Nine Queens

Long Live The Queen! Look out boys, because the best female freeski athletes in the world are ready to step up and take the crown at the Suzuki NINE QUEENS freeski event, to be held from March 21st - 25th, 2011 in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, one of Austria's premier ski resorts.

Virginie Faivre, host of the Suzuki Nine Queens.

Led by Her Royal Flyness, Virginie Faivre, the 27-year-old, Swiss-born, 2009 World Ski Halfpipe Champion, the Suzuki NINE QUEENS is a showcase of the best female freeski talent throwing down the best they have against an obstacle that demands every inch of the vast repertoire of skills they possess: "The Chateau".

Built by the immensely talnted Schneestern Crew, one of the world's leaders in snowpark construction, "The Chateau" is a unique jump and jib feature that will test our ladies to the limit, and provide an exceptional atmosphere and environment to showcase exactly how far female freeskiing has come and what the girls can do.

Construction has begun on "The Chateau"

The hostess, Virginie Faivre, will be accompanied by current X Games gold medalists Kaya Turski and Sarah Burke as well as the freshly crowned World Ski Slopestyle Champion Anna Segal from Australia. The full riders list contains the following athletes:

Virginie Faivre
Kaya Turski
Grete Eliassen
Eva Patscheider
Anna Segal
Lena Stoffel
Jen Hudak
Caja Schöpf
Sarah Burke

The Suzuki NINE QUEENS will also feature special guests Keri Hermann and Kim Lamarre, along with nine-year-old Estonian snow princess Kelly Sildaru! There is also one spot open to girls who know they have what it takes to mix it up with the best and can present a video to back it up through our online qualification.

Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, with its three historical villages located on a high plateau above the Tyrolean Inn Valley, and framed by the mighty 3000-metre Samnaun mountains and the Ötztal Alps, provides the perfect backdrop for the event. Expecting big airtime, great style and new tricks, along with amazing images coming from the first ever helicopter follow-cam session at a women's event, the Suzuki NINE QUEENS is an extreme sport athlete and media event unlike any before it and will set the benchmark for female freeskiing now and into the future.

Caja Schöpf

The Suzuki NINE QUEENS owes its inspiration to the NINE KNIGHTS competition that features the best male freeskiers and is the brainchild of Nico Zacek, Germany's freeski legend. In only three years it can be said with no small amount of pride that the NINE KNIGHTS is one of the world's premier freeski events, and that level of excitement, experience and expectation is shared with the Suzuki NINE QUEENS.

A rundown of the program for the week is as follows:

Monday - Thursday: Photo shoots and competitions in different categories.
Wednesday evening: Jump show at the Serfaus Adventure Night Kicker.
Friday: Contest day with public viewing.
Evening: Prize giving and after-party at the PATSCHI.

Wanna be a Queen? Online Qualification still open:

If you are a talented freeskiing girl, pro rider or amateur, and want to join the Suzuki NINE QUEENS to fight for the freeski crown, there is still one wild card spot available. The online video qualification “Wanna be a Queen?” is running until February 28th, 2011.

All you have to do is edit a short video clip showcasing your best park riding, upload it to YouTube and send the link to the NINE QUEENS jury. A judging panel consisting of NINE KNIGHTS stars such as Tom Wallisch, Bobby Brown, Lolo Favre and Nico Zacek will nominate the winner on March 10th, 2011.

For more details on the online qualification and more information about Suzuki NINE QUEENS, check out www.ninequeens.com, and be sure to join their Facebook fanpage at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nine-Queens/155970454433228.