Breckenridge, CO – The iON Mountain Championships, currently underway and continuing through Sunday in Breckenridge, features the world’s top freestyle skiers and snowboarders competing in the first event of this winter’s Olympic qualifying period. The only winter event of the 2012 Dew Tour features competitions at the Colorado ski resort including ski and snowboard Big Air, as well as a Film Night and concert by hip-hop artists Macklemore & Ryan Lewi that will take over downtown Breckenridge.
The iON Mountain Championships feature the top names in men’s and women’s snowboarding hitting the Dew Tour Superpipe and Slopestyle course. Olympic gold medalist Shaun White will bring his one-of-a-kind tricks to the Superpipe, while Iouri Podladtchikov and fun-loving frends Scotty Lago and Jack and Luke Mitrani attempt to keep him off of the podium. Last year’s Dew Cup winner, Louie Vito, will aim to gain his third consecutive Cup during the winner-takes-all weekend. Several snowboarders will be splitting their time between hitting features on the Slopestyle course and triple corking in the Dew Tour’s debut Big Air contest. Mark McMorris, Sebastien Toutant, Torstein Horgmo and Breckenridge local Eric Willett are sure to be pushing the progression of snowboarding as Dew Tour kicks off the 2012-13 winter season.
Competition will be close on the women’s side, as Superpipe dominator Kelly Clark attempts to defend her Dew Cup champion title. Gretchen Bleiler, Elena Hight and 2010 Olympic gold medalist Torah Bright will also look to get their seasons started at the top of the podium. Perennial Slopestyle contender Jamie Anderson will face off against Canadian Spencer O’Brien and a strong international field of up-and-coming women for the Slopestyle Dew Cup.
“I’m really excited to start the season competing at the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships in Breckenridge,” said Lago. “The riders get one shot at a Dew Cup for the year, and there will be a lot of heavy hitters, so everyone will be bringing our best to the event.”
Freestyle skiing events will see the athletes sizing each other up after an off-season spent training for one of the sport’s biggest stages at the Dew Tour. Simon Dumont and Tanner Hall will meet in the Superpipe, hoping their experience is enough to overtake Kevin Rolland, the winner of last year’s Dew Cup. Breckenridge team skier Bobby Brown will attempt to use home slope advantage against Nick Goepper and previous Dew Cup champ Tom Wallisch on the Slopestyle course. The three will also be among those competing in Big Air.
The pressure will also be on the women as they compete for Dew Cups in Superpipe and Slopestyle. Canadian Rosalind Groenewoud will aim for the top spot on the podium in Pipe, fending off Maddie Bowman, Brita Sigourney and Jen Hudak.
“I’m feeling pretty good, but I am nervous,” Groenewoud admitted. “I’m always nervous and excited to get into the pipe at a competition.”
Slopestyle could be anyone’s game, as Kaya Turski and locals Keri Herman and Emilia Wint lead the top names set to compete at Breckenridge.
“The coaches and my team have done a great job in keeping me in my comfort zone. I’m just going to go with the flow, keep my cool and trust in all the physical and mental training I’ve been doing,” said Turski, a native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The Dew Tour’s new format for 2012 includes an expansion of events throughout the weekend, bringing the action sports and lifestyle festival to Breckenridge. The world’s best skiers and snowboarders will throw it down on the mountain while the lifts are running, with the spotlight swinging to the Riverwalk Center and downtown area in the evenings, featuring a Film Night recognizing the most influential and progressive films of the season, as well as the concert by Macklemore & Ryan Lewi.
All athlete events are taking place at Peak 8 of the Breckenridge Ski Resort. Spectators will be able to access the Slopestyle and Big Air competitions directly from the Peak 8 Base Area; look for directional signs for detailed access. For all Halfpipe events, spectators can access the venue in the Freeway Terrain park via Rip’s Ride (Chair 7) at the Peak 8 Base Area. Free foot passenger tickets are available at any Peak 8 ticket window, from guest service personnel or at the chairlift. Rip’s ride is for uphill access only, so all foot passenger spectators will be required to walk down from the venue; proper footwear is encouraged. Skier/rider access is only available from Rip’s Ride, with a short traverse over to Freeway.
Buses and the BreckConnect Gondola will run late for the nighttime events from the Breckenridge Transportation Center.
Event Schedule
Thursday, December 13th
Dew Tour Experience hours: 9:00AM – 4:00PM MT
| 10:00AM – 11:30AM MT | Men’s Freeski Superpipe Semi-Final |
| 12:00AM – 1:30PM MT | Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Semi-Final |
| 2:30PM – 4:00PM MT | Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Semi-Final |
| 5:30PM – 6:30PM MT | Men’s Freeski Big Air Final |
Friday, December 14th
Dew Tour Experience hours: 9:00AM – 4:00PM MT
| 10:30AM – 11:30AM MT | Women’s Snowboard Superpipe Semi-Final |
| 12:30PM – 1:00PM MT | Women’s Freeski Superpipe Final |
| 1:00PM – 2:00PM MT | Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Final |
| 3:00PM – 4:00PM MT | Men’s Freeski Superpipe Final |
Saturday, December 15th
Dew Tour Experience hours: 9:00AM – 4:00PM MT
| 10:00AM – 11:00AM MT | Women’s Snowboard Superpipe Final |
| 10:00AM – 11:30AM MT | Women’s Freeski Slopestyle Semi-Final |
| 12:00PM – 2:00PM MT | Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Final |
| 1:45PM – 4:00PM MT | Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Semi-Final |
| 5:00PM – 6:00PM MT | Men’s Snowboard Big Air Final |
Sunday, December 16th
Dew Tour Experience hours: 9:00AM – 4:00PM MT
| 9:15AM – 10:00AM MT | Women’s Freeski Slopestyle Final |
| 11:00AM – 1:00PM MT | Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Final |
| 1:00PM – 2:00PM MT | Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Final |