Mammoth – Sochi – The Alps – Tignes – Verbier

Verbier, 14 January 2008 - 56 male and female skiers and snowboarders are soon to challenge the first ever contest of the Freeride World Tour on the grueling McGee Mountain in Mammoth Mountain, California, Wednesday 23 January. Freeride World Tour organizers are also proud to announce a new partnership with outdoor industry leader The North Face. The brand will be supporting the Nissan Mammoth Challenge as well as two other events of the Tour; the Nissan Russian Adventure in Krasnaya Polyana / Sochi (Russia) and the Freeride de Tignes (France).

Mammoth Mountain in California is the home town of legendary snowboarder Steve Klassen – 5-time winner of the Verbier Xtreme. Steve Klassen is also event coordinator for this first contest of the Freeride World Tour guaranteeing a world class event for riders, public and media on the challenging McGee Mountain, 10 871 feet / 3313 meters above sea level.

This is the first time a freeride contest is held on the McGee, located about 10 km south of the resort Mammoth Mountain. The site, known for the first fixed lift in the area back in the 1930’s, moved 40 years present location. The average steepness of the McGee Mountain is around 35 degrees. The run is long and demanding for the riders with its 1000 vertical meters. It has a natural quarter pipe which runs about half the length of the mountain and features numerous lips, gulleys and jumps.

Fresh snow reports from Mammoth Mountain, with a snowfall of at least 2 meters last week, is promising great conditions for the Nissan Mammoth Challenge. Event coordinator Steve Klassen reported that there is a 3 meter (100 inch) snow base. The McGee mountain looks great with many challenging lines to be seen.

Today, a week before the Freeride World Tour starts, freeriders from all over the planet will compete in the pre-qualifying contest Mammoth Open, 14 January, and the first contest of the Freeride Qualifying Series Nissan Mammoth Quest, 15 - 17 January. More the hundred skiers and snowboarders already applied for the Open contest. Top 5 men and top 2 women only will be allowed to join the 76 riders of the Quest, battling for the top three positions per discipline in order to progress to the first contest of the World Tour, the Nissan Mammoth Challenge one week later.

For the New Year, the Freeride World Tour just launched its new website on http://www.freerideworldtour.com. The site is meant to become a portal for freeriders and ski and snowboard addicts in general. The website will rapidly expand once the tour starts with updated news, pictures, videos, athlete profiles, results and information about the Tour.

The North Face partnership

The Freeride World Tour is very proud to officially announce its partnership with leader brand The North Face on three events in Mammoth (USA), Sochi (Russia) and Tignes (France).

"The Freeride World Tour is the preeminent ski and snowboard event around the world," said Joe Flannery, Vice President of Marketing for The North Face. "The incredible organization and history, now with a U.S. component, makes it a perfect fit for The North Face and our athletes."

Nicolas Hale-Woods - FWT founder and organizer comments: "I am very enthusiastic about the partnership between the Freeride World Tour and The North Face as this is a concrete sign that major industry players are ready and keen to associate their image with our events. We will do our utmost to fulfill the expectations riders and partners have put in our hands, committed to make the first Freeride World Tour a success."

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. http://www.thenorthface.com

Check out news, updates, photos, riders’ and events’ information on the newly launched website: http://www.freerideworldtour.com

Partners: the partners of the Freeride World Tour events are:

Nissan, O'Neill, Swatch, The North Face, Verbier, Tignes, Mammoth, Scott and Da Kine.

For more information on the Freeride World Tour and free of right HD pictures please contact:

Josefine Ås, Press Officer, +33 6 79 04 23 46, media@freerideworldtour.com

Note to editors:

The Freeride World Tour (FWT) consists of five contests with the world’s best male and female skiers and snowboarders:

1. Nissan Mammoth Challenge (USA), 22 - 26 January – first possible contest day 23 January. 56 riders in total: 19 riders men ski and snowboard, 8 riders women ski and snowboard, including two wild cards men, one wild card women per discipline and three riders per discipline from the Nissan Mammoth Quest (first contest of the Freeride Qualifying Series).

Prize money: 40 000 USD

Men ski and snowboard: 1st 10 000 USD, 2nd 4 000 USD, 3rd 1 500 USD

Women ski and snowboard: 1st 3 000 USD, 2nd 1 000 USD, 3rd 500 USD

Women and Men snowboard: 1st each receive airfare, lodging, and entry to The North Face Masters, Alyeska, AK

2. Nissan Russian Adventure in Sochi (RUS), 31 January - 5 February. 44 riders in total. 16 riders men ski and snowboard, 6 riders women ski and snowboard, including two wild cards men and two wild cards women per discipline. Prize money: 40 000 USD.

3. Swatch O'Neill Big Mountain Pro, a mobile event in the Alps, 24 February - 2 March. 26 riders in total: 13 riders men ski and snowboard, including five Freeride World Tour ranking after the two first contests. Prize money 80 000 USD.wild cards per discipline and the top 8

4. Nissan Freeride de Tignes(FRA), 9 - 12 March. 44 riders in total: 16 riders men ski and snowboard, 6 riders women ski and snowboard, including two wild cards men and two wild cards women per discipline. Prize money: 40 000 USD.

5. Nissan O'Neill Xtreme in Verbier (SUI), 14 - 23 March. 32 riders in total: 12 riders men ski and snowboard. 4 riders women ski and snowboard, including four wild cards men and two wild cards women per discipline. Prize money: 100 000 USD.

The Freeride World Qualifying Series (FWQS) consists of three contests:

1. Nissan Mammoth Quest (USA) 15-17 Jan 08. 76 riders in total. The top 3 placed riders per discipline progress to the World Tour and the Nissan Mammoth Challenge one week later.

2. Nissan Freeride - Schruns/Montafon 08 (AUT) 9 – 14 Feb 08. 76 riders in total.

3. Nissan ArctiX - Tamok (FIN) cancelled. New date and location to be confirmed.

The best athletes (top 4 men + top 2 women) of the FWQS 08 qualify for the Freeride World Tour 09.

Riders:

56 riders to Nissan Mammoth Challenge:

19 Skiers Men:

Virtual Ranking (2006/07) - Name - First Name - Nationality

1 DUCROZ Aurélien FRA

2 CHICHERIT Guerlain FRA

3 MEYNET Olivier FRA

4 ZACKRISSON Kaj SWE

5 MICHAUD Seb FRA

6 TABKE Drew USA

7 GABRIEL Craig USA

8 COIRIER Adrien FRA

9 GILLIOZ Raphy SUI

10 RICHARD Mathiew CAN

11 PASQUIER Nicolas SUI

12 GREENER Nick USA

13 VASIUK Estanislao ARG

14 BOUCHER Christian CAN

(49) wild card GAIDET Manu FRA

(57) wild card WINDSTEDT Henrik SWE

FWQS top 1-3 tbc

19 Snowboard Men:

Virtual Ranking (2006/07) - Name - First Name - Nationality

1 NERI Cyril SUI

2 DE LE RUE Xavier FRA

3 JORDAN Xavier SUI

4 OERLEY Flo AUT

5 TOELDERER Mitch AUT

6 COUDRAY Alex SUI

7 VAUDROZ Nicolas SUI

8 CORNILLAT Serge FRA

9 MAGNUSSON David NOR

10 FURBERG Daniel SWE

11 FALCO Julien SUI

12 HRYACHKOV Gennady RUS

13 SOMMER André SUI

14 KESTENHOLZ Ueli SUI

wild card JONES Jeremy USA

wild card KLASSEN Steve USA

FWQS top 1-3 tbc

8 Skiers Women:

Virtual Ranking (2006/07) - Name - First Name - Nationality

1 PERSSON Marja SWE

2 MC MILLAN Jesse USA

3 MONEGO Giulia ITA

4 BOHLEBER Laura SUI

wild card BURGE Jamie USA

wild card tbc

FWQS top 1-3 tbc

9 Snowboard Women:

Virtual Ranking (2006/07) - Name - First Name - Nationality

1 PEKAREK Bibi AUT

2 LEISIBACH Ruth SUI

3 FASNACHT Géraldine SUI

4 ZENKLUSEN Nathalie SUI

wild card YATES Shannan USA

wild card tbc

FWQS top 1-3 tbc