Successful test for Stoneham 2013

From 20-26 February the Canadian resort of Stoneham together with the provincial capital Quebec hosted the most extensive LG Snowboard FIS World Cup stop in ten years. The fully packed World Cup week featured competitions in all five World Cup events; only once before in World Cup history were five events organized at a single venue, at Ruka, Finland in 2001.

Some 150 riders coming representing more than 30 countries participated in the main test event for the FIS Snowboard World Championships 2013 in snowboard cross, parallel giant slalom, halfpipe, big air and slopestyle, fighting for a total prize money purse of 225,000 Swiss francs.

Next year, Stoneham Resort and Quebec City will play host to the FIS Snowboard World Championships from 16-27th January 2013. The World Cup week provided the perfect opportunity to test not only the operations on the field, but the comprehensive side event program that spectators will also be able to experience during the World Championships as well.

A host of amateur comps-including the Kinky Rail Jam, the Jambo Jam Open, and the FitSpirit Challenge- gave tomorrow's champs a taste of the action with family and friends looking on. Meanwhile, "Mountain in the City" gave kids age 14 and under the chance to give snowboarding a try for themselves on a specially designed slope right next to the Big Air, with instructors from Burton and Stoneham Mountain Resort on hand to give them a pointer or two.

A highlight of the week's program was the Fashion Jam, a presentation by Tremblay Beer in collaboration with Laurier Québec. The Fashion Jam, which was a huge show in itself, featured the hottest trends from many of the top fashion brands who play a large part in the Snowboard world. Highlights from the fashion Jam can be viewed here (insert link) http://vimeo.com/37478004

In addition to all these great side events, spectators were able to sample and experience many of the sponsor products in the Sponsor village which was located on the slopes at the foot of the competition site.

"The schedule was definitely challenging but also a perfect test for the 2013 FIS Snowboard World Championships here. Of course, our goal was the best possible level in all events and with the experience of the organizers - Gestev, Snowboard Canada and the City of Quebec - both in organizing the competitions and a variety of side events since years, Stoneham is a unique venue on our tour," said FIS Snowboard Race Director Uwe Beier.

Stoneham also saw the first title winners of the 2012 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup season crowned as Xuetong Cai (CHN) and Janne Korpi (FIN) became the FIS 2012 World Cup champions in halfpipe. For the 18-years-old Chinese rider it was her career third consecutive crystal globe. She relegated teammate Shuang Li and Haruna Matsumoto (JPN) to the second and third ranks respectively. On the men's side, Korpi celebrated his first World Cup title thanks to a third rank behind reigning world champion Nathan Johnstone (AUS) and Taku Hiraoka (JPN). Korpi also collected the crystal globe for the big air World Cup after he finished fourth in the final event won by Antoine Truchon (CAN), his first World Cup win and taking place on home turf. Since Sunday saw the season's last freestyle event with the only slopestyle competition this winter, the 26-year-old Finn was also awarded the Freestyle Overall World Cup title. The slopestyle World Cup wins went to the Dutch riders Charlotte Van Gils for ladies and Dimi De Jong for the men.

In snowboard cross, Maelle Ricker (CAN) and Pierre Vaultier (FRA) secured victory. Dominique Maltais (CAN) won the consolidation run and placed seventh thus continuing to leading the ladies' SBX World Cup ranking (3,560) comfortably. Vaultier is in the men's lead. In PGS, Ekaterina Tudegesheva (RUS) and Andreas Prommegger (AUT) clinched the season's eighth parallel event and took over the lead in the parallel World Cup standings too.

For more information on the FIS Snowboard World Championships visit www.quebecstoneham2013.com and for frequent updates on the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup season, www.fissnowboard.com

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