With Jamie potentially unable to compete for the rest of the season the Women’s Tour seems to be wide open again. Norway is more likely than any other country to take the Women’s trophy home this season for the first time. Both Kjersti Buaas and Lisa Wiik are strong slopestyle and halfpipe riders, while Kelly Clark has her focus set on pipe. But if Sarka can put her run together incl. a very rare rodeo on the kicker or Silli puts down a solid run in the pipe and land her huge FS7 on the kickerlines they got their shot at the 08/09 TTR World Title just as much as Sina Candrian, who finished in the TTR TOP 10 the past 2 seasons.

RANK	NAME	COUNTRY	AGE	6STAR BURTON US OPEN HP
1st	Jamie Anderson	USA	18	Could be bumped out from the World Nr. 1 spot if Lisa places 1st
2nd	Lisa Wiik	NOR	29	Could take Tour Lead if she places 1st; stays 2nd otherwise
3rd	Sarka Pancochova	CZE	19	Fights with Silvia for TTR World Nr. 4
4th	Silvia Mittermueller	GER	25	Fights with Sarka for TTR World Nr. 4
6th	Sina Candrian	SUI	20	Fights with Lisa for TTR World Nr. 2
8th	Ellery Hollingsworth	USA	17	Could move into TTR TOP 5
10th	Cheryl Maas	NED	24	Could enter TOP 10
11th	Kjersti Buaas	NOR	26	Could enter TOP 10
12th	Spencer O’Brien	CAN	21	Could enter TOP 10
16th	Chanelle Sladics	USA	24	Could improve her TOP 20 position
21st	Cilka Sadar	SLO	17	Could enter TOP 20
44th	Torah Bright	AUS	22	Could enter TOP 30
74th	Shelly Gotlieb	NZL	28	Could enter TOP 40
104th	Katie Williams	USA	19	Could enter TOP 50 if she places up to 19th
106th	Cecilia Larsen	SWE	24	Could enter TOP 50 if she places up to 18th
118th	Diane Rudge	CAN	20	Could jump over more than 50 ranks and enter TOP 60
129th	Joanna Dzierzawski	USA	24	Could jump over more than 50 ranks and enter TOP 70
144th	Mary Sallah	USA	21	Could jump over more than 70 ranks and enter TOP 70
166th	Leanne Pelosi	CAN	29	Could jump over more than 80 ranks and enter TOP 80
185th	Jenny Jones	GBR	28	Could jump over more than 90 ranks and enter TOP 100

With 3000 more Swatch TTR points on the table for the women the race is far from decided and there will be another update next week before the RCJ 2009 in Mammoth.

GO HERE FOR THE WOMEN’S PREDICTIONS

RANK	NAME	COUNTRY	AGE	6STAR BURTON US OPEN HP
1	Peetu Piiroinen	FIN	21	Could loose Tour Lead if he places 8th or lower in the HP and Shaun places 1st
2	Chas Guldemond	USA	21	Gets bumped down by White. Fights with Risto and mostly Kevin for the World Nr. 3 spot, but can defend that spot if he finishes in the TOP 4.
3	Risto Mattila	FIN	28	Fights with Chas and Kevin for the World Nr. 3 spot
4	Kevin Pearce	USA	21	Fights with Risto and mostly Chas for the World Nr. 3 spot
5	Shaun White	USA	23	Needs to place 1st and Peetu 8th or lower in order to take the World Nr. 1 spot. If not he jumps up to World Nr. 2
6	Antti Autti	FIN	24	Has slight chances to enter TOP 5 if Risto does not ride well in the pipe
7	Charles Reid	CAN	18	Needs to place one place higher than Aguirre and Malin in order to stay on the World Nr. 7 spot / below podium he could even be one place lower than Aguirre and Malin and still to stay on the World Nr. 7spot
9	Markus Malin	FIN	21	Fights with Reid and Aguirre for the World Nr. 7spot
13	Tim Humphreys	USA	21	Could enter TOP 10
15	Luke Mitrani	USA	18	Could improve his TOP 20 position
25	Stale Sandbech	NOR	16	Could enter TOP 20 if he places up to 20th
29	Kim Rune Hansen	NOR	20	Could enter TOP 20 if he places up to 28th
49	Broc Waring	USA	16	Could enter TOP 40
50	Christian Haller	SUI	19	Could enter TOP 40 if he places up to 34th
54	Justin Lamoureux	CAN	32	Could enter TOP 40 if he places up to 36th
56	Scotty Lago	USA	21	Could enter TOP 40 if he places up to 28th
78	Scott James	AUS	14	Could enter TOP 60
85	Matt Ladley	USA	17	Could enter TOP 60 if he places up to 30th
115	Brennen Swanson	USA	19	Could enter TOP 80
119	Drew Brighton	USA	20	Could enter TOP 80 if he places up to 35th
135	Zachary Black	USA	18	Could enter TOP 100
138	Joseph Mensch	USA	17	Could enter TOP 100
154	Jeremy Thompson	USA	20	Could enter TOP 110
176	J.J. Thomas	USA	27	Could enter TOP 130
183	Louie Vito	USA	20	Could enter TOP 130
184	Tyler Troy	USA	19	Could enter TOP 140
202	Keir Dillon	USA	31	Could enter TOP 80 if he places up to 6th
205	Harrison Gray	USA	15	Could enter TOP 130
231	Bryan Daino	USA	18	Could enter TOP 150

Besides one lonely Canadian, the battle in the TTR TOP 10, evolves purely around Finland and the US boys (read a nice article about this topic here). And none of the top pipe shreds are below 21 years of age. But will experience prevail or can the youngguns like Stale Sandbech (NOR, 16) that came through the qualies or Oz’s supertalent Scotty James (AUS, 14) challenge the “old” dogs?More importantly: tomorrow’s Superpipe showdown sets up the final scenario for the battle between Shaun vs. Peetu for the TTR trophy on Sunday!If Shaun wins pipe and slope again he can make 100% sure he wins the Swatch TTR Tour! For Peetu with slightly better season results it looks a little better. He could finish 4th in one format, win the other and still win the title.  But it doesn’t only come down to the individual performance on those 2 days – other strong pipe riders like the FRENDS crew or the Fins could influence the outcome significantly.And then there is also the unexpected weather factor that almost broke Kevin’s neck last season by blowing him from finishing anywhere near the podium at last year’s slopestyle after a flawless season! So your only chance to follow the drama unfold will be to watch the live webcast!Check GO211 on Saturday and Sunday 8.45AM EST (check full live webcast schedule here)Keep checking this space for further updates and predictions after the pipe finals tomorrow!For more information on the startlists visit www.opensnowboarding.com

So Peetu’s current score to beat without even him riding is 904,59. If we look at Risto’s potential points winning both formats in Stratton:(782,92 x 7 – (515 + 636,72) + 2000) / 7 = 904,10His score will still be lower than Peetu’s current score (this is called an “unassailable lead”) and KP can also not move past the Fin anymore. As you can see the only person able to beat the current World Nr. 1′s unassailable lead is Shaun White as he only has 6 out of 7 results, a strong Season-End Points Bonus 07/08, rewarding his achievements in the past season and he can substitute a weaker 5Star result (6th at Red Bull Snowscrapers). Long-term Tour leader Chas Guldemond, who lost his Nr. 1 spot against Peetu at the Air&Style Quarterpipe in Innsbruck end of January won’t have a chance for the title this season despite strong results at several 5 and 6Star events.So let’s take a closer look at the 2 Title contenders! PEETU PIIROINENWith only one 6Star title under his belt one might think the flying Finn won’t have the slightest chance against Shaun, who is decorated with any and all medals, trophies and titles a snowboarder can possibly win in his career. But this one victory over his fellow friend Risto Mattila Davos’ 6Star quarterpipe was only the tip of the iceberg as Piiroinen finished on the podium at every single 6Star comp he entered this season. At the BEO he finished in front of Shaun in 2nd in the slopestyle and if he hadn’t gotten hurt at the Oakley Arctic Challenge he would have been close to impossible to beat this season – even for Mr. White. But one thing that is going to help Peetu is the strength of the other riders like Kevin Pearce in the pipe that might be of relative advantage for Peetu, if they can hold Shaun back from winning twice again. Check out Peetu’s rider profile SHAUN WHITEThe 06/07 TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion, Olympic and multiple X-Games Gold Medalist could be the first snowboarder ever to win the coveted Swatch TTR trophy for a 2nd time!And his chances would be more than good if there wasn’t riders like Kevin Pearce or Danny Davis that have proved themselves capable in the past to be able to beat Shaun in pipe and slope. White has by far the most amazing career statistics of all riders on the Swatch TTR Tour and his average finish at all event he ever entered on the Tour equals 1 – no other rider can look back at statistics like that…But the 08/09 season has not been as flawless as usual and the  battle of  giants in the BEO superpipe with KP and slopestyle 3rd behind Peetu has caused the average to drop this time. Is this an indicator for Peetu to takes his chances and go for broke at the US Open?Check out Shaun’s rider profile hereIt will definitely come down to an epic tour finale this coming weekend and you can check the below stats to find out just how close it is.But there might also be an external factor to the equation guaranteeing a nailbiting finale. If anyone keeps Shaun from winning both formats the odds will automatically shift towards Peetu as he has already built a solid points foundation while Shaun needs those victories (see how the points dramatically drop from 1000 to 900 from 1st to 3rd place).SCORE VARIATIONS AT THE 6STAR US OPENShaun’s possible score variationsPeetu’s possible score variations The red areas indicate an unassailable lead after both formats, meaning that Shaun must win both to win the Tour for sure, but Peetu could come 1st and 2nd even if Shaun finishes first or second as well. And there could even be a last minute tour lead change already on Saturday where Peetu could loose the Nr. 1 spot if he places 8th or lower in Stratton’s superpipe and Shaun wins (which is not that unlikely – not only from a statistical standpoint). No matter what – Shaun will most likely jump up into Swatch TTR World Nr. 2 – hot on Peetu’s heals.There will be more updates from the US Open after the HP! Then you can find out about the latest TTR champions predictions and chances for the other riders to keep their spot inside the TTR TOP5!If you are really keen on more spreadsheet madness and in depth infos send a mail to andy@ttrworldtour.comAll in all – stay tuned to www.ttrworldtour.com to get the latest news, rankings and videos and don’t forget to watch the live webcast of the Burton US Open at GO211.com or tune into iphone.ttrworldtour.com if you are on the road with your new 3G.[vimeo width="640" height="360"]http://vimeo.com/3631550[/vimeo]

The weather in Vermont can be crazy at times, and today we got a little taste of ice falling from the sky. But, the riders weren’t deterred and took to the slopestyle course for the men’s pre-qualifier round. The pipe was also open for practice so men and women were dropping in getting a feel for the pipe and getting some runs dialed.

Everyone is looking forward to the weather shaping up and keeping fingers crossed for the sun to pop. As the TTR Tour comes down to the final stages, everyone is getting amped up for Slopestyle Semi-Finals and Finals on Friday. And things are going to get down and dirty on Saturday for Halfpipe Semis and Finals. Following the halfpipe finals, the Men’s TTR World Tour Champion will be crowned.

It’s going to be quite the battle, and this year’s medieval theme at the 2008 US Open couldn’t be a better fit. Kevin Pearce, Risto Matilla, Peetu Piiroinen and Andy Finch will suit up in their armor, sharpen their weapon of choice and take to the battlegrounds to see who will be the next Men’s TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion. Check out Mikkel Bang and Torstein Horgmo break it all down commentator style in the video here.

Stay tuned to www.ttrworldtour.com for more updates direct from Stratton, Vermont. Be sure to tune in to go211.com to watch the action live as it happens on Friday and Saturday. And if you’re in the States on Sunday, don’t miss the Burton US Open television show airing on NBC nationwide from 1pm to 3:30pm EST.

Here’s the GO211.com Live Broadcast schedule so you don’t miss a beat (All times EST):

FRIDAY MARCH 21
Morning Show (8:45am – 9:15am)
Slopestyle Semi Finals (9:15am – 2pm)
Slopestyle Finals & Awards (2:30pm – 5pm)
Slopestyle Finals Replay (5:30pm – 7pm)

SATURDAY MARCH 22
Morning Show (8:30am – 9am)
Superpipe Semifinals (9am – 12:45pm)
Superpipe Finals & Awards (1pm – 4pm)
Superpipe Finals Replay (4pm – 6:45pm)

MONDAY MARCH 24
Replay of SS and HP Semifinals and Finals (9am – 5pm)
TUESDAY MARCH 25
Replay of SS and HP Semifinals and Finals (7pm – 3am)

Halfpipe qualifiers went off without a hitch today, but the finals night session had to be postponed due to a thick fog that just wouldn’t lift off the pipe. The organizers tried to wait things out, but the Vermont fog persisted and the competition had to be pushed to tomorrow following the Slopestyle finals.

There was a big crowd in attendance, so not to disappoint all the shred fans that made their way to Killington, a “best trick” contest was organized at the last minute. Riders had 45-minutes to drop as many times as they wanted and the winner was to be awarded $2,500 by event sponsor Rip It energy drink.

Riders were hiking half way up the pipe and dropping in to get the last two hits. If they dropped any higher in the pipe they were lost in the fog. The guys were really going after it pulling some big, technical tricks out of the bag. Drew Brighton and Nate Johnstone stomped some nice backside 1080s, Bret Esser was throwing smooth front 9s all night and Louie Vito grabbed some massive crails. It may not have been the best trick, but one of the most technical tricks of the night was thrown by Zack Black who laid down a sick switch backside 900.

In the end it was local Vermonter, Elijah Teter, who took home the $2500 for a switch alley-oop McTwist. Teter was pretty stoked with his result: “We just had the pipe comp postponed but we had a best trick contest and it was super fun. Just got my flow going and actually won the best trick. I’m super stoked right now. Switch alley-oop Mickey got it for me, so I’m pretty happy.”

The whole shebang will go down tomorrow at the Grand Prix with slopestyle qualifiers and finals going down tomorrow morning into the early afternoon. Halfpipe finals will immediately follow slopestyle awards tomorrow afternoon. Stay tuned to http://www.ttrworldtour.com for updates from tomorrow’s events.