Press Release from Powder's Superpark 6

San Juan Capistrano, CA, June 1, 2004�Despite consistently poor weather, Powder Magazine’s Superpark 6 at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, was yet again host to one of the greatest photo and film shoots of the year. For the sixth consecutive year, 40 professional athletes and a small army of filmmakers and photographers from around the globe converged to create and document the most progressive terrain-park skiing to date.

Innovation was especially crucial for skiers this year, as Superpark 6 became the first stop on the JABRA X Jam Series. The skier with the most impressive overall performance, as voted on by the skiers and media present, received a spot in the 2005 Winter X Games slopestyle event in Aspen, Colorado, January 29 to February 1, 2005. Mt. Bachelor local Tim Durtschi won the X Games invitation. Durtschi, who received a late invite to Superpark, not only mastered nearly every jump and rail in the park, but also stuck a zero-spin over the 120-foot table.

Isn't he cute?

The objective of Superpark is to cater to athletes’ desires, so when French superstar Candide Thovex wanted a down-flat rail placed on the backside of the last rhythm table, the park crew took action. In the end, Thovex made history with the first ever 65-foot cork 810 to railslide. Other notable performances of the week came from Charles Gagnier, Tommy Ellingson, Steele Spence, Matt Philippi, Ryan McKeeman, and female newcomer Grete Eliasen.

Mt. Bachelor’s talented grooming staff, alongside a hand crew led by James Jackson of High Cascade Snowboard Camp, designed this year’s park. Sage Cattabriga-Alosa�widely regarded as one of the best all-around skiers in the world�consulted with the builders to help create unique features such as a 120-foot gap tabletop, a 75-foot step-down, a rhythm section with five consecutive 60-foot tables, a 20-foot quarterpipe with channel gap, and a myriad of rail features.

Four-year Superpark veteran Rex Thomas of Whistler, British Columbia, summed up Superpark 6 with a bold statement: “Despite the bad weather and only a day-and-a-half of good filming conditions, the athletes rallied to make this Superpark the greatest show on skis I’ve ever seen.�

Superpark 6 closed Saturday, May 22, with the JABRA Rail Jam. With Camp Windells Head Coach DJ Pat A. spinning music amidst a blowing snowstorm, 20 athletes competed for a $1,000 winner-take-all purse. Eliasen and Ashley Battersby were the only two women in the field and, halfway through the jam, JABRA’s Heidi Adams was so impressed with their performance she threw in an extra $500 for the best female. In the end, the women split their prize money and Canada’s Iannick B. took home the cash for the men.

“JABRA’s X Jam Series was a great tie-in to the Superpark event,� said Josh Weis, publisher of Powder magazine. “We were thrilled to extend JABRA the chance to support skiing at the ground level as well as give them an opportunity to be more established within the sport itself.�

Click-in to Powdermag.com for extensive coverage of Superpark 6, including photo galleries, streaming video, interviews, and daily updates posted during the session. Complete coverage of Superpark 6 will appear in Powder magazine this winter, as well as in movies by Teton Gravity Research, Matchstick Productions, Poor Boyz Productions, Level 1 Productions, Team 13/Rage Films, Volume Video Magazine, Pléhouse Films, and Off-Trail Productions.

Powder magazine would like to extend a huge thanks to the wonderful and hard-working people behind the Superpark 6 sponsors: JABRA, Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort, Inn of the Seventh Mountain, Red Bull Energy Drink, and Salomon North America.