The Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour is calling the 4Star 8th Red Bull Nanshan Open ” the largest event on Asian soil this season.” We’re not exactly sure what that means, but for snowboarders who aren’t on the hunt for a spot on the US Olympic halfpipe team the $25,000 prize purse and up to 500 Swatch TTR ranking points are probably worth a trip to China on the January 9-10, 2010.
For the official release, follow the jump.
4STAR 8th RED BULL NANSHAN OPEN,
THE BIGGEST SWATCH TTR EVENT 2009/10 IN ASIA
Beijing, China – December 30th, 2009: The largest Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour event on Asian soil this season, the 4Star 8th Red Bull Nanshan Open is taking place on the 9-10th January, 2010. This event does not only offer a US$25,000 prize purse and up to 500 Swatch TTR ranking points, but a chance for 6 locally qualified riders to compete against the 24 invited top level international snowboarders.
MOST DIVERSE NANSHAN OPEN HELD TO DATE
With riders from 13 different nations attending the event, this season’s competition will be the most diverse in the event’s history. Beside Andrew Wilde, He Wei, Li Jie, Ming Ming, Li Penghuan and Jokey Tong, who qualified at the end of December, we will see familiar faces from the Swatch TTR Tour like Matti Kinnunen (FIN), Atsushi Ishikawa (JAP), David Bertschinger Karg (SUI), Marc Swoboda (AUT), Stefan Karlsson (SWE) and Werner Stock (AUT).
Matti Kinnunen is one of the hottest new talents on the Tour and has already collected a win at the 3Star Nissan Stomp It in Italy this season. Werner Stock, who recently placed 6th at the 6Star Billabong Air & Style returns to China for the second season and is hoping to improve his ninth place finish of 2009.
At the age of 32, Atsushi Ishikawa is not the youngest rider in the field, but as one of the most experienced riders at Asian TTR Tour events he is one to look out for. This will be his third time at the Red Bull Nanshan Open and after a third place in 2008 and a second place in 2009, Ishikawa will be on the hunt for the top spot this year.
BIGGEST ASIAN EVENT 09/10 ON THE SWATCH TTR TOUR
The 8th Red Bull Nanshan Open has year after year proved to be a high quality 4Star event on the Swatch TTR Tour, with a perfectly shaped slopestyle course in the Quiksilver Nanshan Mellow Park at Nanshan Ski Resort. The team at Mellowparks.cn are the driving force behind the event and have constantly kept raising the bar.
The event is said to be the most exotic cultural experience for all invited riders who get to enjoy a full week’s worth of 5-star hotels, foot massages, fine dining, wild parties and sightseeing. “One of my TOP events – always so stoked to get an invite and would never say no. It is just an awesome time,“ says Peter König (AUT) after his second year at Nanshan. “You get together with all your buddies from around the world and the snowboard industry, meet in China and have the best seven days that will be in your memories forever.”
