March 9^th 2010

Historic market shares for snowboarding on Norwegian TV

For the first time snowboarding gets the highest market share in the 12 to 19 age group compared to all other winter sports being aired the same day. During the The Oakley Arctic Challenge (TAC) finals on Sunday, snowboarding had the lowest market share of all sports in 40+ age group, but highest in the 12 to 19.

The TAC airing on NRK had a total of 293 000 viewers. In addition comes the 185 000 viewers from the semi finals on Saturday. Most interesting is that snowboarding has 31% market share in 12 to 19. Cross country skiing relay has 24%, Vasaloppet has 23%, ski jumping has 24% and downhill skiing has 8%. -This is historic for snowboarding in Norway. In the multi media life the kids live in, TV stations consider this age group as very hard to get.

- This is very good for NRK. Reaching the young audiences is our main motivation for producing snowboarding, says Rune Haug, head of sports at NRK.

Snowboarding is also doing good in the 20 to 29 age group. Only Vasaloppet is beating snowboarding and TAC here, but only with a marginal 1 percent point. Snowboarding was bigger (in market share) in 12 to 19 than all the other winter sport airing that day.

TAC and NRK have worked together over several years to make snowboarding more exciting on TV and for spectators. The project took a gigantic leap forward this year with the new judging system with integration into the TV graphics. The system is unique – also in an International setting. TAC do not know any other similar projects in action sports that has been aired on TV. During TAC, the riders was awarded with scores for each obstacle – being displayed with dynamic, video game style live scoring. In addition to this obstacle score, they got a flow score for their overall impression. TAC developed the judging system. NRK developed the graphics.

- This has been a great working partnership providing a new dimension for our sport. Snowboarding can be hard to comprehend with all the trick variations, but finally we have a tool that can make our sport more exciting to watch and easier to understand for everyone. NRK has done a fantastic job. We hope other snowboard events will use similar systems. And we are more than willing to provide our experiences to other TTR events, says Henning Andersen in TAC.

For more info, please contact CEO of The Arctic Challenge,

Henning Andersen. Cell +47 906 95 119, henn-a3@online.no

Champagne for the champ! Photo by Glen Bisset

Oslo, Norway – March 7th 2010: One of the most impressive athletes in the today’s snowboard sport, Peetu Piiroinen (FIN), reconfirmed his reputation today. Thousands of cheering fans fuelled the world’s best snowboarders in a spectacular final at the 6Star The Oakley Arctic Challenge, one of the premiere snowboarding events on the Swatch TTR Tour. The crowds at Tryvann Vinterpark in Oslo, Norway witnessed a piece of snowboarding history as 21-year old Peetu Piiroinen took first place in today’s slopestyle competition, and with an additional 1000 TTR ranking points on his account, he took an unassailable lead in the World Ranking List. In two weeks time he will be crowned Swatch TTR World Snowboard Champion at the final 6Star event on the tour, the Burton US Open. The Arctic Challenge podium was rounded up by Norwegian favourites Torstein Horgmo in second place and Mikkel Bang in third.

Arena Photos Sunday March 7th

30 Photos

 

Peetu Piiroinen Securing his Second TTR World Champion Title

The young Fin has earned himself $35 000 USD today with his win. This season he has shown us his nerves of steel, consistent technique and a seemingly untiring ability to tackle the various formats on the Swatch TTR Tour by taking podium placements at every 6Star event on the Tour. He took 2^nd place at the 6Star Billabong Air & Style in Innsbruck, Austria, 3rd places at both the slopestyle and halfpipe at the 6Star O’Neill Evolution in Davos and victories in both formats at the 6Star Burton European Open in Laax, Switzerland. The deserving Piiroinen has shown his exceptional talent and caught the eye of the fans and media worldwide by successfully balancing his commitment on the TTR tour while exceeding at events outside the Tour. He comments on his season; “It has been the best season ever. Silver medal at the Olympics and now the TTR title. I have got so many podium places and I have had no injuries, it could not have been better.”

TAC Finals 2010

16 Photos

 

The exiting final saw Piiroinen stomp a clean last run awarded with an incredible 99% flow score. His smooth run consisted of a switch cab 270 to fakie on the top rail, frontside 540 melon on the canon rail, backside 1080 late cork, backside rodeo 720 and a gigantic frontside crail on the hip. Piiroinen remains modest as always about his win, “I really didn’t expect to win here at The Oakley Arctic Challenge, but I knew that I had a good chance to secure the title here. It feels so good to take both. And it is the second title in a row. Now I can take it easy and maybe drink a beer.”

The founder of the TTR tour and owner of The Oakley Arctic Challenge, Terje Haakonsen (NOR) praised Piiroinen’s ability to ride all formats on the TTR Tour, “That is why he is a good snowboarder. He is not specialized, but can ride all of them, also when it comes to quarterpipe he can ride really big. He had a lot of second and third places but he is always the guy that can win. He is just a really solid and inventive rider.”
Valuable TTR ranking points handed out at The Oakley Arctic Challenge

The race for the Top 5 spots in the Swatch TTR ranking is heating up in the wait of the champion crowning event, the 6Star Burton US Open starting in one weeks time. Eric Willett (USA) moved into the TTR World No.5 spot with a 9^th place today and up and coming rookie Roope Tonteri (FIN) moved into TTR World No.7 with a 7^th place. With a 4^th place Seppe Smits (NED) made the move into the TTR World Top 10. With two more 6Star results on the menu at the Burton US Open the Top 5 is a desired place as all riders want a piece of the Swatch TTR end of season prize purse of $200,000 USD, as well as guaranteed invites to next season’s 6Star events.

Photo: Glen Bisset Eriksen/TAC

After two falls, Horgmo picked himself up and nailed his third run. But only a few riders later Peetu really showed us the goods, and nailed the win.

Mikkel Bang secured a third place with a trademark laidback and stylish run.

Complete Results:

In the final Sunday, ten qualified snowboarders including Mark McMorris (CAN), Ville Uotila (FIN), Roope Tonteri (FIN) and Sage Kotsenburg (USA) will ride it out for the coveted TAC Title and of course a maximum 1000 Swatch TTR Ranking points. Piiroinen is still in the race to collect enough points at TAC to create an unassailable lead to his competitors on the TTR world ranking list. If he manages to do so he will be crowned at the 6Star Burton US Open in two weeks to become the first snowboarder ever winning two consecutive Swatch TTR Tour Champion Titles.

Peetu who is still recharging his batteries from a busy January and February seemed full of energy today and said, “It was good today. I stomped my three runs and qualified first. I hope that I can be in the top 5 tomorrow so that I win the TTR title. That takes the pressure from the US Open for me.”

Watch the 6Star Oakley Arctic Challenge live on www.ttrworldtour.com on Sunday starting 13:00 (CET) to watch who will make it to the TTR Top10, whether Tonteri or Willett take the 3rd spot on the TTR World Ranking or if Peetu can secure his unassailable tour lead. In two weeks time at the last 6Star event of the Tour, the Burton US Open, the best five riders of the TTR World Ranking list will receive a piece of the end of season Swatch TTR prize purse of $200,000 USD as well as the guaranteed invites to next season’s 6Star events.

Eric Willett ss bs 900. Photo by Olav Stubberud

Program:

10.00: Doors open in arena

12.00: Warm-up

13.00: Finals

Arthur Longo 5050 fs 540. Photo by Olav Stubberud

Mikkel Bang fs 360. Photo by Olav Stubberud

Bluebird Weather, Eager Fans and a Long Slopestyle Course

The morning arrived with clear blue skies and all day the sun warmed up the multitude of snowboard fans who had arrived with their friends, flags, pets and baby strollers to support their favourite riders. The second kicker had been reshaped opening all the five obstacles on the slopestyle course, and though the riders still had a bit of trouble with the speed on the second kicker, the level of riding was high. The judging included single obstacle scores and one overall flow score, which gave current Swatch TTR Tour leader Piiroinen the highest score of the day with his second run consisting of: cab270 on to fakie, a frontside 540 off the canon rail, a backside 1080 corked, a backside rodeo 720 and a gigantic frontside air off the hip. In the second heat Bang set the bar high on his second run with a gap to backside lipslide, a stylish backside 180 nosebonk over the canon rail, a cab 720, a switch backside 900 and a backside indy off the hip.

Seppe Smits 5050 bs 180. Photo by Olav Stubberud.

All Eyes On Piiroinen

Piiroinen is still in the race to collect enough points at TAC to create an unassailable lead to his competitors on the TTR World Ranking list. If he manages to do so he will be crowned at the 6Star Burton US Open in two weeks time becoming the first snowboarder ever winning two consecutive Swatch TTR Tour Champion Titles. Peetu who is still recharging his batteries from a busy January and February seemed full of energy today and said, “It was good today. I stomped my three runs and qualified first. I hope that I can be in the top 5 tomorrow so that I win the TTR title. That takes the pressure from the US Open for me.”

There are two riders who could snatch the TTR World No. 3 spot away from Gjermund Braaten (NOR) who today did not qualify. Up and coming rookie Roope Tonteri who recently took 3rd at the 5Star slopestyle of the Burn River Jump in Italy and TTR newbie and winner of the recent 5Star River Jump slopestyle format, Eric Willett, who currently sits in World No. 9, while McMorris, Uotila, Holvik and Smits are all eager to secure a result that will move into the TTR World Top 10.

Don’t Miss the Live Action on Sunday

Watch the 6Star Oakley Arctic Challenge live on www.ttrworldtour.com tomorrow starting 13:00 (CET) to watch who will make it to the TTR Top10, whether Tonteri or Willett take the 3rd spot on the TTR World Ranking or if Peetu can secure his unassailable tour lead. In two weeks time at the last 6Star event of the Tour, the Burton US Open, the best five riders of the TTR World Ranking list will receive a piece of the end of season Swatch TTR prize purse of $200,000 USD as well as the guaranteed invites to next season’s 6Star events.

Photo by Olav Stubberud

Oslo, Norway – 5th March 2010: This Friday, the 6Star Oakley Arctic Challenge (TAC) saw 32 of the snowboarding’s best slopestyle riders battling for one of twenty spots in the semi finals that will be held on Saturday. One of Norway’s most famous riders Torstein Horgmo, used his home country advantage and qualified in first. The slopestyle course in Tryvann Vinterpark, Olso, served as a brand new location for this elite Swatch TTR competition.

Horgmo Shining With Amplitude At Qualifications

With the lead of top shaper Claes Högström the TAC team have built a slopestyle course that kicked off with a stair set, then riders had to choose between a snow box to down box or a cannon rail before hitting the first jump and finishing off with a hip/jump.

Qualifier 5. March 2010

7 Photos

 

After a difficult start into the day with icy conditions and speed problems on the second jump, the decision was made to only take the first jump into account during qualifications. When the skies had cleared around noon, qualifications started off full swing. Torstein Horgmo, who took second at the 5Star Burton New Zealand Open this season, outshone his competitors with a backside 180 switch 180 into fifty-fifty to cab 360 out on top rail, a backside 540 off the cannon rail, a huge switch backside 900 on the kicker and a backside 720 transfer on the hip. With his killer second run in the qualifications, another famous Norwegian, Mikkel Bang, came into second closely followed by Canadian rookie Mark McMorris who recently tool third in the 5Star Burn River Jump in Livigno.

Piiroinen In The Semis

With most TTR Top 20 riders present in Oslo, qualifications for the semi finals were not an easy. Peetu Piiroinen (FIN), who could secure his Swatch TTR World Champion Title this weekend, made the cut into semis and qualified in ninth place. Other riders who battle for a spot in the TTR Top 5 this weekend are World No. 3 Gjermund Braaten (NOR), World No. 4 and winner of the 6Star Billabong Air & Style Marko Grilc, winner of the 5Star Burn River Jump slopestyle format and current World No. 9 Eric Willett (USA), and the young Norwegian in World No. 10, Stale Sandbech. Korpi (FIN), Autti (FIN), Malin (FIN), and Haller (SUI) were not successful today and did not make the cut to the semis. In two weeks time at the last 6Star event of the Tour, the Burton US Open, the best five riders of the TTR World Ranking list will receive a piece of the end of season Swatch TTR prize purse of $200,000 USD as well as the guaranteed invites to next season’s 6Star events.

Watch The Action Live

If you cannot make it to watch the action in Oslo from the 5th to the 7th of March 2010 join the live webcast on www.ttrworldtour.com.

Results: