Rossland, BC-Red Mountain Resort announced its dates for the 2007 Canadian Open Freeskiing Championships to be held January 6th-15th at Western Canada’s oldest ski resort, featuring over 100 of the world’s best freeskiers. The weeklong event carries a cash purse of $10,000 for the competitors that best tame the steep, chutes of Mount Roberts, one of Red’s five mountain peaks.
“We are really stoked to host this event for the 6th consecutive season, making this Canada’s longest running and most legendary Open big mountain competition. Red welcomes athletes, sponsors and media to Rossland, to enjoy our mountain hospitality and a superb competition on our world-class terrain”, states VP of Sales and Marketing Erik Kalacis. “For spectators, Mount Roberts is an ideal setting to view these unbelievably talented athletes. The competition, the skiing and the after-parties will surely deliver a highly entertaining event.”
The format of the competition will follow IFSA Big Mountain Freeskiing guidelines, which dictates that participants ski the mountain creatively, unrestricted by gates or formal course layouts, while they take aggressive lines and make big drops on Roberts’ varied and challenging terrain. Judges of the championship will evaluate skiers on five categories – line choice, fluidity, technique, aggression, and control. Jeff Holden, head judge of the competition last year, returns to lead his team of judges for another year.
Event Schedule:
Date Event & Location
Saturday Jan. 6th, 2007 Junior Event, Ages 12-17, Lynx Line
Thursday Jan. 11th, 2007 Open Qualifier, Ages 18+, Lynx Line
Friday Jan. 12th, 2007 Semi-Finals, Mount Roberts
Saturday Jan. 13th, 2007 Finals, Mount Roberts, Awards Ceremony
Sunday Jan. 14th, 2007 Weather Contingency Day
Registration is open to skiers 18 years and older. On January 11th, contestants will begin qualification on the mountain’s most difficult in-bounds run, Lynx Line, in order to secure one of the 50 sought-after semifinal slots. Finalists will compete the following two days on backcountry and technical Mount Roberts, adjacent to the resort, before winners are announced on January 15th.
New last season and returning due to its unbelievable popularity and turnout is the Junior event for kids ages 12-17. Held on Lynx Line underneath the Motherlode Chair, youths will participate in a one-day event on January 6th. Teams from as far away as Utah and Vermont have signed up to test their skills on some of the most challenging terrain in the region against the newest “up and comers” from the Kootenays.
Registration forms and more information on the 6th annual Canadian Open Freeskiing Championships will be available after October 1st by logging on to www.redresort.com
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