here's the lo-down on this thing from a press release I got regarding a qualifier at Whistler/Blackcomb.
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB HOSTS SUPER QUALIFIER FOR THE 2005 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR KIDS NEXT SNOW SEARCH
WHISTLER, B.C., December 21, 2004 - Whistler Blackcomb will host a qualifying event for the 2005 Sports Illustrated for Kids Next Snow SEARCH. The super qualifier, taking place Sunday, January 2 on Blackcomb Mountain, will invite 100 youngsters born between 1991 and 1995 to compete. Four winners will be awarded entry into the three-day championship event hosted at Keystone, CO, February 11-13, 2005. The four winners will receive $500 towards airfare and free accommodation and lift tickets at Keystone courtesy of Whistler Blackcomb and the Next Snow SEARCH.
The Whistler Blackcomb super qualifier will include three different events: slopestyle, big mountain, and banked slalom as well as an exhibition jam session in Blackcomb's Nintendo Superpipe. Ten finalists will participate in
a big air competition at the base of Whistler Mountain that evening during the weekly Fire and Ice show, following a torchlight parade by all
competitors from Base 2 to the village.
Four athletes will be identified as the winners at the end of the big air and since Whistler Blackcomb is a super qualifier event, these athletes will automatically advance to the finals of the championship event in Keystone, CO. Mike Douglas, the god-father of jibbing regularly featured in Warren Miller and Matchstick Productions movies, and John Smart, two-time Olympian, thirteen-time World Cup medallist, three-time Canadian Champion and World
Pro Champion will be judging the event.
'This competition is slightly different in format from other competitions because the kids will not only be judged on their athleticism, they will also be judged on their attitude and interaction with other participants, judges and mountain guests,' says Stuart Rempel, Senior Vice President Marketing and Sales, Whistler Blackcomb. 'We are proud to be able to provide
this opportunity for all the young athletes in this corridor and look forward to watching them compete on our mountain, January 2nd.'
Participants have received invitations through the various ski and snowboard clubs in Whistler. A number of spots have also been reserved for those talented kids who may not belong to a club.
The Sports Illustrated for Kids Next Snow SEARCH, now in its second year, is a national talent search to find young athletes who best represent the next generation of extreme skiers and snowboarders. On Sunday, March 5, NBC
Sports will telecast the finals of the 2005 Sports Illustrated for Kids Next Snow SEARCH. The one-hour program will showcase the finalists executing big air jumps, bumps, racing and multi-twisting half-pipe tricks in an all-mountain test of skill. The program will also include a segment from the Whistler Blackcomb super qualifier.
'Action-driven events featuring real kids are one of the most exciting developments in sports today,' said SI for Kids Publisher Dave Watt. 'The Next Snow Search will showcase skiing and snowboarding to millions of kids and families, many for the very first time.'
The finals at Keystone Resort will determine the top 25 athletes to be named to the 2005 Sports Illustrated for Kids Next Snow Team - the future of skiing and snowboarding.
A complete schedule of all events, locations, and entry information is available at www.NextSnow.com
it's all very exciting.
