Tag: China

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News

A decade of snowboarding in People’s Republic of China 2000-2010

Seven years ago, a limited edition, free of charge coffee table book came out, aimed to celebrate advances and the amazing progress snowboarding has made in People’s Republic of China during the first ten years of the new millennium.

Download your free PDF of A DECADE OF SNOWBOARDING IN People’s Republic of China and get to know the roots of snowboarding in the Middle Kingdom!

decade-g-mar-2017A DECADE OF SNOWBOARDING IN CHINA shares incredible insights, essays and comments about the chronicle and highlights of the progression of snowboarding in People’s Republic of China. Tune back into a time where no one dared to dream of the current captivation with all things winter sports that truly gains momentum ever since the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 were announced on July 31 2015.

Some of the action sports and snowboard industries biggest names supported the project covering the years 2000-2010. A DECADE OF SNOWBOARDING IN CHINA was always meant to provide never before broadly shared insights about the best places to shred, the market situation, events, and riders and how it all started.

Fast-forward from 2010, A DECADE OF SNOWBOARDING IN CHINA became a real beacon and hallmark publication shedding light on how the modern beginnings of snowboarding in People’s Republic of China came to be. Now it is found on bookshelves in offices and living rooms around the world.

The book even was the first publication morphed into an iOS App and was well received in the early days of App development.

decade_main_token-consulting

2017 marks 20 years standing sideways for Wang Lei, the pioneer of snowboarding in People’s Republic of China. One gets a sense of his charisma and drive just flipping through the chapters of the book; following his development that somewhat form a red string throughout the book.

Wang Lei grew into a tireless entrepreneur, his vibrant and fun attitude shines through his projects that are all built around his lifelong passion: snowboarding. His style and influence are unmatched, and the current season might as well be one of his busiest yet.

Just as it was seven years ago, the book is dedicated to everyone who played a part in shaping People’s Republic of China Snowboarding.

ACCESS A FREE PDF VERSION OF THE BILINGUAL LIMITED EDITION COFFEE TABLE BOOK A DECADE OF SNOWBOARDING IN CHINA 2000-2010!

Please sign up with your name and email address to receive a download link and access A DECADE OF SNOWBOARDING IN CHINA!

No part of the book may be copied, reproduced, transmitted, re-posted or spread on social platforms without the prior permission of TOKEN CONSULTING.

decade_wang-lei_token-consulting

中国单板滑雪十年

A DECADE OF SNOWBOARDING IN CHINA

Thanks to ISPO, ISPO China, Burton, Skullcandy who generously funded the project!

Photo and Text Editors: Dmitry Kiyono, Xian San, Ron Smith, Shanshan Quan, Prudence Zhu

Contributions by: Shigeru “Ishi” Ishihara, Ron Smith, Jade Gray and Ken Choi

Logo: Johanna Mayr-Keber

Layout: Anshi

Translation: Shanshan Quan, Prudence Zhu

Concept, Project Management and Editor-in-chief: Miriam Deller

156 Pages, Bilingual Chinese and English

Hard Cover, limited edition print: 1000 copies, 2010

Published and distributed by Core Power Asia

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Events WCSnowboarding

Teaser 2016 Corona World Championships of Snowboarding

The World Championships of Snowboarding in Yabuli China are shaping up. Rapidly all of the pieces are falling into place ensuring perfect competition courses, easy accommodation options and smooth transportation options. The WCSnowboarding (World Championships of Snowboarding) organising committee have contracted a team of unquestionably the most experienced Superpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air shapers from around the World. Yabuli, China will provide a unique cultural atmosphere for a WCSnowboarding that will showcase the very best Elite snowbaording the world has to offer.

More info about World Championships of snowboarding Yabuli here.

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Features WCSnowboarding

The Corona World Championships of Snowboarding are about to kick off in 2 weeks

We are pleased to welcome Corona as the event title sponsor, the number one Mexican beer enjoyed and shared in 186 countries around the world. Corona joins an impressive group of brands  teaming up for snowboarding’s true World Championships: the World’s largest bank ICBC, China’s leading sportswear brand Qiaodan / Jordan, global wearable camera pioneer GoPro, Chinese world leader in drone technology DJI, hotel resort chain Club Med and travel risk and crisis management provider Global Rescue.

Scuol, Switzerland / Yabuli, China, 25th February 2016

March, 9th to 16th 2016, the world’s best freestyle riders will compete for the World Champion titles in Big Air, Halfpipe and Slopestyle and a total of 500,000 USD in prize money at the Corona World Championships of Snowboarding 2016 in Yabuli, China. This marks the second edition of the true World Championships of Snowboarding, sanctioned by TTR Pro Snowboarding, the World Snowboard Tour and the World Snowboard Federation after the successful inaugural event in Oslo 2012.

In partnership with high profile brands, such as Corona, the WCS 2016 will bring snowboarding to the emerging winter sports market of China at a level of athletic performance never before seen in China. Over 200 of the world’s best athletes, including superstars such as Shaun White, Yuki Kadono and Chloe Kim, are preparing for one of the season’s highlights and the TTR World Tour finale.

The partnership between title sponsor Corona and the World Championships of Snowboarding is a perfect fit, both on and off the mountain. Riders will throw down their best tricks on the Corona rail and wallride, integrated into the Slopestyle course. Off the mountain, Corona will offer a relaxing moment for on-site athletes and audience after a tiring day, by hosting their legendary Sunsets Party for everyone to attend from March 13th- 16th in Yabuli.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is the world’s largest bank and will provide its financial services to the Organizers.

One of the dominating players in the Chinese sportswear market, Qiaodan / Jordan supports the upcoming pinnacle event of the World Snowboard Tour, the biggest World Championship winter event that has ever been staged on Chinese soil.

Partnering with the world leader in wearable cameras, GoPro are bringing their expertise to the spectacular freestyle show. The GoPro box in the Slopestyle course is going to be one of the many memorable shots, filmed with GoPro cameras.

DJI drones are capturing the pinnacle event of the 2015/16 season from above, and giving spectators the chance to experience drone flying in the sponsor village.

Partnerships with the hotel resort chain Club Med and the travel risk and management firm Global Rescue enable the organizers to provide world-class services to riders, teams, staff at the WCS 2016.

Club Med resort will be the place to relax and wind down from an eventful day with an indoor pool. As a well-tested rescue provider Global Rescue has riders and staff covered in case of an accident.

About Yabuli
The Yabuli resort is a 3 hour drive from the pop.10 million city of Harbin, the center of China´s northeastern region. Yabuli is the largest and most well known winter sports destination in China.  Rapidly developing its reputation as an emerging winter sport powerhouse, China will host the 2022 Winter Olympics. In 2016, WCS will be the main professional elite championship event in China across any snow sport. In Yabuli, the Club Med Resort will be the preferred hub for all riders and international visitors ensuring western hospitality standards.

About the World Championships of Snowboarding
The World Championships of Snowboarding (WCS) is the pinnacle snowboarding event organized by TTR Pro Snowboarding and the World Snowboard Federation. The WCS crowns snowboarding’s true World Champions in the disciplines of Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air. It is a high calibre celebration of the sport held every 4 years, bringing together 400 riders representing 43 WSF Member Nations, staged by alternating resort locations around the world. In 2016, Yabuli resort, the largest winter sports resort in China will host the 2nd edition of the World Championships of Snowboarding. 

Media Contact World Championships of Snowboarding:
Rich Hegarty
rich@WCSnowboarding.com

Categories
Reports

elooa CAMP GOOD TIMES People’s Republic of China – Successful Premier At Dolomiti Resort

From January 3rd until 8th 2016 the first elooa Camp in People’s Republic of China took place at Dolomiti Resort in Chongli Country. Over 20 motivated Chinese snowboarders signed up to spend a week with Snowboard Pro Wang Lei at the elooa CAMP GOOD TIMES People’s Republic of China presented by Nitro Snowboards. Together with the Nitro Global Teamrider WANG LEI elooa decided to push Snowboarding in People’s Republic of China by implementing the concept of elooa Snowboard Camps!

The whole week was dominated by perfect weather conditions with not a single cloud at Dolomiti Resort. YIBU Snowparks built an incredible snowpark that covered all needs for the camp. After warm up sessions in the morning, the participants were split up in small groups to work on progressing their individual riding skills. The international elooa coaching team was hand picked by Wang Lei just for that camp and was composed of snowboard professionals and certified instructors who made sure to help each camper as good as possible. In the different groups the important basics of snowboarding where instructed and a fast progression was recognizable.

CHINA GOOD TIMES 2016 visual PM vJA4 lo

From riding the slopes with turns, first jumps and rail riding to different sessions in the snowpark, a big variety of snowboarding was shown to the participants. In the evenings the new learned tricks were analyzed through video coachings to work on the specific aims of each camper. Besides that, everyone had the chance to test brand new NITRO SNOWBOARDS of the season and to learn more about the different features of each shape. Day by day everyone got better and the camp vibe was awesome and nothing but good times. As a final highlight, the campers got to see the documentary of Nitro Snowboards Pro Eero Ettala, ENDER, during the last evening accompanied by a nice BBQ and beers.

A great week was coming to an end with a lot of riding, new tricks, tired legs and most important new friends, good times an a lot of fun.

elooa likes to thank especially GO SKI, CORE POWER ASIA and NITRO SNOWBOARDS for making CAMP GOOD TIMES People’s Republic of China happen! We are looking forward to more camps in and a very bright future of Snowboarding in People’s Republic of China!

elooa.com

Categories
Events Features WCSnowboarding

World’s Best Snowboarders are Heading To People’s Republic of China

On March 9th to 16th the world’s top freestyle snowboarders will drop in at the 2016 Corona World Championships of Snowboarding in Yabuli, People’s Republic of China, battling for the titles in Slopestyle, Halfpipe and for the first time also in Big Air with 500,000 US$ in prize money. With less than a month to go, the confirmed rider field is without a doubt the strongest in recent history. Amongst the 250 competing riders are all the stars that snowboarding has to offer including Kelly Clark, Jamie Anderson, Shaun White and Mark McMorris. This event marks the first time People’s Republic of China will host a top-level international snowboarding competition in all 3 disciplines.

Defending Champions
The four defending World Champions will be in Yabuli defending their titles won at Oslo 2012. Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI) current world number 2 in men’s halfpipe, Kelly Clark (USA) current world number 1 in women’s halfpipe, Chas Guldemond (USA) and Spencer O’Brien (CAN) in the men’s and women’s slopestyle events.

WCS Picks From The Field of Players
Current pick with the odds tipped in their favor in men’s slopestyle is Mark McMorris (CAN), who’s won almost every event he’s entered in the past few seasons is the man most people will be betting on to take the 2016 World Championship title. He will be followed closely by his fellow teammate Sebastien Toutant (CAN), Japan’s Yuki Kadono and Norway’s Ståle Sandbech.

Jamie Anderson (USA) is the odds-on favourite for women’s slopestyle, but with the rail and jib feature heavy course Kiwi jibber Christy Prior (NZL) could prove to be her toughest competition. In men’s halfpipe the all-time favourite Shaun White has his eyes on the prize, but young Japanese superstar Ayumu Hirano is hot on his heels with consistent big wins upping his ante. Tipping the scales, American heavy hitters Matt Ladley and Taylor Gold will prove challenging for Iouri Podlatchikov (SUI) in defending his title.

The women’s halfpipe is going to be a close one; leading lady Kelly Clark (USA) faces some stiff competition from the up-and-comers in the women’s pipe scene who’ve been proving their worth at the Elite level events over the past seasons, with the likes of Chloe Kim (USA) and Arielle Gold (USA) consistently taking out the top podium spots.

All New Titles
The World Championships of Snowboarding in 2016 introduces all new Big Air Champion titles in the men’s and women’s big air discipline, where our picks for taking out the top spots are Torgeir Bergrem (NOR) or Max Parrot (CAN) in the men’s and defending champion Spencer O’Brien (CAN) or Anna Gasser (AUT) in the women’s. With all of the best big air athletes competing, our chosen favourites will face some seriously tough competition from the entire field of big air contenders.

Top Riders Confirmed For WCS 2016:

Slopestyle Men

Chas Guldemond (USA) (Current defending World Champion)
Mark McMorris (CAN)
Tyler Nicholson (CAN)
Stale Sandbech (NOR)
Darcy Sharpe (CAN)
Yuki Kadono (JPN)
Sven Thorgren (SWE)
Niklas Mattsson (SWE)
Eric Beauchemin (USA)
Mikey Ciccarelli (CAN)
Max Parrot (CAN)

Slopestyle Women

Spencer O’Brien (CAN) (Current defending World Champion)
Jamie Anderson (USA)
Anna Gasser (AUT)
Christy Prior (NZL)
Cheryl Maas (NED)
Elena Koenz (SUI)
Enni Rukajärvi (FIN)
Karly Shorr (USA)
Jessika Jenson (USA)
Silje Norendal (NOR)

Halfpipe Men

Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI) (Current defending World Champion)
Shaun White (USA)
Ayumu Hirano (JPN)
David Habluetzel (SUI)
Max Gold (USA)
Jan Scherrer (SUI)
Taku Hiraoka (JPN)
Matthew Ladley (USA)
Christian Haller (SUI)
Pat Burgener (SUI)

Halfpipe Women

Kelly Clark (USA) (Current defending World Champion)
Chloe Kim (USA)
Arielle Gold (USA)
Maddie Mastro (USA)
Summer Fenton (USA)
Hikaru Oe (JPN)
Mirabelle Thovex (FRA)
Kurumi Imai (JPN)

Big Air Men

Torgeir Bergrem (NOR)
Max Parrot (CAN)
Yuki Kadono (JPN)
Sven Thorgren (SWE)
Sebastien Toutant (CAN)
Billy Morgan (GBR)
Mark McMorris (CAN)
Keita Inamura (JPN)
Stale Sandbech (NOR)
Darcy Sharpe (CAN)
Kalle Jaervilehto (FIN)

Big Air Women

Lia-Mara Boesch (SUI)
Cheryl Maas (NED)
Elena Koenz (SUI)
Spencer O’Brien (CAN)
Enni Rukajärvi (FIN)
Silje Norendal (NOR)
Katie Ormerod (GBR)
Sina Candrian (SUI)
Christy Prior (NZL)
Jamie Anderson (USA)
Anna Gasser (AUT)

Event Schedule

March 8th: Arrival of athletes
March 9th: Practice and event kick off
March 10th: Qualifications Halfpipe and Slopestyle
March 11th: Qualifications Halfpipe and Slopestyle / Quali’s & Semi’s Big Air
March 12th: Qualifications Halfpipe and Slopestyle/ Quali’s & Semi’s Big Air
March 13th: Qualifications Halfpipe and Slopestyle/ Big Air finals
March 14th: Semi-finals Halfpipe and Slopestyle
March 15th: Slopestyle finals
March 16th: Halfpipe finals

About Yabuli
The Yabuli resort is a 3-hour drive from the 10 million city of Harbin, the center of People’s Republic of China´s northeastern region. Yabuli is the largest and most well-known winter sports destination in People’s Republic of China.  Rapidly developing its reputation as an emerging winter sport powerhouse, People’s Republic of China will host the 2022 Winter Olympics. In 2016, WCS will be the foremost professional elite championship event in People’s Republic of China across any snow sport. In Yabuli, the Club Med Resort will be the preferred hub for all riders and international visitors ensuring western hospitality standards.

About the World Championships of Snowboarding
The World Championships of Snowboarding (WCS) is the pinnacle snowboarding event organized by TTR Pro Snowboarding and the World Snowboard Federation (WSF). The WCS crowns snowboarding’s true World Champions in the disciplines of Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air. It is a high caliber celebration of the sport held every 4 years, bringing together 300 riders representing 43 WSF Member Nations, staged by alternating resort locations around the world. In 2016, Yabuli resort, the largest winter sports resort in People’s Republic of China will host the 2nd edition of the World Championships of Snowboarding.

Media Contact World Championships of Snowboarding:

Rich Hegarty
rich@wcsnowboarding.com
www.worldsnowboardtour.com
www.wcs2016yabuli.com

Categories
Features News

China State Of Snowboarding: Insights From An Industry Heavyweight

“What drives the market are the heroes of the sport, not movie stars, actors or musicians, it’s the core athletes and the kids just want to be like them.”

As brought forward years ago at an industry conference in People’s Republic of People’s Republic of China, this statement is now even more relevant than ever. Lack of snow, and a general tough situation for our industry, Wang Lei, dubbed People’s Republic of People’s Republic of China’s Pioneer of Snowboarding, keeps pushing the sport in his country through several initiatives targeting consumers and supporting industry growth.

Grass Roots Events Drive Participation

2015 marked the 10th anniversary of the largest snowboard event in the world, World Snowboard Day. With fellow snowboarders Rob Kingwill and Gian Simmen, Wang Lei acted as ambassador for this landmark event. In this function, he coordinated eleven events in People’s Republic of People’s Republic of China on December 20 2015, supported female Pro Snowboarder Zhu Hong in her initiative to host a #WSFProWomen event at Dolomiti Resort in Chongli, the site of the 2022 Winter Olympics, and judged at the second annual Nitro People’s Republic of China Open at Lake Songhua. For him, WSD is a staple event kicking of the season, and since 2009 a fixture on the CSbA event calendar.

Engagement Creates Life-Long Riders

Led by elooa, a specialized travel operator that provides high quality camps and adventures, the New Year kicked off with the elooa Camp Good Times Dolomiti from January 3-8 2016. Supported by Nitro, with elooa’s Heinz Löhle on the ground in People’s Republic of China, Wang Lei hosted a group of nearly 25 shred enthusiasts who progressed to the next level under close guidance and with effective training support from the instructors. Yibu Snowparks provided a perfectly shaped terrain park – a most suitable backdrop for the camp. www.elooa.com

Education Is Key To Progress The Industry

From January 11-13 2016, Iztok Sumatic, WSF Judges coordinator and legendary snowboard judge, held the second annual IJC regional clinic in Beijing. Following Wang Lei’s invitation in 2015, the second clinic already saw an increased participation and higher level of understanding, thus a good number of certificates are to be given out. Then, the class of 2016 is ready to serve as WSF and TTR licensed judges at local snowboarding events that are part of the World Snowboard Tour.

As brought forward years ago at an industry conference in People’s Republic of China, this statement is now even more relevant than ever. Lack of snow, and a general tough situation for our industry, Wang Lei, dubbed People’s Republic of China’s Pioneer of Snowboarding, keeps pushing the sport in his country through several initiatives targeting consumers and supporting industry growth.

For Wang Lei’s track record as one of the most successful Chinese Slopestyle Snowboarders to date, he can proudly call scoring the 20th rank at the Nanashan Open Qualifier, dubbed the best high level WST event in Asia, for a staggering 14 years history, a true season highlight. He says: “I’m happy I was able to take the pressure, and I’m stoked to be able to show everyone how fun snowboarding can be! To share this, and to keep riding: I can’t ask for more!”

Next on Wang Lei’s plate after participating at the Nanshan Open is a two-week long filming project with Nitro Team heavyweights, and a powder trip to Canada. All this before he returns to Western People’s Republic of China in April and last but not least, leading a group of snowboarders to Austria for another installment of the legendary elooa CAMP GOOD TIMES KITZSTEINHORN from May 4-8 2016!

WANG LEI_PORTRAIT bw_300dpi_OCT 2015_Photo DaBai

ABOUT WANG LEI – THE PIONEER OF SNOWBOARDING IN PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. LEGEND.
Since the late 1990ies, Wang Lei is a passionate snowboarder. After a successful career as ski jumper and aerial skier, he retired from the Chinese Army Team after a training accident in 1994. When Wang Lei got a taste of snowboarding, he immediately knew this was the sport he wanted to pursue, and he did so relentlessly for the past two decades. Turning Pro in 2004, he embarked on a seven-year journey with Burton Snowboards, and is now home with Nitro Snowboards and L1 Premium Goods, Dragon Alliance, Skullcandy, JBMC and at Kitzsteinhorn. His remarkable career includes competition highlights, various accolades as certified instructor, certified judge, membership in the POW Riders Alliance and presiding over the CSbA. Wang Lei’s goal is to always keep shredding with passion and sharing the fun!

#PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINASNOWBOARDING WWW.WANGLEISNOW.COM

Instagram @wangleisnow
Weibo @王磊WANGLEISNOW / http://tw.weibo.com/2038895353
Facebook People’s Republic of ChinaSnowboarding

ABOUT SNOWPARK KITZSTEINHORN – THE AMAZING SNOWPARK AT WANG LEI’S PARTNER RESORT IN EUROPE
Three Snowparks on the snow-sure glacier and the Lechnerberg Railgarden in the centre of Kaprun • All levels are catered for – from beginners to professionals. The Snowpark Kitzsteinhorn freestyle season is located in the snow-sure Glacier Park at 2.900 m. The Superpipe, Central Park and Easy Park ensure a diversified setup in winter.

The sunny, snow-sure location between 2.500 and 2.900 metres, the perfect lift connections and the daily preparation by the motivated shape crew, make the Snowpark Kitzsteinhorn an ultimate freestyle playground in Austria. The160 metre long and 6,60 metre high Superpipe is a highlight in the Park.

Beginners, advanced riders and professionals are welcome to shred in the Glacier Park, on the glacier plateau at 2.900 metres, from end of October until season end. Central Park, Easy Park and the massive Superpipe, near the Sonnenkarbahn mark the freestyle action centre on the Kitzsteinhorn in winter. Easy, creative elements, for even more riding fun, can be found in the lower section of the Easy Park. The Central Park highlight is the big pro kicker – ready at the end of January. The Lechnerberg Railgarden, in the centre of Kaprun, is the ideal location for relaxing sundown sessions.

Find out more online: www.kitzsteinhorn.atand www.snowpark.kitzsteinhorn.at

Categories
Features Reports

Andrew Wilde Wins The Nitro Open At Lake Songhua Resort

The Nitro Open 2015 in Northeastern China, Jilin Province, a WST Regional Level Event, saw Kiwi Andrew Wilde take the top spot, tightly followed by locals Lin Xiaoyun and Rookie Su Yiming. Mellow Parks provided a perfectly shaped park offering very good options to let the riders choose their individual runs. The top six riders shared a $ 1,500 cash prize and gear offered by Nitro / Dragon / Mizu / L1.

The Nitro Open At Lake Songhua Resort_04

The Nitro Open as part of the WST encourages local riders to participate in competitions. The spirit of everyone having fun riding together is the motivation that makes everyone go out and ride – everyone was a winner that day in our eyes!

The official season opening event in China saw -despite being a Male only SS – some awesome Ladies shredding in the park: Sun Zhendong, Cheryl Yang Rui, Wang Nan and Yu Yang. Celebrating World Snowboard Day, the 10th anniversary no less, was on everyone’s mind that weekend at Lake Songhua.

TOP TEN STANDINGS of the NITRO CHINA OPEN 2015:

1.     Andrew Wilde
2.     Lin Xiaojun
3.     Su Yiming
4.     Andrij Sydorenko
5.     Song Junliang
6.     Jia Xin
7.     Zhang Peng
8.     Zhang Jiahao
9.     Chen Weiyou
10.   He Wei

For further information get in touch with Miriam Deller, info@chinasba.com

Photogallery here
Image credit: Da Bai / GoSki.cn

Categories
Events Features

2015 Nitro Open – Season Kick Off In China

The 2015 Nitro Open celebrates the 10th edition of World Snowboard Day in style at Lake Songhua Resort in Jilin, North Eastern China. A prize purse worth USD 3.000,- is up for grabs at the male only regional level SS.

Wang Lei, ambassador of World Snowboard Day in Asia will be at Lake Songhua for the whole weekend to shred with everyone coming out! Park Builders Mellow Park have outdone themselves with a 8-hit, 600m long line, all with a high speed chairlift next to it, butt warmer included.

Stay tuned for the results and a wrap up clip, maybe we see another podium spot for Chinese emerging grom Su Yiming, just like last year?

For further information get in touch with Miriam Deller, info@chinasba.com

Photo: BEIDAHU SPRING INVITATIONAL 2014 by Da Bai

2015 nitro open poster

Categories
News

Teton Gravity’s “Ask Me Anything” Featuring Wang Lei

If you could ask your idol any question in the world, what would it be? TGR is giving its forum members a chance to ask previously inaccessible icons, from pro skiers and snowboarders to filmmakers, anything they want in the new Ask Me Anything series.

WANG LEI_Photo MARKUS FISCHER_201415_2 web

What question will you ask? Sign up for the TGR Forums today, and ask away…

Friday, May 22, 11am-2pm MST time (China is 14 hours ahead of MST, the Q&A takes place on Saturday early morning, May 23 from 1am – 4am Beijing time).

Teton Gravity Research’s ASK ME ANYTHING (AMA) invited Chinas Pioneer of Snowboarding, Wang Lei, as first snowboarder to chat with TGR’s forum members…well, about anything they want to know.

The intention of the AMA is to give TGR’s core community access to and the opportunity to talk with people in the outdoor industry they would rarely if ever get the opportunity to interact with, and on a much more informal/conservational level than any other format available.

Wang Lei says” I’m honored to have the opportunity to be a part of TGR’s AMA sessions and look forward to the Q&A. It’s going to be super fun, it’s great to connect to a wider community!”

WANG LEI_PHOTO BY BenMcMillan

Previously featured AMA’s included amazing ski rippers and legends like Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Greg Epstein, Ian McIntosh, Seth Morrison, Vasu Sojitra, Bob Comey, Zahan Billimoria, Mike Douglas and Pep Fujas.

TGR is stoked to have Wang Lei joining the table, and invites everyone to join the chat!

www.tetongravity.com/columns/ski/ask-me-anything
www.tetongravity.com

TGR-logo-revised-02

ABOUT WANG LEI
The Pioneer Of Snowboarding In China
Using his charismatic style, Wang Lei continues to push the limits of his personal snowboarding as well as encouraging the people around him to push their own limits, no matter what the challenges may be. He is an well known and respected man on and off the snow, in the
communities, with his peers and within the industry. Wang Lei dedicates himself to progressing snowboarding in China using his experience, talent, network and passion for extreme sports. Wang Lei is a member of the POW Riders Alliance and serves as the president of CSbA (link to www.chinasba.com).He rides for Nitro, O’Neill, Dragon and Skullcandy and supports local Chinese brand JBMC, where a Wang Lei signature Mitten is carried in their collection.

Connect with Wang Lei on Facebook(www.facebook.com/ChinaSnowboarding), Instagram(@wangleisnow) and Weibo(@王磊Wanglei1977)! www.wanglei.tv

ABOUT TETON GRAVITY RESEARCH
It all began with a dream and a little cash scrapped together from fishing in Alaska. In 1995, Steve Jones, Todd Jones, and Dirk Collins pooled money they had earned as commercial fishermen and heli-ski guides to purchase camera equipment. Joined by longtime friend Corey Gavitt, they banded together to document the progression taking place in action sports. Yet rather than simply capturing this progression on film, they soon became instrumental in fueling it.
With a commitment to showcasing the world’s top athletes—and creating a company driven by their input—the group founded Teton Gravity Research. From its headquarters in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, TGR began producing premier ski, snowboard, and surf films. Eighteen years and thirty-two films later, the company continues to evolve. Transcending film, TGR has emerged as a media force in action sports culture. Read more here: www.tetongravity.com/company

Categories
Events Features

The O’neill Boardzone Rookie Camp 2014 in China

2014_ONEILL BOARDZONE ROOKIE CAMP_wheel ollie
2014_ONEILL BOARDZONE ROOKIE CAMP_QIAOBO
2014_ONEILL BOARDZONE ROOKIE CAMP_QIAOBO

The O’NEILL Boardzone Rookie Camp 2014 is taking place at the Qiaobo Ice & Snow World. The indoor resort is located on the outskirts of Beijing, Shunyi district, and boasts two slopes and a nicely built and groomed terrain park. Named after female Olympian Ye Qiaobo, the building complex features a hotel, restaurants and a Spa.

Qiaobo plays host to the O’NEILL Boardzone Rookie Camp already for the third consecutive time.

The brainchild of Beijing resident Mark Mi, a native Inner Mongolian who dedicates his life to board sports, represents the only consistent training program for young riders in China.

2014_ONEILL BOARDZONE ROOKIE CAMP_QIAOBO
2014_ONEILL BOARDZONE ROOKIE CAMP_QIAOBO

Mi says he started the camp just after entering the industry in his current role as sales manager for a leading distribution company. While out and about in the resorts and making friends, he realized that many people simply don’t have easy access to resorts. “I found there were a lot of young people who loved snowboarding and were obsessed with the sport. But some of them come from remote areas, and they have no real chance to progress. The camp is perfect for those who have a passion for learning, training and also like to compete.”

The pioneer of Snowboarding in China, Wang Lei, who is spearheading CSbA and leading the camp as head instructor, is stoked that the program brings such a positive resonance with parents and kids: “Every year we get more applications, and the riding level of the kids is already good when they enter our month long camp. I love to work with kids, it’s a very rewarding job that I get to do here in Qiaobo.”

The median age of a rider in China is in his twenties, and it already dropped in the last few years. What it takes to get kids on boards, is a trustworthy program, good coaches and a sense of safety. Mi elaborates on the potential, kids around 8-12 years have: “Since 2012 we also work with very small kids. The potential of some of the groms has garnered a lot of attention and brand support. I believe more and more hopefuls will emerge and improve the overall level of youth riding. It will play a big role in the development of snowboarding in China. It’s a great way of promoting snowboarding, too.”

His vision is to turn the camp into the source of new Chinese talents, and continuing to work on making it the most professional and influential training opportunity of the country.

Supported by the most progressive and successful brands in the Chinese market, and led by qualified instructors, the kids are given a fun and safe environment to progress their skills.

The month long program includes weekly contests and a 2* WST event at the end. The big final, the “NEW STAR CHALLENGE” will be held on August 10 2014.

Take a look online, and watch out for the weekly recap videos: http://camp.boardzone.cn

2013 BOARDZONE ROOKIE CAMP
2013 BOARDZONE ROOKIE CAMP

Check out what happened in 2013: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNzM0NTQ1NTM2.html