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THE NORTH FACE MASTERS SNOWBOARDING
Salt Lake City, Utah January
10, 2008—Enthusiastically expanding competition
opportunities in the sport of big mountain snowboarding, The North Face and Mountain
Sports International (MSI) proudly unveil The North Face Masters, a two-stop
tour designed to cater to the motivation, talent and skill of world-class big mountain
snowboarders.
"Open big
mountain competition is very exciting to the development of the sport," said world-renowned
rider and The North Face athlete, Johan Olofsson. "With the simplicity of a starting line, mixed
terrain, and a finish line, what each snowboarder opts to go for during their
runs will be the result of creativity, skill, and risk."
The
North Face Masters features a $45,000 cash prize purse and an opportunity for
big mountain snowboarders to pit themselves against athlete and mountain alike.
The
North Face Masters kicks off at Snowbird, Utah, February 8-11, where competitors can look forward to the notoriously challenging
Little Cottonwood Canyon terrain littered with chutes, cliff drops, and the legendary
lake-effect Utah powder. The North Face will award male and female champions of
The North Face Masters, Snowbird, the chance to continue their winning streak at
The North Face Masters tour in Alaska. Airfare, lodging, and entry to The North Face
Masters, Alyeska, AK, will also be awarded to the male and female winners of these
other big mountain competitions:
· Nissan Mammoth Quest
(Jan 14 -17, 2008)
· Mt. Baker Legendary
Banked Slalom (February 8-10, 2008)
Stop number two will
bring competitors to the epic venue of Alyeska Resort, Alaska, April 2-6, to
push their limits against the Chugach Range's palette of jaw-dropping steeps,
couloirs, and wide-open Alaskan faces.
Adding even more incentive, final round athletes of the Alyeska event
will be rewarded with a heli-drop at the start of the Finals, courtesy of
Chugach Powder Guides, where they will compete in the final run on an area of
Alyeska Resort named "Big League," a
section of the mountain not open to the public until 2010.
"With the creation
of The North Face Masters, the riders who live and breathe this aspect of
snowboarding finally have a stage on which to show off their skills and
creativity," said Jason Ford, Group Publisher for Future US, home of Future Snowboarding
magazine, The North Face Masters media partner.
"It's been a long time since the U.S. has taken a good look at the big
mountain side of the sport, so this is a huge opportunity for the riders, as
well as the spectators!"
With the induction
of the The North Face Masters 2008 comes the gathering of the big mountain
snowboarding tribe from all over the world. All male and female snowboarding
competitors over the age of 18 are welcomed to
participate.
"Today's
riders are redefining what is possible—they're taking the tricks and skills
learned in the terrain parks to the big mountain environment," said Joe
Flannery, Vice President of Marketing for The North Face. "As a company that
was born in the mountains, we're excited to see today's brightest snowboarding
stars with a venue that celebrates what they do."
Fans
of big mountain snowboarding can also catch complete same-day live coverage of
the Semi-Final and Final rounds on the event website, where there are also
videos, photos, athlete profiles, detailed event schedules, registration
information and more.
Please visit www.thenorthface.com/masters
Online-only registration for The North Face Masters is NOW
OPEN!
The North Face Masters:
Snowbird,
Utah: *February 8-11, 2008 (*February
11th weather contingency day)
Alyeska,
Alaska: *April 2-6, 2008 (*April
6th weather contingency day)
Contacts:
Nicole Pelletier // MSI