Last weekend’s Swatch TTR 6Star snowboard mega-event, the Billabong Air&Style Innsbruck 2009/II was one of the highlights of the 09/10 Season for sure. The double cork factor has changed snowboarding in a groundbreaking way and there is no end in sight in terms of variations. We made a little slideshow about the Rider’s draw on Friday and Saturday’s event night with focus on the riders for you to enjoy below.
To watch all the great video content including individual runs from pretty much every rider in the contest go to: http://freecaster.tv/ttrworldtour

For all the infos and results about A&S go here: 6Star Air&Style TTR Event Bio Read the rest of this entry »

The first 6Star Swatch TTR snowboarding event is not just all about riding, there is also some sweet tunes on offer, so get your ticket fast if you don’t already have one or watch the webcast live.

The headliner of the evening: The Hives
Worldwide known for their unique and sweeping live performances The Hives from Sweden make a stop on 05.12.09 in the Bergisel Stadium. Already in 2007 they put a spell on the spectators of the Air & Style in Munich. Music critics share the opinion that this band is special regarding its music and style. The German Music Magazine Intro wrote: “they present a popistic superiority in sound and style that it is already scary”. Also in Innsbruck they will run on the stage wearing black/ white suites and making the crowd dancing and partying. It’s easy to sum up: “They are not just a fashion trend, they are the kind of Rock band that is good, entertaining and different.” (dasding.de)

The hope of German HipHop: K.I.Z. from Berlin
“If four rappers can transform bored looking fans into sweating stage divers, then they deserve without any doubt the title stage hog.” (mtv.de) And this is the reason why K.I.Z. are a perfect act for the Billabong Air & Style 09/II. They mix Rap with Rock, juggle in their lyrics with irony and black humor and besides this present live shows which are more than entertaining, the shows are 100% party. With their nature they shocked the German music scene and proofed that HipHop from Berlin can be demanding: “German Rap suffers from boredom. The Band K.I.Z. from Berlin showed that tough rhymes can be sophistacted.” (Die Zeit online) Their performance in the Bergisel Stadium will better be not missed out.

Bergisel Stadium in the second construction period
Starting last week the stadium is again in a process to become the perfect location for the Billabong Air & Style 09/II. One issue is of course compulsory – the snow. Already four weeks ago snow production begun in Schmierntal. Now it is time for putting and forming the white gold in an optimal way on the setup with its total length of 150 meters. The quality of the snow and its shaping is a science. The experienced pro team of Air & Style will not leave anything to chance. The riders will get perfect conditions at this Swatch TTR 6Star event.

6Star Billabong Air & Style Afterparty Flyer

Official Billabong Air & Style After Show Party 09/II
The Billabong Air & Style 09/II will get its grand finale at the VAZ Hafen with the official After Show Party. Starting at 10:00pm the party will go on until the sunrise. Also here live music is the theme: Crossover sound from Clawfinger and punk rock from the Russian band Lumen. On three floors all party people will get entertained. If Rock, Electro or Chill out music, there will be something for everybody. Tickets for the Official Billabong Air & Style After Show Party are available at all presale offices of Öticket. The ticket includes the shuttle service from Basilica Wilten to the location Hafen.

The Southern Hemisphere competitive freestyle snowboard season is almost coming to an end. Just one last banger weekend is on the schedule and the highest ranked snowboarders, Jamie Anderson (USA) and Sebastien Toutant (CAN), in the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour Ranking are looking to defend their spot at the star-studded NZ and OZ 3Stars, the Boost Sno Show and the Billabong BroDown! 

For the full list of attending riders – go check the event bio pages:

Boost Mobile Sno Sho

Billabong BroDown

Current Men’s TTR World Ranking List

Current Women’s TTR World Ranking List 

Check below to see how your favorite rider’s standing could look like after the contest! All predictions are based on the available rider lists pre-event:

3Star Boost SnoSho (AUS)

1. Seb Toutant: Can defend his TTR Tour Lead with a TOP5 finish in the contest against Reid

2. Charles Reid: Head to head with Toutant for World Nr. 1 (if attends)

4. Eric Willet: stays in the TTR TOP5 (if attends)

6. Sage Kotsenburg: very high chances to move into TOP5 (if attends)

20. Marco Grilc: Good chances to move into TTR TOP10

31. Chris Kroell: can move closer to the TTR TOP20 (if attends)

56. Jye Kearney: can move into TTR TOP50

89. Jacob Koia: can move into TOP50 with a 10th place at SnoSho

3Star Billabong BroDown Men (NZL)

16. Antti Autti: Has slight chances to move into TTR TOP5

21. Seppe Smits: Has slight chances to move into the TTR TOP10

24. James Hamilton: Has good chances to move into the TTR TOP20

51. Risto Mattila: Will move into the TTR TOP50

66. Shayne Pospisil: Will move into the TTR TOP50

3Star Billabong BroDown Women (NZL)

1. Jamie Anderson: Will stay in World Nr. 1. Only if Pancochova finishes 1st or 2nd in the competition and Anderson DNS, we would have a Tour Lead change.

4. Sarka Pancochova: If Sarka podium in 1st or 2nd she has a shot at #1

8. Davis-Meehan: Could move past Kelly Clark into World Nr. 7 if she finishes TOP5

17. Shelly Gotlied: Very likely to move into TTR TOP10

(73. ) Luxton, (75.) Frost, (78.) Lockhart and (83.) Jenny Jones could all move into the TTR TOP50.

 http://www.vimeo.com/3483193Check out all the snowboarding action from the early season in the Southern Hemisphere and catch up with all the current Swatch TTR title contenders as they discuss their plans for the season. The show also examines a different side of snowboarding with footage from Nicolas Mueller filming in Alaska with Absinthe Films, and by looking into Quarterpipe riding with with world’s best transition riders discussing the science, consequences and rush of the evolving contest format. Read the rest of this entry »

Wanaka, New Zealand (Thursday 14th August 2008): OVER 70 Snowboarders from 12 countries have descended on Snow Park in Wanaka, New Zealand to contest day one of the Billabong Snow Stock.

Early clear skies set the scene for Qualifying in the 3Star Swatch TTR Billabong Big Air event, before strong winds blew in and forced a postponement of the opening round.

54 of 60 riders in the open men’s division completed their first of two runs but gale force NW winds made it impossible for the final four riders to complete their opening runs.  Read the rest of this entry »

Wanaka, NZ – 13th August 2008):  THE field is completely full for the open men’s division of the 3Star Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour rated Billabong Big Air, which is part of the Billabong Snow Stock in New Zealand this week.

Over 70 local and international riders have descended on Snow Park, Wanaka for the two-day event, which incorporates the Billabong Big Air, along with a Nixon Quarter Pipe Throw Down and a Panasonic Night Fight rail jam. 

Snow Park is looking as good as ever and the world’s best riders are ready to hit whatever gets thrown at them to win over $15,000 in cash and prizes, including a Panasonic Big Screen TV.

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Also due to her great contest season on the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour, ending for Jamie with the win of the tour title, she has been re-signed by Billabong with a multi-year contract. On top of that she will get her own signature outerwear line to be released Fall 2009.

“We are so excited to continue our relationship with Jamie,” says Billabong Brand Director, Candy Harris. “Last season was amazing ending with her TTR win, we are looking forward to a strong season from her next year.”
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After winning the slopestyle today at the Chicken Jam, Jamie claimed enough points to win the 07/08 TTR Championship. Rockstar is not only officially sponsoring the event, but is so stoked about her result, that the guys decided to sponsor Jamie’s unofficial TTR afterparty. I have the slight feeling it would have taken place anyways to wrap up a long season and fun event, but with that much to celebrate you better get your fake IDs out, your partypants on and swing your ass down to the Whiskey Creek in the center of Mammoth (if you bring your credentials you might even enjoy a couple of free drinks – don’t ask for Vodka Red Bull though…)

And by the way – if you happen to have unpurposely taken the 5th place TTR check, that does not only mean bad karma…Cheryl Maas will come to haunt you for those $9.000 Terje dollars.

Be there or be square…

It was really warm out today, highly irregular for the beginning of February in the Austrian Alps, but that didn’t stop the riders from getting in some training on the Quarterpipe the day before the Billabong Air & Style in Innsbruck.

Despite the high winds, riders were still going huge, reaching 7 and 8 m. The question is, will we see any of the riders break Terje Haakonsen’s Quarterpipe record of 9.8 m? Jack Mitrani seems to think so claiming that he’s “trying to go for that 20m mark.” Optimism is always a good thing so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

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Riders from all over the world flew straight into a glassed cage of emotion. The Billabong Air & Style riders were requesting guided TTR office tours, and at 3:20 pm the idea of a major office refurb was born. Drew Stevenson knew exactly what to do. He got into the Method Mag storage facility, wheeled out a portable ping pong table and pushed it for at least 2km through congested mid-day Austrian traffic. Check the video teaser below, with more to come soon … nothing more to be said but that it was so F@#%&ING FUNNY.

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