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LOCKE AND ANNETTS WIN THE NORTH FACE MASTERS
For Immediate Release
ANDREW IRWIN AND ROSEMARIE DITTFACH WIN THE NORTH FACE MASTERS OF SNOWBOARDING AT KIRKWOOD MOUNTAIN RESORT, CALIFORNIA
Michelle Locke and Matt Annetts win The North Face Masters of Snowboarding overall 2009 tour titles
Thousands tuned in to watch the final and super final rounds of TNF Masters LIVE on www.thenorthfacemasters.com
Kirkwood, California, March 7, 2009- Day two of The North Face Masters (TNF Masters) at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, California, wrapped up under clear blue skies on Kirkwood's famed Cirque. With more than eight feet of fresh snow, the permanently closed area, which offers a variety of untouched tight lines and huge airs had near perfect conditions. At the end of the day, Kirkwood local Rosemarie Dittfach and Andrew Irwin of Squaw Valley, California, took top honors inching past some hefty competition.
With yesterday's points not carrying over, athletes came into the finals with a clean slate, with the better of two runs deciding the winners. Sitting in first yesterday, the 2008 overall TNF Masters co-champion Laura Dewey of Snowbird, Utah, put together two solid runs but was ultimately beat out by Rosemarie Dittfach, who chose a technical line speckled with rock exposure which she rode exceptionally fast. Dittfach, a Big Mountain Snowboarding veteran, has been riding in competitions at Kirkwood for years, and stands on the podium nearly every time. Michelle Locke of Lake Louise, Alberta, rode consistently and strong throughout the event and held on to a third place finish, which earned her enough points to take the overall 2009 TNF Masters tour title.
ANDREW IRWIN AND ROSEMARIE DITTFACH WIN THE NORTH FACE MASTERS OF SNOWBOARDING AT KIRKWOOD MOUNTAIN RESORT, CALIFORNIA
Michelle Locke and Matt Annetts win The North Face Masters of Snowboarding overall 2009 tour titles
Thousands tuned in to watch the final and super final rounds of TNF Masters LIVE on www.thenorthfacemasters.com
Kirkwood, California, March 7, 2009- Day two of The North Face Masters (TNF Masters) at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, California, wrapped up under clear blue skies on Kirkwood's famed Cirque. With more than eight feet of fresh snow, the permanently closed area, which offers a variety of untouched tight lines and huge airs had near perfect conditions. At the end of the day, Kirkwood local Rosemarie Dittfach and Andrew Irwin of Squaw Valley, California, took top honors inching past some hefty competition.
With yesterday's points not carrying over, athletes came into the finals with a clean slate, with the better of two runs deciding the winners. Sitting in first yesterday, the 2008 overall TNF Masters co-champion Laura Dewey of Snowbird, Utah, put together two solid runs but was ultimately beat out by Rosemarie Dittfach, who chose a technical line speckled with rock exposure which she rode exceptionally fast. Dittfach, a Big Mountain Snowboarding veteran, has been riding in competitions at Kirkwood for years, and stands on the podium nearly every time. Michelle Locke of Lake Louise, Alberta, rode consistently and strong throughout the event and held on to a third place finish, which earned her enough points to take the overall 2009 TNF Masters tour title.
"My first run was really mellow and conservative," said women's winner Rosemarie Dittfach. "I wanted to step up my second run because I knew I was in first and I knew I could. I wanted to step up, not down."
Yesterday's leader Ross Baker of Squaw Valley, California, rode extremely fast, strong and fluid, stomping a huge Cab 540 to cheers from the massive crowd below. But it was 20 year-old Andrew Irwin whose first run of the day would be post the winning score. Opting for high-exposure, Irwin rode "The Sanctuary" with no hesitation, nailing each of his airs with speed and grabbing his first TNF Masters sword. Ryland Bell of Cleary Summit, Alaska, finished in second overall.
"I've been looking at the Cirque for many days now," said men's winner Andrew Irwin. "I just tried to pick a unique line where no one else is going."
"This is by far the coolest event I've been to," said third place finisher Ross Baker. Baker, 18, was also the recipient of The North Face Young Gun Award at Kirkwood, which recognizes and promotes young talent in the sport of Big Mountain Snowboarding. Aaron Robinson, 22, of Big Mountain, Montana, won the overall Young Gun Award for the 2009 TNF Masters tour.
Matt Annetts of Stowe, Vermont, cinched the overall TNF Masters tour title. The winner of TNF Masters Snowbird, Utah, and finishing second at TNF Masters Crested Butte, Colorado, Annetts edged out reigning champ, Clif Dimon of Crested Butte for the overall win.
Thousands tuned in to watch the final and super final rounds of TNF Masters LIVE on www.thenorthfacemasters.com. Log on to check out photos, athlete profiles, video highlights and more.
Special Thanks To:
The North Face
Primaloft
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort
Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Snowboard Magazine
Mountain Sports International
REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND ATHLETE INQUIRIES CONTACT
Sara Pinsoneault
Athlete Communications
Mountain Sports International
801.349.4650
sarap@mtsports.com
MEDIA INQUIRES AND FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Cara Williams
PR, Communications & Media Manager
Mountain Sports International
801.349.4608
cara@mtsports.com
Pamela Bennett
Communications Manager
The North Face
510.618.3654
pamela_bennett@vfc.com
About MSI
Mountain Sports International (MSI) is a private company, founded in 1997, to develop and produce action/adventure sports events and programming in North America. MSI owns and produces the U.S. Freeskiing Series, the U.S. Skiercross Series, and the Freeskiing World Tour, in addition to several other properties and concepts.
MSI provides event management services for Burton, Salomon, and Red Bull and has provided infrastructure and expertise for the NBC Gravity Games and ESPN Action Sports Projects, including the Tony Hawk Gigantic Skatepark Tour. MSI specializes in matching clients with events for brand penetration into target demographics, developing product identification and loyalty. MSI matches brand and culture, company and credibility to create sought-after events that help to define the action sports culture.
About The North Face
The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro, California, the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes, endurance athletes, and explorers. The company's products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, running, and snowsport retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains.