Burr Ridge, IL – Officials with the Gatorade Free Flow Tour have announced the complete schedule for series for the 2012 winter season. In its third year, the Tour offers up-and-coming amateur freeski athletes 21 and under the chance to earn a pre-qualified spot in next season’s 2012-13 Winter Dew Tour. Leading off with slope and pipe contests at Vail Mountain in Vail, Colo., the circuit will hit eight ski resorts for a total of 14 contests.
“The 2012 Winter Gatorade Free Flow Tour has one of the strongest resort lineups in the history of the Tour. Utilizing the top parks and pipes in the country, this year’s Tour will undoubtedly push the up and coming competitors to a new level,” said Gatorade action sports team manager, Carla Hess. “We look forward to this season’s competition and finding who will be the next to go from ‘Flow to Pro’.”
The Gatorade Free Flow Tour will showcase the top amateur winter athletes competing in freeski slopestyle and superpipe. Freeski disciplines will be open to both men and women.
The 2012 schedule includes resorts spanning the United States, with two in the East and three on the West Coast, and another three in the Rocky Mountains. The Tour will host six superpipe and eight slopestyle contests. Open to all amateur freeskiers 21 and younger, registration for the Tour is now available at www.gatoradefreeflowtour.com. There are limited spots for all competitions, so early registration is encouraged. There is a $20 registration fee for one day of competition and a $30 registration fee to compete both days, which does not include lift tickets.
In addition to the main contests, each stop of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour will also include a Junior Jam division, offering separate rail jam and superpipe contests for freeski competitors 13 and under. The Junior Jam will take place prior to each of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour’s Open Division competitions, giving young amateurs valuable contest experience.
The complete 2012 Gatorade Free Flow Tour schedule includes the following dates and locations:
| Date | Resort | Location | Event |
| Jan. 14-15 | Vail Ski Resort | Vail, Colo. | pipe, slope |
| Jan. 21-22 | Jackson Hole Mountain Resort | Teton Valley, Wyo. | slope |
| Jan. 21-22 | Mountain High Resort | Wrightwood, Calif. | slope |
| Jan. 28-29 | Okemo Mountain Resort | Ludlow, Vt. | pipe, slope |
| Jan. 28-29 | Mount Bachelor | Bend, Ore. | pipe, slope |
| Feb. 4-5 | Seven Springs | Seven Springs, Pa. | pipe, slope |
| Feb. 4-5 | Brighton Resort | Brighton, Utah | pipe, slope |
| Feb. 4-5 | Sierra at Tahoe | Twin Bridges, Calif. | pipe, slope |
| Feb. 9-12 | Snowbasin Resort | Ogden, Utah | pipe, slope |
The winners in each of the 14 contests will be flown to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place in conjunction with the Winter Dew Tour Toyota Championship, February 12-13 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah. Encompassing the “Flow to Pro” theme that is the cornerstone of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, the two overall freeski superpipe and slopestyle Champions will earn a spot to compete against the pros at the first stop of the 2012-13 Winter Dew Tour the following season.