TTR 6 Star Oakley Arctic Challenge 2011
| welcome |
On this upcoming weekend it is once again time for TAC! We are not talking about Wrestling moves of course, but about the legendary Arctic Challenge, which is organized by Terje Haakonsen in cooperation with Oakley. Since more than a decade now the Arctic Challenge is growing continiously and experimenting with different contest formats each year. As being today one of the biggest snowboard events worldwide and ranked with six stars by the TTR, it is also quite a symbol for all participating snowboarders and all others worldwide. A symbol? How is that?
| BACKGROUND |
Back in 1999, TAC was born. Terje Haakonsen, co-founder of the TTR and defender of the sport set up the pilot of this contest. Throughout the years, there have always new formats been tried out, contest formats, judging systems, arenas and other, but always striving for the same thing: perfection and fruits for the sport. Where is the symbol now? Right ..the symbolic meaning. Well, as some of you are aware of, Snowboarding has had quite its issues with the IOC, concerning aknowledgement and administration of its own. Snowboarding is not run by snowboarders, but by the skiers (FIS) in Olympia. There has not been any common world snowboard slopestyle tour yet, to be able to see also a comittment from IOC’s side, that they want to actually do something for the sport. Till now, it has been that besides of plenty of little conditions, concerning sponsor stickers and others, the participants in snowboarding for olympic games, are also kind of forced to miss other events to be allowed on the olympic event, to no conflict with dates, due to non-participation by mandatory from olympic side. This was another reason to give birth to the TTR. An association of people from the inside, athletes and organizers, sponsors and true sports players, who want to push the sport and see it growing. Not being sold and controlled. The TTR covers over 150 independent snowboard events and is defined as a rookie-to-pro-tour, giving the chance to everyone thanks to a unique ranking system, to mess with the big names and progress. Being organized by Terje himself (in cooperation with Oakley), it is quite a symbol and a clear signal to the IOC, that snowboarders are perfectly capable to run and administrate their own sport.
|TAC 2011 program|
TAC’s training sessions have been taking place during this week. Today are the qualify sessions. The actual contest (men & women), will be on Friday the 18th (seminfinals | 10 am) and Saturday 19th (finals | 12 am). You can follow the event live on our webstream so make sure to clear your schedule, because once you will have seen the lineup below, you really don’t want to miss this contest.
|lineup|
Men:
Torstein Horgmo NOR
Ståle Sandbech NOR
Roger Kleivdal NOR
Per Iver Grimsrud NOR
Emil Andre Ulsletten NOR
Alexander Østreng NOR
Gjermund Braaten NOR
Peetu Piiroinen FIN
Janne Korpi FIN
Roope Tonteri FIN
Markus Malin FIN
Marko Grilc SLO
Brandon Reis USA
Benji Farrow USA
Spencer Shaw USA
Chas Guldemond USA
Sage Kotsenburg USA
Sam Hulbert USA
Brandon Reis USA
Tyler Flanagan USA
Eric Willett USA
Ethan Morgan GER
Seppe Smiths BEL
Werner Stock AUT
Mark McMorris CAN
Sebastien Toutant CAN
Patrick Burgener SUI
Niklas Mattson SWE
Women:
Kjersti Buaas Østgaard NOR
Silje Norendal NOR
Enni Rukajarvi FIN
Sina Candrian SUI
Jamie Anderson USA
Ty Walker USA
Chanelle Sladics USA
Silvia Mittermuller GER
Cilka Sadar SLO
Aimee Fuller GBR
Jenny Jones GBR
Cheryl Maas NED
Spencer O’Brien CAN
sorry my friends, but it was IMPOSSIBLE to format the part of the lineup the right way..