for everyone to use freely with confidence that the system is the only true and complete ranking service for competitive snowboarding. This service will also become available to other non-freestyle disciplines as the WSF expands its servicing of its NSO members.

‘By becoming one, the new organization is well positioned to coordinate, support and communicate the interest of the world’s best snowboarders, all the national associations, as well as independent event organizers and the snowboarding industry. The new organisation can work with all parties on the global snowboarding stage to achieve a more sustainable competitive snowboarding landscape. This is everyone’s responsibility, and we call upon all to contribute in the best interest of the sport.’

Ola Keul, President of the Norwegian Snowboard Association

CONTACT

WSF Press Team
e-mail: press@worldsnowboardfederation.org
Twitter: twitter.com/WorldSnowFed
linkedin: linkedin.com/groups/World-Snowboard-Federation-WSF-8203426
website: worldsnowboardfederation.org

Categories
Events

2017 Audi quattro Winter Games NZ

Stunning scenery, the world’s best talent and Kiwi hospitality is set to be presented to a global audience with the 2017 Audi quattro Winter Games NZ revealing its most diverse event yet and all free to view both on mountain and on ice and as well as on TVNZ’s Duke Channel.

The fifth edition of the 16-day winter sport showcase will not only feature all five of the Southern Lakes ski resorts for the first time ever but also historic ice hockey international test matches between Australia and New Zealand at the Queenstown Ice Arena.

It’s feels like a bit of a champagne moment. Being able to highlight the abundance of New Zealand’s winter sports talent and also introduce the world to our amazing venues, this is exactly why we created the Winter Games NZ.

After the unique flood-lit dual slalom which launches the Games on August 25 at Coronet Peak, attention will swing to one of the four World Cup events at Cardrona as well as mixed doubles curling at the Maniototo International Curling Rink in Naseby. The Remarkables features the new Games event, the North Face Frontier, while Treble Cone also joins the host venue family with a Para- snowboard Banked Slalom World Cup.

The high profile American men’s team have already indicated their intentions to compete in the cross-country events at the Snow Farm, which gives us real confidence that spectators will get the best chance to get up close to the top talent in the world too. People often talk about events that are so called ‘not to be missed’ but I can hand on heart say this year’s Games will reward anyone and everyone who comes to watch. The fact we have such a commitment from TVNZ this year to broadcast the Games free is a massive result for everyone’s effort.

Keep an eye out for further news and updates as we count down to the 2017 Audi quattro Winter Games NZ.

More info: wintergamesnz.kiwi and www.facebook.com/WinterGamesNZ

Categories
World Rookie Tour

2017 World Rookie Finals: highlights from Kaprun

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3 minutes with the winners Groms and Rookies from the 2017 World Rookie Finals!

Categories
Para-Snowboarding

CADS Festival Celebrates Adaptive Snowboarding

Dozens of adaptive snowboarders and skiers recently came together for the CADS Festival at Sun Peaks, BC!

The 5-day event focused on specialized on-snow instruction and coaching, while equally serving as a platform for participants to meet other members of the adaptive snowsports community. Activities also included a chance to ride with members of the Canada Snowboard (CS) Para-snowboard team.

“I think the CADS Festival is hugely important in order to connect Canada Snowboard with athletes, primarily because it gathers so many para disciplines in one place,” said CS NextGen Para Team member Dan Shoemaker. “The CS Para Program is still fairly new, and the CADS Festival helps us raise awareness of it and recruit potential new individuals to be part of our programs.”

Previous editions of the CADS Festival had focused only on skiing, with modules and instruction for sit-skiing, 3 and 4 track skiing, and skiing for athletes with cognitive impairments. Christian Hrab, Executive Director of Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS), commented on how the recent inclusion of snowboarding represents an important addition to the CADS Festival.

“The adaptive snowsports family is now complete,” said Hrab. “Coaches and instructors connected to talk shop, and participants had a chance to exchange experiences. The CS Para Team athletes were gracious with their time and guidance to all festival participants. Everyone, including skiers, sit skiers and snowboarders, enjoyed the perfect snowcross track built perfectly built by Sun Peaks Resort.”

Special thanks to Carole Stubins for capturing the best moments of this year’s CADS Festival.

To learn more about the Canada Snowboard Para-snowboard Program, please visit canadasnowboard.ca/en/programs/parasnowboard.

photo: Eric Escaravage

Categories
Banked Slalom report

Report Piau Engaly Banked Slalom 2017

This event closes the Banked Slalom / Boarder-cross season of the Pyrenean circuit! 82 competitors of all categories and all horizons were registered, 67 took the start!

The snow fell 2 days before and the sun allowed this event to be a perfect success, dixit the competitors and the organization.

Nathan Birrien, formerly a graduate of the Piau Engaly Snowboard Club (PESC) who’s finished his internationals events, was kind to open the race.

Find all the results here: snowboard-dames and snowboard-hommes

 

Categories
Banked Slalom News report

Beaver Valley Banked Slalom – Video, Photos, Results

With 250 riders entered, the 2017 Beaver Valley Banked Slalom capped off the season as largest snowboard gathering in Ontario Canada, attracting the best park, pipe, race and freeriders, from the newest generation to the legends and champions of old.

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The Beaver Valley Banked Slalom is the one annual event that brings together the entire snowboarding community for a fun “bragging rights” chase through the banked course as well as to shred some final park laps, ending with a massive afternoon apres! The Foremast Jacks band were back by popular demand to reprise their live music performance of last year to rock the deck party! Many thanks to Madjack Beer for supporting event!

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A new addition this year was a classic spring snow “pond skim” in front of the base lodge deck during the afternoon. It provided some extracurricular fun for a number of banked slalom shredders and plenty of entertainment for onlookers, some of whom got as wet as the pond riders thanks to some well executed pond carves (Nick Marshall and Joel Dalacker!)

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This year’s banked course was one of the most challenging and fun to date but still generated very fast times despite softening spring snow conditions. The fastest overall men’s and women’s riders were last year’s champs, boardercrosser’s Ryan Tryhane and Tayler Wilton who also won their 20-29 “Almost Washed Up” age categories. They took home massive jugs of Beaver Valley’s Canadian maple syrup and some new gear courtesy of Capita and Union for their victories.

As part of the WSF World Snowboard Banked Tour, the Beaver Valley Banked Slalom’s top three fastest men and women will be entered in the Tour’s lottery to score spots in the 2018 Legendary Mt Banked Banked Slalom, to be announced later this year. Congrats to this year’s fastest: Men – 1. Ryan Tryhane; 2. Kenny Riedman; 3. Michael Nazwaski. Women – 1. Tayler Wilton; 2. Hannah Kilmer-Choi; 3. Stephanie Angeja.

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Local shop staff and snowboard reps also battled for the coveted “Union Bindings Faster Industry Rider” award. This year it was Endeavor/Electric/Rip Curl rep Lee Jack scoring the fastest lap followed by Capita/Union/Dragon rep Connor Dudgeon and Sanction shop’s Travis Tedford!

The famed Beaver Valley Snow Parks were in great spring snow condition with multiple jump lines and tons of rail, jib, transition and box set-ups! Thanks to Caleb Bosse and the BV Snow Parks crews for the amazing work on the parks and banked slalom course!

One of the best things about the Beaver Valley Banked Slalom is the charitable funds it raises for Leukemia Research at Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Centre in memory Beaver Valley snowboarder Jackie Snarr. This year’s Banked Slalom raised $16,000, adding to the over $47,650 raised by previous year’s events!

Thank-you to all of the BV Banked Slalom sponsors: Madjack; Ski Big 3 – Lake Louise/Sunshine/Norquay; Kawartha Metals; Union; Capita; Vans; Burton; 686; Ride; Arbor; Zeal; K2; Dragon; Coal; ThirtyTwo; Beaver Wax; Sandbox, Squire Johns, Beaver Valley Ski Club and member volunteers.

For Instagram pics of the Banked Slalom follow @BeaverValley.SnowParks.

Video & Photo Gallery Link – 2017 Beaver Valley Banked Slalom: beavervalley.ca/2017/04/banked-slalom-photos-2017

Banked Slalom Podium Results (by age category)

GROMS 14 & UNDER GIRLS

Hannah Kilmer-Choi, Alpine Club
Mikayla Crawford, Beaver Valley
Brenna O’Brien

GROMS 14 & UNDER BOYS

Cameron Spalding, Pine Valley Projects
Liam Denney, Mt St Louis
Griffin Levy, Beaver Valley

YOUNG GUNS WOMEN 15-19

Isabella Ottino
Katie Speiss

YOUNG GUN MEN 15-19

Michael Nazwaski, Beaver Valley
Ryan Lalonde
Riley Howell, Milton Heights Glen Eden

ALMOST WASHED UP WOMEN 20-29

Tayler Wilton
Stephanie Angeja, Milton Heights Glen Eden
Katie Shultz

ALMOST WASHED UP MEN 20-29

Ryan Tryhane, Caledon
Kenny Riedmann, Caledon
Rich Evanoff, Brimacombe

MASTERS WOMEN 30-39

Erika Langman, Blue Mountain
Meghan Loney, Bue Mountain
Marie-Michele Pethick

MASTERS MEN 30-39

David Offierski
Brad Martin
Ryan Caesar, Beaver Valley

LEGENDS WOMEN 40-49

Aexis Ginn
Elaine Kilmer-Choi, Apine Club
LEGENDS MEN 40-49

Chad Critchley, Devils Glen
Brandon Hune
Andrew Pethick

IMMORTALS WOMEN

Linda Leistner, Alpine Club
Techa Van Leeuwen, Beaver Valley
Annie Hartviksen, Beaver Valley

IMMORTALS MEN

Robert Lalonde
Dennis McGuinness
Steve Jarrett, Beaver Valley

Categories
World Rookie Tour

2017 World Rookie Tour Halfpipe Finals

Check out some impressions from the World Rookie Tour Halfpipe Finals at Kitzsteinhorn Kaprun Zell am See… Enjoy..

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