Quebec City (QC), Canada – Canada Snowboard will host the 10th edition of the FIS Snowboard World Championships in Quebec City and at Stoneham Mountain Resort from January 15 to 27, 2013. The event will feature more than 400 athletes from 35 nations competing for gold in six disciplines. It’s a great opportunity for the Canadian public to see the best snowboard athletes in the world compete live one year in advance of the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Canadian athletes from the National Team will compete against their international rivals in big air, halfpipe, parallel giant slalom and the two newest additions to the Olympic program: snowboard slopestyle and parallel slalom.
The World Championships is divided in two weekends between freestyle and speed snowboarding events. Slopestyle, big air and halfpipe will feature technical aerials and stylish maneuvers and snowboardcross, parallel giant slalom and parallel slalom will show athletes going head to head to crown the fastest snowboarder on the slopes of Stoneham Mountain.
The World Championships will boost the 15-year-old Quebec Snowboard Jamboree festival to new heights. Event organizer Gestev is planning a host of arts and culture activities in conjunction with the world-class performances that will be taking place on the hill. One of the marquee events is the big air spectacle that takes place at night in downtown Quebec City. Other activities include a fashion show, youth competitions and lots of activities on and off the hill.
“It’s with great pride that we are welcoming the first World Championships. Our team is already in full motion to bring an event that will shake the entire snowboard world,” said Martial De Rome, president of Québec Winter Sport Event Corporation.
The World Championships will garner international attention for Quebec. Organizers anticipate 50,000 spectators, and 250 accredited media to attend, in addition to the thousand volunteers who will make the 13-day event happen.
Sarah Lewis, FIS Secretary General said, “We are convinced these will be truly fantastic FIS World Championships with a great organizer in a community that knows how to celebrate major sports events. A real bonus is that the FIS World Snow Day takes place right in the middle of the Championships on the 20th of January and Quebec City’s ‘Mountain in the City’ will give children the opportunity to have a ski or snowboard lesson with a professional instructor alongside a full entertainment program.”